Celebration of Life: Cancer Free

2 years ago my mom was recovering from brain surgery, and we were waiting for the results of the biopsy (which later revealed that she had a rare form of Lymphoma).
That was the beginning of a very challenging journey.

Today, she is almost a year and a half in remission, and attending the Celebration of Life at UCLA Medical Center!!!
Here's to many more Celebrations mom, I love you!!

A Christmas Tradition That I Love

This morning I sent out the invitations for my 4th Annual Gingerbread Party. This is an event that I started in 2009 where the women and children of the family come together to have a fun and festive afternoon of gingerbread decorating and a warm lunch of creamy potato soup and french bread. (I mean, men could come too, if they wanted. But they're all at work.)
The Gingerbread Party is one of my favorite events leading up to Christmas. It's so fun, and so full of cheer.

Some snapshots for the 1st annual event. 2009.

Over the years, we've had several new additions to the family, and many variations of gingerbread. We've seen houses, men, trees, trains.
We usually oooohhhh and ahhhh at each others creations.
And sometimes laugh at them.
But we always have a wonderful time. It fills my heart with joy.
Do you have any Christmas traditions like this one?
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Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the first link up in the December Kindness Challenge hosted by Danette at All My Love for All My Days and myself!!! Even if you don't have a blog, you can list your kind acts in the comments section for all of us to read! And if you haven't started participating yet, it's never too late!

I think we found our Christmas Card

Yesterday we did a little photo shoot here at home. It was fun, and silly, and all 3 kids cooperated. I've seen similar ideas on other blogs, on Pinterest, and floating around the internet. For instance, I saw one where it looked like the little tot had wrapped his parents up in the lights. And I saw one where it was just two boys. But clearly, I needed to incorporate all 3 of my Littles into the photo. Here is my favorite from the batch so far:
(P.S. NEVER underestimate the power of a little sister, haha!)

Naughty or Nice?

Enjoy, I hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

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You know you're a "Mom Blogger" when THIS is your Funny Friday post...

It's Friday. Our brains our fried. My kids have been puking all week. So instead of typing a blog post with any kind quality content, I will simply share this bit of mindless hilarity with all of you. If you're a parent, you can relate. You must watch this.

Have a great weekend friends!

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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife   

My Mom Celebrated Her 1st Birthday Yesterday

Yep. You read the title correctly. Nope, it wasn't a typo. Yesterday was a day to celebrate a life. That's what a birthday is, right?
Well, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the day that my mom was given life. She was given life for the 2nd time at UCLA's Jonsson Comphrehensive Cancer Center, when she received the Stem Cell Transplant that saved her life. What a blessing we've been given! (You can read the story of my mom here and here, and here).
This gigantic deal, this huge event, that marked my mom's "New Birthday", all happened in a few moments. It seems like something that would take longer than 10-20 minutes. And really, it did, as there was a lot of time spent preparing for it, and recovering from it. But the actual procedure, it was short and sweet. 
Following the transplant, the hospital brought her a birthday cake and sang happy birthday. It was so joyful!

I was able to snap this photo on my phone while we were singing Happy Birthday to her after the transplant. The quality of the photo isn't fabulous, but the image itself... well, it speaks volumes.
So yesterday, I was very happy to celebrate the blessing of my mom, and the procedure that gave her new life.
Happy Birthday Mom!!!

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Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife  

Four Generations of Pumpkin Carving & LOVELY SPONSORS!

Hello friends! I hope that this day finds you well. Can you believe that tomorrow is Halloween already?
I'd like to start this post by mentioning that my prayers are with all of the people who are on the East Coast right now, and being affected by Hurricane Sandy. This is such a scary thing...
Now, moving on from that note, I'm excited to be hosting today my 5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. This is a fabulous little gathering that I host at my home ever year, where FOUR GENERATIONS of pumpkin carvers join together for a hot bowl of chili, some treats and desserts, and some pumpkin fun! One of my favorite days of the year, for sure! Last year the party was pretty much a dud, because my sister and her kids were sick, and my mom was undergoing cancer treatments. I'm hoping to make up for it this year!

Here's a photo of our 2009 party that shows four generations. Can you tell why I love this party so much?

Ok, now that I gave my party some honorable mention, I want to share with you today my lovely sponsors for the month of October.

