Have I told you how grateful I am for ...

rain and thunder and lightening
flowers planted by friends
pizza parties
smart doctors
big, loose pajamas that button up the front
square cupcakes
pain pills
mom jeans
dead ants
that little pillow that makes my arm feel better

... and I'm super grateful for my awesome mom & dad!  They have been here, looking after my every need, for 2 1/2 weeks!  And I don't think it's quite what they had in mind for retirement!  None of us realized how long it would take for me to feel like driving, cooking, or ... staying awake!  Oh!  That's right!  I've NEVER felt like cooking!

... and to update you ...

I had the second drain removed last wednesday (two weeks post-surgery) ... it felt so good to be untethered!  But the party didn't last long since that fluid had to go SOMEWHERE ... namely into the surrounding tissue.  The other, more uncomfortable, result of the surgery has been numbness and burning because of severed nerves.  I have a constant tingling in my arm ... and not in a good way!  BUT, I am feeling a little better each day.

Also, Harold and I met with the oncologist yesterday.  And the course of action is pretty much what we expected.  He confirmed that I am stage 3A and will have chemo and radiation.  The chemo will start in about 3 weeks and be a single intravenous treatment done every 21 days for about 4 1/2 months (sounds like 6 rounds).  The radiation will be after chemo.  Then, I will be on tamoxifen (a daily tablet) for 5 years because my cancer has an estrogen receptor.  Sounds like fun, huh!

Well, maybe not fun ... not the swinging from the chandelier kind of fun ... you know, the KIND of fun I'm KNOWN for ...

... but I will tell you one more thing I am grateful for ... CONFIDENCE ...

in myself
my husband
my doctors ...

but mostly ... in my Heavenly Father and the WAY He works ... because I know that as I stay open-minded and faithful, He will always speak to me through His Holy Spirit to guide my path ... I don't know what that path will be, but I know that I CAN do what He asks me to do ...

And you know what else?  You guys are AWESOME!  I mean really awesome!  And I love all of you and I can totally feel your love and prayers ... THANK YOU doesn't even begin to say it ...