Relay for Life 2010

I went down friday to check out Relay for Life because I had never been to one before and it was AWESOME!  I hope next year we can have a team and stay all night because I think it would be awesome.  They announced our names and we all got medals and a free T-shirt.  Everyone might not feel like me....but I'm just sayin after getting a medal I'd say all this cancer stuff has been worth it.....ha ha lol j/k. The picture to the above here is of my awesome friend Jenny, Me, and Stefanie :)   But any ways I was smart enough this time to remember my camera takes video so here's some pics and a video of the Survivor's Ceremony :)

                                          And then there's me and my awesome medal! lol

Below is me and my friend Latoya :)

Just Me and Stefanie...I am truly blessed to have met her :)

My 15 Minutes of Fame :)

A few weeks ago my mom and I went to the Smokies Baseball game.  I had never been before and it was Pink Ribbon Night....so I thought what a perfect time to go!  They said they were having something special for the survivors before the game started. I signed up at the survivors table and was informed that they were taking us all on the field.  Now I was thinking maybe I might get a T-shirt....and for those of you that know me you know getting in front of people is not my thing.  So I politely told the lady that "Oh I don't have to go on the field."  She told me all the survivors were gonna go onto the field and that I shouldn't be nervous it wouldn't be bad.  So just like he always does God gave me exactly what I needed because it was no more than 2 seconds later I felt a tab on my shoulder. And who else would it be but my friend Rhonda from my young survivor group.

  All my nerves were eased at that moment when I realized there was someone else I knew there........u know everything goes better with a friend and Rhonda pretty  much rocks so it was perfect....God always had perfect timing!  So here we all go onto the field.....next thing I know here comes the Smokies Baseball Team with pink roses in their hands along with some hugs to go with it ;)  We all get an applause and then the lady in charge asks me if I want to throw the first pitch of the game. "I was like no I'm ok".  But then it occurs to me "How many times am I gonna get to throw the 1st pitch at the smokies game??" So here I go out to throw the pitch and the announcer says my name and that I'm a survivor and as he said that something happened that I wish I had on video.......the crowd stood up and clapped for me! WOW....a standing ovation...now there's something I'll probably never see again. 

 Needless to say....I began to cry there in the middle of Smokie's Stadium.....but let me now say this:  The standing ovation I received was not just for me but all survivors....for those who have and are still fighting the battle against breast cancer.  I truly wish they all could have stood out there with me when I received the standing ovation because it wasn't just for me....it was for US ALL!!! :)

Breast Cancer Commercial

Radiation 101

Well I figure its time I update everyone on the next step I'm taking in my journey. I started radiation about a week and a half ago. The doctor let a few weeks go by between my last chemo and radiation because he wanted me to have some time to recuperate. I went in for my first pre-op day, which is where they situate you on a table in the same position you'll be in every time you come and they begin to "draw"...LITERALLY!!! The "drawings" are so they will know where exactly the radiation will hit you, they said they dont' wanna hit my lung.....yea that would be great if you could avoid that!! lol. However, they have told me there is no way to totally avoid hitting my lung completely and that if I ever have any scans done a part of my lung will look different and that's "normal". So here I am laying on this table and they begin drawing all over me. Next thing I know they got a camera in my face....and its my time to shine lol. Upon seeing the camera I say "You guys gonna send these pictures to playboy" lol.....of course I was kidding but it broke the ice and made everyone laugh. Next thing I know they tell me some therapist man is coming in to check the "drawings". "Hello" I say, of course let me put in here I'm unable to move at this point and I've never met this guy until now. So I"m like "Guess we're on more than speaking terms now".....lol. I mean I feel like if I can't laugh I'll never get through it. I call my port "Annie the Alien" and now that I have all these marking on my chest my friend Miranda told me its Annie trying to communicate with her home planet lol.
So after drawing up a plan for me that includes physics and a whole bunch of other stuff I dont' understand I started the real radiation about a week and a half ago. Besides the fact that my chest looks like a kid has drawn on me everything seems to be going well.  Below is a pic I took of myself after my 1st "drawing".

Just like my hair being gone I am adjusting to the looks from the red markings on my chest because they are almost impossible to hide in most of my clothing. It's so crazy how much I realize how much I care about what other people think or how they are looking at me. I've gotten better and to the point now that I wear a tank top if its hot and if people look then they do, it doesn't mean I'm a freak its just not something you see everyday and if I were them heck I might look too....I might not STARE but I'd probably look...it's just human nature.  I had a lady at work ask me what happened to my chest one day, to which I replied....."I had open heart surgery yesterday"........"Gasp".....I told her I was kidding but they look on her face was priceless LOL.  Heck I'd rather someone just ask me.....it almost helps me to deal better with it sometimes if I can just openly talk about it. I expect the exhaustion to come but I"m enjoying the time I have of feeling "normal" again....if there really is a true "normal". It was weird not having to go to chemo last week.....I almost felt like something was missing but they I'm not gonna beg for more if you know what I mean. I thank God for my good days and for all the friends and support I still have. I find I love God more and more everyday and I'm so thankful for things I used to take for granted.  I'm looking forward now hand in hand with a God who has held me through it all. :)

Healing is in His Hands

I heard this song this morning at church and it moved me to tears about the healing powers of our lord Jesus who has healed me :) and I just had to share it with you all...hope u enjoy

Jack Black "Breast Cancer Awareness" Video

Here is the hillarious Breast Cancer Awareness Video that Jack Black did.  I watched it yesterday at treatment and was so excited when I  found the link to it.....