I'm very happy to have Leslie from Violet Imperfection on my sidebar this month. Have you seen her blog yet? Oh, my! She has got some seriously cute crafts and projects on there. AND she co-hosts a great weekly link up called Raising Imperfection, check it out and link up!

So, what are you waiting for?! If you're not following Violet Imperfection yet, you are missing out! Go!

Find her on Pinterest ~~Find her on Twitter ~~Find her on Facebook

My next lovely sponsor is Laura from Storybook Reality. Laura has a sweet blog that chronicles her life as a wife and mother of two. Being a mom isn't always straight from the pages of a fairy tale, but she's making her own Storybook Reality out of it! If you're hungry for food, funny or family, then go pay Laura a visit!

Find her on Pinterest ~~ Find her on Twitter ~~ Find her on Facebook

Now I'm off to get the kids off to school, spend a few hours working in a preschool classroom, and then home to carve some pumpkins! Have a lovely day my friends!

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Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife  

When you shouldn't go alone...

Sometimes in life, there are medical appointments/situations that you just shouldn't go to alone. For good reasons, or bad. For instance, the "big" ultrasound during your pregnancy. That one can be both exciting and scary.
Or, any consult/follow up appointment where you could get test results back, or receive other profound news or information.
Over the years, I have learned this lesson. Like when I was 20 years old and the reproductive endocrinologist told me that I had premature ovarian failure (premature menopause) and that I would never be able to become pregnant with my own children. That proved to be an incorrect diagnosis, but nonetheless... I should have had somebody with me. I was a wreck, and had no business driving myself home after that. Or that time my mom drove herself to the emergency room thinking she was showing signs of a stroke, and found out she had a mass on her brain that ended up being Lymphoma. I really wish someone had been with her that day.
It's always a good idea to have a support system. Someone who can comfort you if you are upset, or share a joy with you. Someone who can be present for you if you mentally "check out" and can help ask questions or retain information.
Last week, Little Lady had an MRI of her brain. It was done at a local children's hospital, and a dear friend of mine came with me, even though we knew there would be no information/results at this appointment. It was still nice to have the company during that exhausting situation.

Little Lady after waking up from MRI sedation.

Today is the Neurology follow up appointment. I don't really know what to expect from today's appointment. Could be no news (which isn't always good). Could be major news. Could be part of the key to finding out how/why my daughter has her condition. Regardless... I thought I should have somebody with us. It's always kind of a tricky situation for The Hubs to get a day off, so I asked my mom to come with me. Sometimes it's hard for me to ask people for help, but I was smart enough to know that today, I should probably not be alone.
So, if you're the praying type, can you please pray for us today as we head in to this appointment? And if you're not, can you please send us some positive thoughts? It's much appreciated my friends. Thank you!!

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Also, today I shared my "Pet Peeves" over at  Absolute Mommy. Feel free to go check it out! Let me know if you think any of them are weird, or if we have some in common.
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Guest Post today at K plus J equals love.

Today I am guest posting at K plus J equals love. This was my first ever guest post on somebody else's blog, and I'm honored that Kassie invited me into her space.
Kassie is only a few days away from having her 2nd child, so I shared my heart with her and her readers. Please go take a look!


You can read my guest post here.

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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

Craft Supplies + New Food= Fun Day

Oh, yesterday was a good day! I dropped The Boys off at my grandma's because I had to take Little Lady to her occupational therapy appointment. Grammy told me to "have fun" and I scowled, because more often than not, going to therapy is NOT FUN!!! She asked what was wrong, and I said "I just don't feel like going". But whatever, off we went.
I literally got to the corner of her street when my phone rang, and it was the therapy office, cancelling our appointment for the day. Ha! What luck! (Of course, we make the therapy up by working at home, but at least we can do it on our own terms).
I turned around and went back to Grammy's house. I told her what happened and we decided to go out. I needed a few items from JoAnn's, so off we went. We shopped for a while, The Boys begged her asked her nicely to buy them things (and she did) and I got the items that I needed. (With the exception of hot glue sticks, which I can't manage to remember to buy. Ever.)
After we were done shopping, Grammy suggested that we go to lunch. Of course, I love food, so I agreed. We crossed the street to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The kids and I had never eaten there before (have you?), and of course the kids where whining that they didn't want to go there. But once we got in, they were pleasantly surprised, and it ended up being a fabulous lunch trip! They ate their food, behaved appropriately, and we all had fun.
The Boys favorite part was the serve your own peanuts. This was what saved us from a horrid experience.

