new hair cut

OK they say it will grow back but do you realize how weird it is to lose your hair....everywhere? Yes, I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life to come over and cut my hair to be as short as Sean's. Thank you Sue so much. You are wonderful and such a blessing. I am sure you didn't expect to be doing this more than once in your life!! Can't say I reallly like short short short hair but it will do the trick. It is falling out as we speak. I love the baseball caps. They keep my head warm and hide the rest. The kids were here and kept me laughing. Its only hair and it will grow back. At least I know what it will look like as it grows back and that I don't look good with really 1/2 inch hair!!!! I did wear the wig " Samantha" today and she and I seemed to get along fine. It was different. I came home and put the baseball hat back on. Tim has a Bengals hat and I just can't seem to make myself wear that one. I need to get a Brown's hat!!!!! Tim is away in Texas and seems to be doing well in the warm weather. I would like to be there as it is still snowing here and starting to ice. Kids did not have school and I haven't seen them all day. They have been playing outside and with friends. They are loving it.
I have a genetics appointment in the am. Will probably be cancelled due to weather and then I have a 12:15 and 3:15 appointments with surgeons. I plan to go back to work on Thursday. Life is continuing on and we are embracing what is around the corner! Next chemo is Feb11th.
I pray for all of you and continue to thank you for all you do. You really don't know how much the little things mean.
Love to you all
Lisa

one down only 5 to go

OK, Wednesday wasn't to bad. In fact, the treatment went well and Michelle was with me. She came in on Tuesday night. We were at the oncology office for about 5 1/2 hours and laughed and cried. Learned a lot and hopefully, I will remember it all. HA HA. It was wonderful to have Michelle here. She was such a great help. She reminded me when to take my meds and to drink lots of water. Now, I only have 5 more to go. I should be done by May. That is really not to far off.
Michelle and I went to Hudson to visit my parents on Thursday. It was wonderful to see dad and to be able to hug them both. He seemed to be doing well and enjoyed having us there. He was able to come home on Friday. He came with home oxygen and a chest tube. After all the anxiety and a good nights rest, Saturday was a really good day. Mark went back to Texas and Michelle and I took over. Actually, Michelle did everything because the chemo set in and Dad and I laid on the couch all day and did nothing. I felt like a truck had run over me. Dad is getting around well and breathing easy. He is sleeping well too. Mom has become is personal nurse and has done a great job. We don't know how long he will have the O2 but hopefully, the chest tube will come out by the end of the week.
I don't know when I will go back to work yet. I have appointments on the 28th with both surgeons. Hopefully, I will be cleared to return.
Thank you again for all your love and support.
Lisa

chemo changed to Wednesday.

OK, I should be better about the updates and I should know better then to confirm dates until I really talk to the nurse from the doctors office. Chemo has been changed to Wednesday. But there is good news. Michelle, my sister is coming in on Tuesday and she will be able to go with me to the treatment. I am so grateful and thankful she has been able to change here schedule. It means so much to me.
We will then go to Hudson to be with our parents towards the end of the week. We are both very anxious to get there. Mark is still there with my mom and is driving her to buy her new cell phone and 37in flat screen TV for their room and a new dish washer and he has set them up for her. She loves having him home. He is very handy with those things.
Dad is progressing slowly. Still has the 2 chest tubes and oxygen which he will have when he goes home. Pain has been an issue and sleep too. no one is able to get sleep in a hospital. He is eating OK and up walking which is huge. Everyday is a new day and new challenge.
Again, i can't tell you how much we appreciate all of the encouragement. just the few words can change my day or my attitude. Tim and the kids love to eat and appreciate everyones help. You are all an amazing group of people. We love you all and are truly blessed.
Happy Monday.
Love ya
Lisa
PS thank you for praying for my parents. They need more then just physical healing. Pray for their hearts too.

chemo will begin

Well, they say God truly only gives you what you can handle. I have decided in the day and age of technology we should be able to contact anyone, anyplace and any time. Well, yesterday my mom's cell phone broke. No big deal but it was the day my dad was having surgery. The initial thought was only a lung biopsy to see what kind of infection was in his lung. But the outcome was a lobectomy(removed the upper lobe of his left lung) and its positive for cancer. So when you can't get a hold of your mother, you can't drive and your anxiety level is through the roof, what does one do? clean, pray, scrap book(should go and look at those pages) and call your sister thirty times while she's at work and pray some more, oh and I seemed to have cried a bit too.
I did finally call the hospital ICU and the unit secretary was wonderful and she gave me the update that Dad was off the vent( breathing machine) and drinking fluids. All wonderful signs, I cried again. My brothers Jammie and Mark are going to stay with my mom over the weekend and Michelle is coming into town on Wednesday. We will head up there too. I did finally get to talk with my mother late last night and she is doing better. She spent time with my dad and and friend took her out for dinner. She had a wonderful sense of humor and made me laugh. See God is good. Oh by the way she is going to get a new cell phone today. hee hee
I did finally get the plans for chemo yesterday too. We start on Monday. Will have 6 treatments once every 3 weeks. Will get a new wig soon and Tim has decided to get a red one and a cutie little outfit to go with it. i think he should look really interesting in a red wig and outfit. LOL Matthew asked if he could shave Tim's head and Tim had to really think about that since Matthew doesn't shave yet....yes he has facial hair all ready. OH help me. why do they grow so fast?
I want to point out that God did not give me more than I could handle. Well the lack of communication with my mother was terrible but i talked and laughed and cried with my sister all day. The diagnosis of CA with my dad was awful but now I will have a bald friend to go through treatment with. They think they got all of it too since they removed the upper lobe. Lastly, we have a plan. It is so hard to wait and not have a direction. Now we do. I will be done by May. I will have hair by the fall. This will all be behind me and yet I do see the foot prints in the sand and KNOW God has been with me during this journey and will continue.
I am so blessed by all of the wonderful people around me. I can't tell you all enough how grateful we are. The meals, the calls, the laughter, the taxi service, the everything means so much to us. It is such a help and we couldn't do this without you. Thank you
Love, Lisa