Finding A Happy Place

So much has happened in the last 6 weeks, it's almost too much to think about but I am so glad it's all behind me and my family.  Having a Bi-Lateral Mastectomy was hard, and it was hard to wake up to see what my new reality is.  Then to overcome the pain in just 4 days and to be only on Motrin, as needed, was a blessing.  I have weekly Doctors appointments with my Plastic Surgeon so I feel like I now live at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center. The week leading up to my Hysterectomy I had appointments for either myself or one of my kids on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.  I arrived at my scheduled time of 5:30am on Monday March 19th, Kenny & I thought we would be the first ones there...Boy were we surprised.  There were about 20 people, all there for their 7:30am surgeries as well.  I was called back and the nurse was so incredibly nice to let Kenny come back with me.  I hate when I have an IV placed in my hand, so Kenny was able to bet here for the great Hand Squeeze.  I was in surgery for about 2 hours and all went well, but they decided to keep me for one night anyway.  When I woke up in recovery it was just my luck that the floor I was assigned to wasn't ready for me.  While I waited 9 hours, I was on a great pain killer that I had a hand pump for.  You learn to really appreciate your Pre and Post Op nurses more when you see what they do on a daily basis.    I had a 5 year old wake up next to me that was so upset due to the anesthesia, her mom was trying so hard to console her.  While I was laying there thinking about this little girl and her mom, I said a prayer.  I kid you not, with in minutes this girl went from inconsolable to complete calm and was able to go home.  On my other side I had a women who went in for a Carpal Tunnel surgery and woke up with chest pains.  Turns out she was a heart patient, so I prayed for her too.  Her family was shocked to know that she was having heart problems.  There were so many doctors who came and took care of this woman.   I felt so lucky that I woke up fine and was quite entertained by all the action around me...he he.

I have healed pretty well and only had one moment of that "sadness" from losing all my female hormones.  Lets hope that was my only one.  I am so incredibly grateful that I have great doctors and have been able to beat this Cancer.  I recently read a couple of statistics from the Susan G Koman Foundation that in Los Angeles County there are over 100 women weekly who are diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  Every 13 minutes in the United States a women dies from Breast Cancer.  I started asking Doctors and Nurses why so many men and women have been diagnosed with some form of cancer recently, it almost seems like an epidemic.  It seems the universal answer is "health care", a simple answer.   Most, if not all, diseases are preventable with early detection.  If you attend a yearly doctor physical visit, women annual mammograms and  pap smears and if we are proactive about our health we can beat anything!!   I have said it before and I will repeat myself now, it's all in the positive attitude.

You would think that my family could keep themselves healthy while I am dealing with surgeries and treatments, well they have for months now but it all caught up to us recently.  Kenny had a cold flu and with a combination of moving furniture and coughing so hard he pulled a muscle.  He went to Kaiser for his flu and they ended up running all kinds of tests for a possible heart problem.  Diagnosis....pulled muscle.  Oh gosh it's funny now but when he was there we were kinda scared. Then JT became ill and slept for 5 days straight and didn't eat, I was very worried and was thinking he might have Mono.  I sent him off to Kaiser and the Doctor said it was just a bad case of the flu.  Once he heard that, he was miraculously healed and was back to going out with his friends and played in the Lacrosse game that week.  Janessa came to town for 2 doctors appointments and lots of immunizations for her Haiti trip.  In a soccer game on Saturday  Makayla had fallen and we thought broke her wrist...after a Sunday Kaiser visit, it's only a sprain. Cassandra called me with the infamous "Mom I'm ok but..." she seemed to have hurt her good knee.  She is in Provo so there isn't much I can do for her but tell her to ice/heat, take Motrin and elevate.  Luckily Dillon, Austin and I were the only ones illness free!!  All in all it could have been so much worse.  At times you have to put yourself in a happy place and imagine all the craziness around you isn't happening.  My happy place is either on a beach in Hawaii, a cruise with my family or park hopping at Disney World!!!

I am so glad my surgeries and chemo are behind me and it's all up hill from here.  In the last 6 months I have endured 4 surgeries and 4 rounds of chemo.  I need to let my body heal but I also realize that now is the time for me to start a new career and help others to learn that a positive attitude will get you through anything.

Faith in our Heavenly Father gives you strength. 

Trust in all the blessings that are around you, they are gifts.  

Pixie Dust, a little magic from Disneyland is the best medicine ever!!!   

Whats Your Happy Place?