Big Boy loved that they had a bacon burger, because he lives by the philosophy that everything is better with bacon. Little Boy loved the customizable soda machine. Little Lady loved that she was allowed to have a cheese sandwich (cheese is kept to a minimum in her diet.) I loved that the kids were eating and being well behaved.

It was pretty tasty food, the kids had fun, and it was a new experience. I would go there again, and I know the kids would be more than happy to. Plus, I got to do my craft shopping, so we all came out ahead.

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Are you following My {Not So} Glamorous Life via Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'? Don't miss any of the fun! All you have to do is click "follow" on that button over there on the sidebar. Or Follow my blog with Bloglovin. Just click here!! C'mon, you know you wanna!
I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

What I've Learned Since Becoming a Mother

In Honor of Mother's Day weekend, I am sharing an old post of mine from Once upon a time, in a land far, far away.
This was written before my Little Lady was even thought of, so I could tweak, alter, and add to the list quite a bit. But for now, I'll just share the original post.
Please Click Here to Read It.
Happy Mother's Day!!

4 Generations
My Grandma, My Mom, Myself, My Daughter

A Reflection on Screen Free Week

What an interesting week we had! Some times were challenging, some times were hilarious.

While I'm not planning to give up screens in our lives, I am glad that we participated in this event, and feel as if we did benefit from the experience.
We played, read books, created art... It was a breath of fresh air.
I'm going to just give a quick run down of each day, so that you can see how our week went.

Day 1: The morning was off to a rough start.  I had pictured the kids getting ready faster without the TV on, however they were really dragging their butts. I cannot believe that we made it out the door on time. My Little Boy whined and complained and huffed and puffed. I got the Boys off to school while Little Lady and I headed over the my school board meeting.
After preschool was out, I let Little Boy play on the playground a bit longer than usual before heading home. After Big Boy got home, we headed to the park. At the park, we saw something we would never have seen if we were at home with the screens on. We saw a dog riding a bike!! This little Pomeranian had a Dora the Explorer bike on training wheels and she balanced while her owner pushed her around. Then she went in the swing, went up the steps and down the slide, counted to two, and went up the ramps in the skate/bike area. So funny! We stayed at the park for two hours of lovely outside playtime.
Once we got home, Little Lady took a nap, Little Boy took a bath, and Big Boy pouted because he wanted to watch NatGeo Wild. After he came around, and the other two were ready, we played play dough for quite a while. The Boys also painted some pictures.
They helped prep dinner, we ate, and they played outside. Then it was time to lay down for bed.
Not too bad for our first day of no screens!

My 3 Babies at the Park

Day 2: This day got off to a much easier start! Big Boy had a long day at school, so the Littles and I went shopping with my Grandma for my sisters upcoming baby shower. That killed lots of Screen Free time! Once we were done, Little Boy stayed at Grandma's, Little Lady came home with me and napped, and I worked on shower decorations. Big Boy came home, and both Boys had Little League games that night so off we went to the ball fields. We came home for a quick dinner, and then the kids went right to sleep with no fussing at all! Good day!

Day 3: Boys went off to school, and Little Lady and I ran some errands. After school, Little Boy had a friend come home with us for a short while. Once his mom came and got him, me and The Littles headed down to our friends house (where Big Boy was already waiting for us, as he went home from school with them.) The kids made homemade pizza's for lunch and all played, while the mommy's talked. Those friends were also participating in Screen Free Week! After our play date, we came home and Little Lady took her nap. Big Boy read a book. Little Boy crawled up onto my lap and fell asleep in my arms for the first time in years! Priceless.
After this quiet time, they all played play dough again, and then moved into the computer room to play on the chalkboard table. Then, more play dough. At this time Little Boy said to me "I just love hanging out with you mom." Again, PRICELESS.

Play dough time & painting pictures!

We had dinner and everything, and when it was time for bed and Little Boy (Wow! He was really pulling at my heartstrings on Day 3!!) says "I'm gonna miss this day. It was the best day."
Total bliss.

