Walkin' 3 feet off the ground!

Today I found out that I do not have breast cancer.I do not have breast cancer. I don't. I am in awe that I don't. I am so grateful to God that I don't. I had a biopsy last Wednesday, and the wait almost unnerved me!

My health odyssey started last spring when I realized that I had to do something about my periods. It was getting really hard to live normally for 8 days a month, and, I was scared of ovarian cancer. I watched it kill my mom, and I was determined that I would do everything I could so it didn't get me. So I went to the doctor. It's so easy to say that-went to the doctor. For me and Steve, it means so much more than just the easy words. It's a long journey down a very bumpy rode of health insurance premiums that drained us dry, and "out of pocket" expenses that we can't afford. But it was time, so I "went to the doctor"! I had to wait for my head cook to have a baby, and everyone else to have their vacations, so August 30th was the day.

Surgery went well, I just am not used to "taking it easy". (I really dislike that term.) The surgery knocked my blood pressure all out of whack, and it is still high a lot of the time. I'm hoping that it will right itself and start to go back down. The money blew me away. The hospital was paid $25,000. We owe $5,000. The Doctor was paid $8,000. I have her paid. The sleepy time guy is paid. The lab is still owed a few hundred. Only only one that gets me really is the hospital. I checked in at 5AM on a Tuesday and checked out at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, and the sink was backed up with brown and red water and it smelled, and they got $30,000? Wow.

The deductible is met!! So the race is on to get all the procedures that have been put off crammed in by the end of the year. Next up-my foot. The foot has been bothering me since the 1st week we opened. The pain in it had gotten so bad that it was running up my leg and into my hip, so the chiropractor took an x-ray and found a big ole' heel spur! He brought the x-ray to the restaurant and showed anyone who wanted to see! (And many did! Crazy!) So it was off to the parodist office! He really helped me by giving me inserts for my shoe, and exercises to do to stretch out my foot. Official diagnosis: Planter facetious! I helped myself by wearing Sketchers Tone ups. Big fat marshmallow sole that really feels good!

Now on to the dermatologist. Diagnosis: Basil Cell Carcinoma. I had one burned off my back, and December 7th I have surgery on one on my nose. Well see how that all comes out! (Or off!)

Now the mammogram. I had it done at a mobile unit sent out by our church. I was not expecting anything so when they called to say I needed more imaging I was surprised. I found a close to home imaging center and went in and there is was, clear as a bell, a bean shaped lump. So then the biopsy, and the wait. Then the sweet, sweet phone call from the nurse-"I'm going to save you a trip in, your lump is benign, a fibrous tumor, very common. Be well, we will see you in a year." I would have reached through the phone line to kiss her if I could!

What have a learned from all this? So much- and not in any order:
Don't put all your health issues together if you can help it. Spread them out. It is totally overwhelmimg to deal with many things all at one time.

Find a good "base" doctor. I use a PA. She's real, she cares, and she not afraid to say she doesn't know the answers!

Find a pharmacist you can trust. You really need to shop around for drugs if you don't trust who you have. This makes me mad-I know they have a business, but if one can survive watching out for your dollar, why can't they all?

Be totally open with your partner about what you feel, and think. This was hard for me cause I always carried the family concerns myself, but Steve more than stepped up when I needed him.

Surgery can mess with your memory! It did with mine really bad! I couldn't remember stuff I said, so I told the fam to be careful-and help me out. They say menopause will do this too! Oh boy!

Surgery can mess-Opps! See what I mean?

Don't be afraid to say the words, surgery, menopause, breasts, hysterectomy, cancer, etc. People care and they want to listen. Many have been there, done that, and the information they share and advice they can give really helps.

Don't under estimate your family, they will be there for you to the best of their abilities.

If you are sincere and honest about what you can afford, most of the time the docs and hospital will work with you. Most of the time.

God works with you all of the time. I learned a lesson yesterday when a friend was asking about my health. He had a daughter going through some stuff and he told her, "It has been proven in your life that God has taken care of you, so you can count that He will continue to do so." What truer words could be spoken? For all of us!

All the peoples that we have working for us at the restaurant have been more than great. I just can't say enough about all the concern they show, and how they step up to the plate when we need them. We are truly blessed to have the crew we have, and we don't take them for granted.

Our customer family is also the best. We live in a great community of people who are living their lives in the best way we know how. They are giving and supportive and we're glad we landed here!

There is more to learn, I'm sure of that! And glad for that! This holiday season is rushing in, and I'm ready to meet it, maybe not with as much energy as I would like, but meet it I will! There are pies to bake and burgers to flip so I better get busy!

Right after I schedule my colonoscopy!! Have a great day!