There is even a Zombie lap!

Last week my BFF started a Relay for Life team on Guam in honor of her mother Georgia, a breast cancer survivor. I was so inspired that I too decided to start a team. My mother od course is a cancer survivor/current fighter, My MIL is a breast cancer survivor, and I have had several family members fight a lose battles with cancer. Cancer is a heart breaking disease and I do not wish the uncertainty, sadness, and fear that comes with cancer on my worst enemy. Relay for life is basically an overnight walk, run, ride, a-thon. They start with a survivor lap, and then continue in shifts overnight into the wee hours of the morning. That's the Zombie lap! As long as your team has someone on the course every shift, you're in good shape.

Our Relay for Life is scheduled for 6/11/10 at the Odessa College track and I am beyond excited. If you would like to support my team, or join it send me an email at mel(dot)lopez27(at)gmail.com or if you're my friend on Facebook you can support or join by clicking on the Relay for Life button on my profile. As soon as I figure out how to link Relay to my blog, I will do that too.

I will keep you posted on the progress of Mom and team Pink Ladies! We are already $10.00 INTO OUR $1000.00 GOAL!

Time for an update...of sorts.

Sorry I've been MIA. Things lately have been so busy with dr appointments, work, my girls and my girls activities. I'm doing my best but it's still a tad overwhelming. So enough with excuses, let's get this update rolling shall we?

I guess I should start with Mom since she's the most important thing right now. The past few weeks have been quite exhausting, and that's putting it nicely. At the beginning of the month mom went to a Cardiac Specialist who of course ordered a battery of tests and determined she had Congestive Heart Failure and ordered a Angiogram. She did great with that and luckily, despite the weak state of her heart, she has no blockages and no need for heart surgery. Hallelujah!! After the cardiac work up, it was decided that surgery for the lymph node biopsy was too risky and her oncologist ordered a local core biopsy instead that didn't require anesthesia. She had that done 2 weeks ago and yesterday we got the results.... the cancer is Hodge-kins Lymphoma which is a good thing. Non Hodge-kins is terminal in most cases and we feared that Mom's cancer could be the NHKL. I'm thanking the Lord that it isn't. Mom will finally start chemo on Monday and although the road to remission is going to be rough, at least we are finally on it! And she will go into remission again, I'm thinking positive and only positive.

Valentines day came and went. I've read on other blogs that I follow how romantic, or magical their Valentines days were and mine was just like any other day. My husband is the "I'm not falling for the commercial holiday hoopla" type. He says he doesn't need a day on the calendar to shower me with love and gifts... and he doesn't. I did get him a card and a movie, and I went to a P.S. I Love You workshop at the kids school and made them Valentines that their school delivered to them along with little teddy bear grams. THey loved them! My hunny did take me out to lunch at one of our favorite places Johnny Carino's and it was so delicious. Our 10th anniversary is in 2 weeks and all I know is that he better show me some love for that!

The kids are doing great. They have been girls scout cookie selling machines! We've had cookie booths almost every weekend. KB is still doing Choristers and loving it. She is learning a lot of new songs and I can tell with every practice that she get's her gift from my side of the family. I'm just saying..ha ha! Lil Miss going to start cheerleading in the fall and she's thrilled. She loves to dance and yell so it will be perfect for her.

I guess I've covered everything worth mentioning, I hope you are enjoying your weekend.. they're too short as it is.

Thankful

Even during a storm, there's a moment of calm. I have always found this to be true whether it be literal or metaphoric.

We still have not received any new news on mom, and although its frustrating, I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Friday she had the CT scan, today was the PET scan and tomorrow she finally gets to see the cardiologist and he'll hopefully clear her for the biopsies needed to tackle this cancer head on. Wednesday is appointment free and then Thursday Maia has a trip to the dentist, then Friday mom sees the oncologist again. Friday is when we find out where exactly the cancer has made a home in her body. We are obviously hoping that it hasn't spread very far at all. Please continue to keep mom in your prayers as we continue the testing process.

In other news have I mentioned how great my husband is? Well he is. I am so lucky to have such an amazing life partner. Without even asking he made arrangements to stay home to be with us, rather than go on his annual business trip to OKC. It's so important to me that my husband is here for support when we could potentially get bad news on Friday. Just to know he's here to hold my hand is a comfort. I am so thankful for my husband, and the wonderful, caring man that he is.

Who turned off the lights?

I feel completely in the dark and I hate it!

Mom's surgery yesterday was canceled due to some abnormal test results. So now we are playing the wait and see game. We still have no idea what type of lymphoma she has, or how far it has spread in her body. I'm hoping not very far and that she will be able to have the surgery soon.

Not to sound like a crybaby, but this is my blog and I can say what i want right? I am tired, frustrated, mad, scared and did I mention tired? I'm not sleeping well, and the stress is really starting to get to me. I have a full time job, a husband, and 2 kids to take care of on top of taking care of mom. I love my family and am not looking for anyone to take care of me, but I do wonder how I am going to manage by myself.

I'm just taking things one day at a time. Even though I am bogged down with uncertainty I remain positive. We shall overcome!!

On another note I took Maia to her first dentist appointment today and amazingly she loved it. We went to a place called "Kids Dental", it's 3 minutes from the house and everyone was very nice. They took Maia back alone to have her x-rays and teeth cleaning, then they called me back before the dentist examined her. She does have 2 bad cavities, and 4 itty bitty cavities that have to be taken care of. She goes back next week for 2 fillings and we'll go from there. Thank God for dental insurance. It's saving me from breaking the bank! I'm just happy that my girl was excited to be there instead of nervous, and that the dental hygienist made oral hygiene fun for her. Tonight after dinner she had to hurry and get the "sugar bugs" off her teeth. She brushed for 2 minutes, then flossed. Then she ate a Popsicle and had to repeat the whole process again.

Last night KB was able to go to school and audition for the West Texas Choristers, and she made it! She had to sing a few do re mi's and the Happy birthday to herself, but she did great. I know every mother thinks their children are super talented but my KB can really sing. She's no Charlotte Church but she's my rockstar. THe WTC's practice every Thursday and in May have a competition in Lubbock, TX. She's excited and my husband and I are hoping this opportunity will give her the motivation to do well in school and at home. We told her, you fail, you don't go. We had to set ground rules right away. I hope it works, I would hate for her to miss out.

That's it for now. Good night!

Praying, hoping, and wishing

Now that everyone has been contacted, I guess it's ok to announce that my mother has cancer. She was diagnosed last Tuesday and it has been a whirlwind to say the least. Tuesday she was diagnosed with some form of Lymphoma. Thursday she saw the oncologist and Friday she went to the oncologist again for a bone marrow biopsy that wasn't successful, and then later that day we went to the ENT to schedule a lymph node biopsy. Because the dr wasn't able to get through her bone to extract marrow for a biopsy I'm taking her to an orthopedic surgeon today to have him do it at the hospital. She will have 2 surgeries on Wednesday one for the lymph node and the other for the bone marrow biopsy. Then Friday she goes for a full body cat scan and the following Friday she will have her PET scan. It's going to be a busy next few weeks until we get all of the information and she can start treatment.

I'm praying it's good news and that this aggressive cancer has not traveled to other places besides her neck. I'm also praying that it is Lymphoma and not Non Hodgkins Lymphoma as that is harder to treat. Please keep my family in your prayers, we need all the help we can get right now.

When it rains...

It pours and right now it's pouring. I know God will not give me anymore than I can handle, but I'm seriously being tested right now. My strength, patience, optimism, and sanity are all being tested. I hope I pass.

What's the expression?