Day 4: Another good start to the day! Little Boy went to play at his friends house for a few hours, while a friend of mine came over for a visit. Once Big Boy came home from school, we met Little Boy and several other friends from preschool (who happen to have siblings that go to school with Big Boy) at a local park to play. On the way home from the park, we stopped  at the library and picked up lots of books! We came home and decorated Little Boy's scooter for his Trike-a-Thon at school the next day. The Boys played outside, we had dinner, read some books, then off to bed.

Little Boy decorating for Trike-a-Thon

 Day 5:  Got ready, dropped Little Lady off at Grandma's, Big Boy off at school, and then Little Boy and I headed to Preschool. I work in the class on Friday's and today was the Trike-a-Thon, so we were excited! We had a super fun day at the Trike-a-Thon (I got taken out by a boy on training wheels!) and Little Boy won the award for most colorfully decorated! After school, we went to lunch with several parents and kids that we are friends with from the preschool.
I picked up Big Boy and then both Boys went to Grandma's house, where I picked up Little Lady. I drove an hour to pick up my sister's baby shower cake, came home, picked up the Boys and went off to baseball practice. We stopped at the store for some dinner and then came home where The Hubs was already waiting for us. We ate some dinner, and then I left for my Bunco night. I have a feeling the kids were allowed to watch TV in my absence... but I needed the girls night out, so I let it go.

Winner of Most Colorfully Decorated, with his medal and trophy!

 Day 6: Busy day! The Hubs took Little Boy to his ball game while I stayed home (and the other kids slept) and got ready for the baby shower. Spent the morning and first part of afternoon cleaning, decorating and prepping... I'll admit, they did sneak in some TV time and I had to just let it go (again...) because I couldn't take the time out to direct them or occupy them. Then the shower guests started arriving, and The Hubs took Big Boy to his baseball game. They came home, the shower wrapped up and then we had some friends over for Mexican Food for Cinco de Mayo. They have 3 boys, so all the kids played!

Day 7: The Hubs had the TV on all day. The kids did watch some (sigh) and we all took alternating naps. Total lazy Sunday. But no games on the phone, computer or video games, so I guess it could've been worse.

So that was our week. We weren't perfect, but we did have a bit of media detox that was good for all of us. And it was much easier than I had anticipated. Did you participate in Screen Free Week??

Stupid, Aching Uterus...

(Due to our participation in Screen Free Week, this post was written and scheduled in advance!!)

What is this incessant urge that women get to procreate? (Or is it just me?)
Seriously, I'm 3 kids into this game of Motherhood and I still get that nagging desire to to reproduce. When I see a cousin/sister/friend/acquaintance/stranger-on-the-street who is pregnant, or even worse, holding a newborn, that maternal instinct kicks in and I just want a baby. (I kid you not, I think my uterus aches and contracts when I'm around babies!) But it's not just that I want to hold a baby. I genuinely want another child. 
For the love of all that is holy, I have three kids already!! And both sexes too, so it's not just that desire to have "some of each".
*sigh*
Logically, I know that our family right now is such a great fit... and there are plenty of reasons to NOT have another baby. So then, why do I want one so much?

Somebody please tell me that I'm not the only one...

Making Memories, One Meal at a Time

(Due to our participation in Screen Free Week, this post was written and scheduled in advance!!)

Do you and your family eat together every night at the dinner table? Every night, or maybe only once or twice a week? Or do you all eat scattered around the living room with your eyes glued to the TV, lacking conversation and not even savoring your meal?
If you aren't eating together as a family, at the table, then you are missing out on some invaluable family time. Dining together not only increases and improves the family's communication and connection, but also results in more well adjusted (i.e. HAPPY and well behaved) children.
Studies have shown that children who regularly eat dinner with their families do better academically, have increased language skills, and healthier eating habits. Does any of that surprise you? (read more about the benefits here)
In our home, we eat dinner together as a family almost every single night. It is something that is very important to me. This may be one of the only times each day where the whole family is together all at once. Why would anybody sacrifice that? As a family, we talk about our day, make jokes, tell stories and bond with one another.
Meal planning in advance is a good way to improve the amount of dinners you eat together. If you already know what's going to be on the table, you're more likely to end up at the table! Let your kids help you prepare the meal... it may take a little bit longer, but children love to help cook, and it may inspire them to try foods they wouldn't have otherwise wanted to eat. Kids take great pride in the creations they make!
If dinner isn't a time that you can all be together, why not try carving out time for breakfast? Just simply striving to share a meal together each day will reap huge benefits.
Last week I was thumbing through my Better Homes & Gardens magazine and I saw mention of The Family Dinner Project. If you need inspiration to start dining together or to improve the quality of your meals together, then check it out!
Happy Eating!

