Somewhere Over the Rainbow

 


Today was a bizarre day.  I thought of six weird things that happened at school.  They best be left off the blog, because I do enjoy my job.  

I had been hoping Corrina, my Katzmann scheduler, would call me all day!  I even had my dad text me a picture of her business card as I decided when to start bothering her.  At 3 I decided I would email and if I didn't hear back, I would call her at noon tomorrow.  She called me at 4!!!  I haven't been that excited for a phone call in a long time!  Surgery is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, May 15!!!!

I have to be Downtown at ambulatory surgery at 8.  At 8:30 I will have breast seed localization in one breast and at 9:15 in the other.  This is when a tiny metal seed, about the size of a sesame seed, is placed into abnormal breast tissue.  This seed contains a small amount of radiation, and will help Dr. T find the area of abnormal tissue because they are too small to be see or felt by hand.  (That paragraph was mostly provided by the NAPBC handout in my folder- I'm out of practice on my citations.)

I'm not sure what happens between 9:15 and 12.  I know I won't be eating or drinking anything.  My dad suggested a book.  I can picture myself reading the same line over and over again.  I think I'll take a coloring book and a People Magazine.  

Surgery should take about 90 minutes, and will include a lumpectomy on the right (Tabitha-Invasive Ductal Carcinoma- Cancer), a lumpectomy on the left (Talullah- Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia-not cancer), and Sentinel Lymph Node surgery where they will also remove the biopsied lymph node(Lymphadora- not cancer).  That handout is lengthy and I'm not in the mood to summarize, so feel free to Google, or I can text you a picture of the handout if you'd like.  TMI ALERT:  All I know is that I'm going to get a drug that's going to make me not care that there will be a needle going into my areola to inject dye to locate whatever lymph nodes receive lymphatic fluid from Tabitha.  You're grabbing your chest right now, aren't you?  Here's hoping it's a very good drug.  I TOLD you TMI!

I will have a post-op appointment 2 weeks after surgery, and then I will meet with an occupational therapist 3-4 weeks after surgery should there be any lymphedema.  

What now?  
  • I entered absences from 5/15-5/30. Gut wrenching to not finish the year, as one of my work besties is moving.
  • I need to call at 8AM to get a pre-op physical ASAP.
  • I need to make 3-4 lesson plans for each grade, and make sure my room is in order.
  • Progress Reports!
  • Jason's b-day is 5/16, Nolan's is 5/19, I must make sure they are well taken care of!
Nolan had a baseball game tonight.  There was a rain delay once, and then second time it started raining I left.  Jason sent a text saying there was a double rainbow, so I went outside and it was perfect.  Super bright, right outside!  

Somewhere over the rainbowWay up highThere's a land that I heard ofOnce in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbowSkies are blueAnd the dreams that you dare to dreamReally do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a starAnd wake up where the clouds are far behind meWhere troubles melt like lemon dropsAway above the chimney topsThat's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbowBluebirds flyBirds fly over the rainbowWhy then, oh, why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbowBluebirds flyBirds fly over the rainbowWhy then, oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds flyBeyond the rainbowWhy, oh why can't I?



Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg

        


Popular posts from this blog

It Takes a VILLIAGE

 I just sent this email to 120 EDUCATORS.   With the subject title It Takes a Villiage.  VILLIAGE.  I. AM. MORTIFIED.  Parent Square says it updated, but you KNOW they all saw it!  For the LOVE! Hi All, This is a crummy email to write, but I wanted everyone to have the same information at the same time.  I’ve always been a pretty open book, and that’s not about to change…. Wednesday afternoon I received a Breast Cancer diagnosis.  (Mammogram August 29, Mammogram March 29, Biopsy April 8, Diagnosis April 10)  Luckily I was able to meet with a surgeon today.  Here’s what we know now:  I have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Stage 1, Nottingham grade 1, Estrogen and Progesterone: Positive, HER2: Equivical.  I don’t know what all of these things mean, but maybe you do….and I’ll learn.   My treatment (as of now) will be an MRI and Genetic testing next week (the first grade concert is going to be JUST fine).  When the tests come back (2 weeks) if the plan is the same, I will have a physical and a
Read more

FAQ 1

 Do you have family history of breast cancer?   No.  I am not aware of any blood relatives who have had breast cancer.  My mom has had 4 Melanomas in situ.  I am having genetic testing because of her melanomas and because I am under 50.  We are hoping for very. boring. test. results. Did they find this during a mammogram, or did you feel a lump? I had my yearly mammogram on August 29.  At that mammogram they saw something irregular and did an ultrasound.  They decided they'd like to look again in 6 months.  Getting things scheduled between Iowa Clinic and Mercy for the follow up was kind-of a nightmare, so 6 months became 7.  On March 29 I had another mammogram and ultra sound.  They weren't sure what they were looking at, but it was still there, so I had the biopsy on April 8.  A stereotactic biopsy, guided by mammogram.  Once I got over the fear, it was pretty fascinating.  THANK YOU SCIENCE! A little back history.  I had a breast biopsy when I was 8 weeks pregnant with Nolan
Read more

The Day Everything Changed

  4/10/24 Remember when we had to have blogs for school?  I thought the world was ending.  I’m lucky to still be employed…and how many people actually read them?  Exactly.  Bottom line….if someone would have told be that I would be blogging by choice I would have laughed in their face.  Mom says CaringBridge is for people who are dying.  I feel like I know a lot of alive people who use(d) Caring Bridge.  But I also want to be able to put things in one place so everyone knows everything and no one has to wonder, so here we are. B.C. Before Christ….did I ever use this term?  Maybe in Western Civilization at Simpson with Joe Walt?  Maybe?  I got a C.  It’s a big maybe. B.C. in 2020 that’s what I started calling the time Before Covid. B.C. as of today, April 10 at 2:55 PM, the moment my life changed.  Before Cancer. How many tears are actually in my body, because I haven’t stopped crying? Trish, the breast navigator at Mercy called and left a message to call her back at 2:30.  I called at
Read more