People That Have the Ability to Pull Strings! June 24, 2012

"Beginnings are usually scary, endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts.  So when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float.  And it will."  - Hope Floats


If you know me well, you know that I like to have a plan in place...solid plans where I will always arrive early and be ready to go...or I will drive you crazy until you develop the plan and share it with me!  When you get diagnosed with cancer and your breast surgeon is also the NASCAR trauma doctor, you really don't get a choice of "plans".  Let's face it, I've never been a fan of NASCAR...I stopped wearing my wig the first time around because I had to spend the weekend "at the track" where it was about 120 degrees!  So here I am with NASCAR impacting my plans, again....can't they just go around the lap once and see who is the fastest?? It would be much safer that way!  


My radiologist was kind enough to call my surgeon after he told me that I have cancer again and my surgeon was amazing enough to call me from a track in Wisconsin to talk about a plan that they were putting in to action.  They ordered blood work, a CT scan, and a MRI.  Staff were brought in early Sunday to perform the CT scan.  It is good to know people that can pull some "strings"!  I'm sure they were not happy to be there, but may have changed their tune when they realized the situation and the fact that they knew me (in a round about way)...of course, this made me nervous that the town would find out that I have cancer before I had a PLAN!  I cannot express my gratitude to those who made things happen so quickly and as you read this blog you will get to know some of the amazing people in my life!  The lady at registration made me cry when she started explaining the "LARGE COST" of having cancer and when she kept screwing things up...I have decided to lovingly call her Madonna because she reminds me of a nun and she talked about us being the same age...I said to me Mom "PLEASE tell me I don't look that old!"  Madonna has checked me in twice now and is as sweet as pie.  She told me there was a "meeting" about the mistakes she made.  my guess is she is trying to keep me from writing mean things on the survey the hospital sends out.


I don't really remember what all happened after the scan, but I must have killed a few hours before heading to The Tyler's....Cindi is a "Diva" (one of my amazing college friends - she was our coach and the original cougar), Jeff is her husband - the radiologist, Lucas is my favorite "old man" who is actually in high school, and Emma is a quick-witted NU sophomore "Go Cats"!...basically, they're family that chose me years ago and the are stuck with me now.  I brought my CT scan, Mammogram, and ultrasound for Jeff and his "assistant" Cindi to review.   To be honest, I didn't want to put the pressure on Jeff, but Cindi made me do it...and I'm glad she did.  I stood in Jeff's office as he reviewed everything.  It was comforting to hear the news from a family member...not the news I wanted to hear, but it came from someone who cared, in words I understood, and with a "WE will beat this" at the end.  Cindi text the news to all of the other Divas, I called my parents and told them that it was not only in my breast, but also in my lymph nodes...then we ate.  If you know my girlfriends, you know a text just won't do...so, Stephanie stopped by to hang with Cindi and I as we started to form our plan...again we talked about how "WE will beat this".


Please know that I have not really spoken to any others at this point, not my sister, my closest friends, grandma, etc....texting and emails are a gift.  I can hold myself together if I don't speak about it.


I made one stop on my way home...I wanted to tell Eric in person.  Eric has held my heart for as long as I can remember and is one of my best "guy friends".  I called to ask if he was home and said I was stopping by.  Of course, he knew something was up.  I didn't want him to hear it from anyone else, but I wasn't sure that I could get the words out.  We leaned against the wall and I told him with tears running down my face and a cracking voice.  Eric's Mom is fighting cancer and now I am fighting it again...  We laughed a little later about things and I told him that it sucks that the two women he loves most in the world are fighting cancer...of course he was confused and I had to remind him that one is me!  Oh, Munson!  


XOXO, 

S


If you or anyone you love is facing cancer PLEASE reach out to the American Cancer Society.  Nobody should face cancer alone.   http://www.cancer.org/  or 800.227.2345.   24 hours a day 365 days a year.  WE are here for you.