Paperwork, and Appointments, and Referrals, OH MY!

I don't often write about my daughter's condition on this blog, as I have a separate one for her. But this is a blog sharing my life, and well... she's a big part of my life. (Ya think??)
Anyways, it's no secret to me how much of a juggling act it is to be a mom. I'm three kiddos into this adventure, and while I'm still learning every day, I think I've got a notch or two under my belt.
My Little Lady has a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. (You can read a brief description of it here) Ever heard of it? Probably not, most people haven't unless they have a family member or friend with it. Seriously, it doesn't get enough attention. Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (we refer to it as AMC) is a "rare" condition that (in laymen terms) affects the joints and the muscles of a person. For instance, my daughter has low muscle tone in her arms, and especially her left side. Her knees were hyperextended when she was born, and now, at almost two years old, she can't bend them all the way.
A dear friend of mine (an adult with AMC) told me that he believes it's harder on the parents of an AMC'er than it is on the actual person affected. I think it's true. This morning, is no exception.
Today my daughter has her 18 month physical. No biggie, right? Well, wrong. These "regular" appointments seem the worst of all. Much worse than any of the specialty appointments. To begin, I had to find my daughters immunization record, (this is what started me being super frazzled this morning.) I had to shuffle through a ridiculous amount of paperwork, referrals, assessments, IEP forms, therapy forms, future appointment forms, past appointment forms...

Where is that darn shot record??

Whew! I finally found the stupid shot record. Our old medical office kept them completely electronic. Oh, how I miss that.
After finding the shot  record, I had to find 3 referrals that I've recently received and have questions about. I put them in a safe place the other day. Where was that again?
When the mom of a special needs child goes to one of these "regular" appointments, she gets to fill out the pre-appointment paperwork asking what milestones her child has met. Devastatingly, it's a reminder that my child has likely not met any of the milestones expected of a typical 18 month old. Fabulous start to the appointment, right? Then, the mother and her special needs child are brought to the exam room by a nurse or medical assistant, who is unaware of the circumstance, and treats you and your child as typical. "Can you have her stand up on the scale?" No, I can't. Thanks for reminding me. For us, this is even stretched out a bit longer because visibly, you can't really see my Little Lady's condition (which is an exception for most people with AMC).
Fortunately, we have a fabulous pediatrician, who is actually somewhat familiar with my daughters condition. She acts as a fantastic advocate for both of us. And her nurse is incredibly helpful as well. I'm very thankful for them.
So, between the insane amount of paperwork, juggling so many appointments, and shuffling through the referrals, I'm just done. I am not bothered by my daughter's condition. Ultimately, she will be stronger than I could ever be. And she is simply a joy. But every now and again... I yearn for simplicity. My whole life I've been an organizer and a planner. I think that's helped me out. But what I wouldn't give to just be able to "go with the flow" for a while. No paperwork, no appointments, no referrals.  
*Sigh*

The World Stopped Turning

Remember when Alan Jackson sang Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning? It was shortly after the 9/11 attacks. I know that song really hit home for so many people. It made me shed my share of tears.

But for my family and me... the world stopped turning a year ago today. And it feels just like yesterday.

