Bomber Hats are the Bomb

Okay, enough about bomber hats. Just wanted you to see a photo of them.

Bomber Hats

Our day together was pretty successful. Both girls now have really cute bomber hats. They are made from the wool sweaters we felted and are lined with them also, which makes them warm enough to make it through a real northeaster comfortably. How often they will wear them here in sunny Florida is anyone's guess. I expect they will both wear them to school at least one day to show them off. It was a good experience, though, and instructive in how to recycle and use something that perhaps had been discarded.

I have lost the keyboard on my pc so am writing from my laptop. If I hadn't already downloaded the picture I took of the girls in their hats, I would load it for you all to see. Perhaps if I get time later I can load them onto a thumb drive and put at least one photo up.

Today is Sunday. I wish each of you a restful, peaceful day.

Plans for Tomorrow

While I was on vacation I bought wool sweaters at thrift shops to bring home and felt for projects to do with my grand daughters. We felted the sweaters weeks ago and hopefully will complete a project tomorrow. The girls want to make bomber hats. They are really cute and I hope we'll have time to make all three of them a hat. I'd like to make smaller ones for Mark and Olivia, but will just have to wait and see how it goes.

Anyone want to come help?

Friends, Near and Far

Earlier this week a friend wrote from Jerusalem offering to light candles for me in the Church of the Sepulcher. To my knowledge no one has ever lit candles for me before, much less in the Holy City where the Light of the World offered Himself so light would shine through all of us! Thank you, dear Rich, for this beautiful gift!

Calls, cards, and e-mails are coming daily with friends pledging their support in their thoughts and prayers.

My McIntosh Undercover book club friends brought me Gregg Mortensen's new book on his work in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His book, "Three Cups of Tea" changed my conception of what one person can do to change the world. I recommend it to anyone who truly wants to gain a better understanding of how to combat the problems that exist in the Near East and our western mindset.

Tonight my dear yoggi friends offered deep meditation and healing life forces toward me as part of our yoga class. This group of women have truly been a source of encouragement for me in building my own physical and spiritual strength. Together our energies nourish each other and that energy goes with us when we leave class.

We all have close friends who have endured losses many more times difficult than what I am facing. Let us pray for them.

Surgery Date

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Surgery Date

I have just talked with Dr. Grobmyer. He has talked with the radiologist who did my MRI yesterday. The right breast is not involved. His recommendation was to go ahead with the primary surgery which is to remove my left breast. I was considering having reconstruction done at the same time as the mastectomy, and was in a real state of agitation trying to decide whether that was the right thing to do and what type of reconstruction should I have, etc. etc. I was reading Dr.Susan Love's Breast Book and thinking none of the options appealed to me.

Dr. G does these surgeries all the time. He knows what he is doing. I believe when you have an expert on something you must allow that expert to guide you through the process. One good thing about not having any reconstruction done is that it will give me time to decide whether I really want it or not. The methods I would consider for reconstruction would involve taking tissue from my back or abdomen which would weaken either of them. I have worked awfully hard to build up my core strength and don't want to compromise that.

So...my surgery date is a week from Thursday, December 10th. I do plan to talk to the plastic surgeon just for my own information, but I am going ahead with the surgery as planned.

The Pink Glove Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

You will have to copy and paste this to your browser. It's a little long, over 3 minutes, but if you get into the mood of it and enjoy the music as I did, it's fun and makes you want to get up and dance with them!

Enjoy!

daisy lady said...I placed this post last night under comments. Sorry, I just haven't gotten the hang of this blogging thing yet!

Yesterday we met with Dr. Stephen Grobmyer, the breast specialist at the new Shands Cancer Center. He will be looking at all my imaging results, including an MRI I had today, plus the slides with tissue from the biopsy will be examined by the Cancer Center's pathologist. Basically the immediate prognosis is the same - I will have a mastectomy. Where it might diverge from my previous recommendations from my biopsy surgeon is that a Signal node biopsy will be done at the time of surgery which will determine what treatment I receive after surgery. Also, they will examine the right breast thoroughly to determine whether it may be involved also. From my conversation with Dr. G and his staff I don't feel the "fear" factor and feel we have plenty of time to make informed decisions. If only the left breast is involved then I must decide whether to have reconstruction at the time of surgery. I feel right now that I will probably opt for that. On the other hand, if both breasts are involved, I will probably opt not to have reconstructive surgery. Hey! I was a young person through the hippy generation and still chafe at having to wear a brassiere! Just think of the money I will save not having to buy one of those damned contraptions ever again! Is that too much information? :>) I am confident that a competent, measured assessment will be made on my behalf by Dr. G and his associates and feel comfortable placing myself in their care. The cancer has not been staged yet and we are still waiting for two numbers to come in from pathology. One is the Her2 and the other the hormonal response test.

November 30, 2009 5:21 PM