Our Christmas Miracle

Christmas Eve was one of the most memorable events that I will never forget.  It was like it happened to somebody else.  Not Kim and I. 

Before Christmas Eve, we got a few Christmas cards in the mail, anonymously with money in them.  It was crazy and we didn't know why people were doing it. Then Christmas Eve day, someone brought by a huge jar filled with change and bills inside on top.  I brought it in the house and just sat at the table and bawled my eyes out.  Why were people picking us to be so kind to?  Why were they singling us out of everyone who needed help?  When Kim got home, he went through the numbness of it all like I had.  We were so humbled.

Then one of the girls who used to be in my young women class, showed up at my house with a card.  She told me that she told her mom that she wanted the money they would spend for her for Christmas and she gave it to me in her card.  Another tear jerker!!  A teenager giving up Christmas for me??? Why me???

I knew our kids had been up to something.  And we were about to find out.  After all of our Christmas Eve party was over and gifts opened, all of our kids and spouses got together to give us one last gift, and all these cameras came out.  I looked from one to another and they were all standing in a row pointed phones our way.  They sent us on a treasure hunt, and we came back with a vase of flowers and a wrapped box.  The box was opened and there was  stacks of $20 bills that seemed endless.  Kim asked them if they robbed a bank. We both were so touched.  I was again a bawling mess.  The excitement of the kids were so evident and we found out that they had all collectively participated in some way or another together in fund raisers for money for my cancer.  It was the most humbling experience.  That all of this money came from our neighbors, friends, acquaintances, ward members, non- members, county residents, people we didn't know, people our kids know who don't know us, people from literally all over the world!!! Anonymously giving money to us!!! To help with our cancer bills. 

After they gave us the box with the money in it, Emily had made a video with all of the kids and grandkids in it and showed parts of the three projects they did to make money.  It was so touching.  I couldn't believe it.  I still can't believe people did this for us!! It is sooooooo humbling and we have been entrusted with this money for my cancer care.  Wow.

 Just while I have been typing this post, the doorbell rang with another envelope from several families that  are our relatives near by.  (I will wait till Kim gets home from work and let him open it).  This is unbelievable.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Merry Christmas to all of you who participated in this special Christmas for us.  We wish we could hug each person. 

This is the video that our kids had for us to watch.  It was really a tender video to our hearts.  Thanks kids!!!    

Second Radiation Surgery date

Wow.  I didn't know that I hadn't written since the first of the month.  I guess because I haven't felt well that I didn't.

I have "so much" to write.  So many things have happened.

Let's go back a few weeks:  I think I had nausea for three to four weeks post surgery.  No appetite, and very little sounded good to eat.  Silly though, that I always thought tacos sounded good.  We went to Taco Bell or some taco joint " A LOT"!!!  I wonder why.  And fruit always sounds good.

Anyway, I finally got over sickness and tiredness.  No more needed naps or lying down to just rest.  And I started really feeling good!!!! Better than I have felt in quite awhile.

On the 22nd, we went to St. Marks and I had an MRI. (Remind me that I don't like those.  I forgot).  Then we went over to the surgeon who does my radiation down there.  I had a million questions it seemed from all of the things I went through post surgery.  All of them were normal, but I just had bad cases of all side effects, but still normal side effects.

We set another date for the second radiation surgery.  He never got into the left side of my liver to give any radiation.  There are black holes in places he did radiate which means the tumor is dead there.  I found out that "black holes" are good in the tumors.  And I have some.  They haven't had time to shrink yet though.

My second surgery will be January 6th. 

Fainting

I have debated for about a week whether I should put this on my blog.  Then I thought:  This is my journal of my cancer.  It is part of what I am going through.  Put it on the blog.

Last Saturday was our daughters birthday.  We went up to her house to give her a card before she left for the Utes game.  When I got home, I needed to shower.  I got in the shower and kept feeling extremely weak.  So weak that I was too weak to keep my arms up washing my hair.  I had not  a smidge of energy.  I felt faint and so I sat down in the shower.  I called Kim to come in and told him I felt like I was going to faint.  He got in the shower with me to help me back up, and that's all I remember.  I guess I fainted and he caught me.  He was really upset because he didn't know if I was alive or dead. I remember coming to and then instantly throwing up.  After cleaning us both up, Kim took me in to lie down.  It was Saturday, so he called the doctor on call.  Kim told him what had happened and he wanted Kim to take my blood pressure.  It was so low.  The doctor said this was common for having a Y90 surgery.  (That is the name of the surgery I had.) He said that 10-14 after surgery it was common to have post embolization syndrome.  And I was out 10 days exactly.  He said it was the worst part of post surgery.  (Hey, nobody told me about no syndrome!!!)

The doctor said I was dehydrated and if I couldn't get the top blood pressure number to go above 100, I would need to go to the ER and have them give me fluids.  Kim pumped me with fluids.  I have had a struggle keeping it over 100.  It hasn't been easy. For the next 24 hours, I didn't dare go anywhere in case it happened again. That was very frightening to us both.