One year ago today, started just like any other Wednesday. The kids went off to school, my husband was at work. Nothing out of the ordinary. Later in the afternoon my mom called to ask if she could borrow a book from me because she was taking herself to the emergency room. She told me that she had some seizure like episodes and thought she had symptoms of a stroke. My dad was recovering from major reconstructive back surgery only two weeks before, and couldn't drive yet. I asked her to let me take her and she said no. My grandma had offered to take her also, and she refused the ride.
Hours had gone by and I hadn't heard back from her. I sent her a text message her asking what was going on and she replied that they had taken some X-rays and done some tests but that she didn't know what was going on. I sent her another text, asking if she'd even seen a Dr. yet, or just nurses and assistants. She didn't answer that text.
It was only 10 minutes later that my dad called me, frantic. He said to me "Winnie (his nickname for me), we are in a bad place with your mom." I asked him what he meant, and this is when he told me that they found a brain tumor. At that very instant, the world stopped turning. It stopped turning for myself, my father, my grandma, my two sisters, my aunt & uncle, my grandfather. It stopped turning for my Mom.
That night was the worst night of my life, hands down. Never in my life have I been so scared. Yet, at the same time... it was me that needed to be "the strong one". What a conflicted place to be.
Today, I am not going to rehash the whole story. (You can read about that here for part one and here for part two). Today, I just want to recognize the struggle and the challenging road that my family is still reeling from. I want to reflect on where we were a year ago, and where we are now.

Today is for "Instead". 

Instead of being sad about what happened,  I am full of joy that my mom is with us today.

Instead of being scared about what may happen, I will feel strength and peace in God's plan.

Instead of thinking "why did this happen to us?", I want to share my gratitude that my mom listened to the cues her body was giving her, and was able to catch this terrible disease in time.

Instead of thinking "what if?", I am going to be thankful that my mom found the very best, cutting edge, lifesaving, care there is.

Instead of harboring any bitterness, I will keep my heart full of love.

Instead of remembering each hardship, each raw emotion, each new challenge... I am going to give thanks that our family made it through, together. The way that families do!

Instead of letting the world stand still, I am going to cherish every single moment of this "awful, beautiful life". Because if not for enjoying, what is life for?

Today is for Instead.

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.  ~Barbara Bush

Our world has slowly begun it's rotation again. But when your world stops turning, it changes life a bit. And it's never again exactly the same as it was before. 

Looking Back: Light the Night

Back in October I participated in the Light the Night Walk for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I had signed up for this walk in support of my mother, who was diagnosed with Primary CNS Lymphoma in April of 2011. (She's in REMISSION now!!!!) In just one day, I raised enough money for the LLS to be a Champion For Cures. How exciting and motivating!!
The walk took place just one week prior to my mom being checked in for her Stem Cell Transplant. My mom, sister, and oldest son joined me on this endeavor.
The night was fun, emotional, inspiring, and memorable. I am planning on participating again this fall for a cause that is incredibly important to me.
"Walk As If Your Life Depends On It. Walk Because Someone's Life Does."

My Mom

My Mom & Son

Walkers With Lit Balloons

Me, My Mom, My Sister

On a Mission

Monday night my middle child broke his leg. He broke it at the top of his Tibia, so he is in a long-leg cast for the next 6-8 weeks. For an almost 5 year old boy, this is like pure torture. He can't walk, run or hop, he can't ride a bike, he can't use his scooter, he can't climb the playground, he can't participate at baseball practice.And I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to manage preschool...

As a mommy, I'm absolutely heartbroken for him. (And insanely stressed out, as no I have two immobile children).
So I am ON A MISSION to make these next 6-8 weeks as easy and enjoyable as possible for both him and me. I have been scouring blogs and Pinterest for fun, indoor (and some outdoor) activities that I can do with him that are cheap, and relatively easy. We will have picnics, build forts, make paper hats... whatever! We'll probably do quite a bit of baking and hopefully some gardening too.

Maybe my son's broken leg will force me to become more productive??? Wish me Luck!!

The "C" Word, Part Two.

Now for the long overdue continuation of my previous post, The "C" Word, Part One.
My mom continued to recuperate through the weekend. She was able to get moved from the ICU on Sunday into a regular room. Then she was released to go home on Monday. Considering that her skull had been cut into and her brain was operated on, I felt that was a remarkably fast recovery time!
She had 8 new prescriptions to take home. I went to my parents house to help them figure out the doses and times for each medication.
Then I started a "meal calendar" so that they wouldn't have to cook for themselves for at least 2 weeks. Friends, family, and even strangers helped with this. We were so touched by the outpouring of love and generosity for our family! And it made things so much easier on my mom and dad, who were BOTH in a state of rehabilitation.
Easter was about a week later. We had a quiet family gathering at their house for Easter. The little ones had an egg hunt, and my mom even went out and helped them with it.
About two weeks after the surgery, they went in for what they thought was a only a post-op appointment. But, as it turned out... they had the results of the pathology report ready for them that day as well.
The results: Primary CNS Lymphoma. While we were hoping and praying that the results would indicate some weird viral or bacterial infection... they were not. The mass in her brain had been, in fact, malignant.
CNS Lymphoma is "Central Nervous System" Lymphoma. Lymphoma is a blood cancer.
The next few weeks were a blur. Meal deliveries, Dr. appointments, lab tests... Mom had to have several Oncology appointments, as well as lab work, and eye exam, a PET scan, MRI's, and  a Spinal Tap. These were all to try and figure out how far along the disease was. And where it started. I went to a few of these appointments with my parents, and my grandma went to some with them as well.
With CNS Lymphoma, it stays isolated to the nervous system, i.e. Brain, Spine, Eyes.  All of the testing seemed to indicate that there was no Lymphoma in her spine or eyes. It must have started in her brain and not gone any further. (Though it is a type of cancer, and though it did originate in her brain... it is NOT the same as "Brain Cancer", as this is Lymphoma and they are different.)
It came to the point where treatment would be discussed. Her oncologist planned to do some intense, in-patient, chemotherapy for at least 6 months. (Two weeks in between each treatment.) The next step, if the chemo was not effective, was to be radiation therapy. This scared my mom. A lot.
I urged her to get a 2nd opinion. I explained to her and my dad how serious her disease was, and that just because they got a 2nd opinion didn't mean they had to stay at that place for treatment. They agreed to get one.
In the United States, there are only 41 accredited "Comprehensive Cancer Center's". We live in Southern California, and are withing 2-3 hours of THREE of the 41. Pretty great, if you ask me! I shared the 3 with her, and asked her to pick one. She chose UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Honestly, and of those places would have been a great choice. But this one is full of cutting edge technology and has many Dr's in the center that were placed on the Top 10 Dr's in America.
The new treatment plan? Several rounds of intense, in-patient chemotherapy. Followed by a Stem Cell transplant (using her own stem cells).  Yes, cutting edge indeed!
Fast forward to now. It has been one heck of a steep climb for my mom. Those week long hospital stays were not easy on her. (although, physically, she tolerated them incredibly well. She has had no hair loss, and has actually gained weight!) The emotional aspect of having to deal with her own morality has not been easy on her, nor any of the family. But right now she is currently "In Remission". She is on her 3rd appeal with the insurance company, as they don't want to cover her Stem Cell transplant unless she has a recurrence. I guess they don't understand that the Stem Cell Transplant could PREVENT the recurrence.
She did get some advocacy help from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that will *hopefully* help her with this third appeal.
At this moment, she is in the hospital have a round of "maintenance chemotherapy"... trying to keep her in remission, since her Stem Cell Transplant has been put off during this ridiculous appeal process.
But for now, she is strong and healthy. And I count my blessings for that.

The "C" word... (part one)

My mom has Cancer. Yes, the big bad C word. I have been wanting/needing to blog about this for some time, but life has turned crazy. Cancer will do that to a life. I don't have to tell you, right? It seems like everyone's been affected by it.
On April 13th, my mom took herself to the emergency room to get some symptoms checked out that she suspected may be "mini-strokes" or the precursors to a stroke. She refused to let anyone take her to the E.R.
Several hours had gone by since she went it, and I hadn't heard from her. So I started texting her. She said she didn't know what was going on but that they had run some tests. I asked her if she'd even spoke with an actual Dr. yet, and then got no response. About 15 minutes later (by now, it's about 9:15pm), my dad called me saying that we were in a bad place... and that they had found that my mom had a brain tumor. I went to pick him up to go down to the hospital where my grandma and sister were heading down as well. (My dad couldn't drive yet... only a week prior to this, my dad had a major back reconstruction surgery. It was a double surgery, where he had been operated on front and back.)
We get down there, and luckily they had given my mom some meds to calm her down. She's a very frantic type. Shortly after, she was transported via ambulance to the local trauma hospital. Her case was not a 'trauma', but they did have a state of the art neurosurgery team there. We followed the ambulance. My other sister met us down there. A Dr. came in and showed us the images from the CT scan she had. It appeared that there was either "multiple, multiple tumors" or one large tumor that was oddly shaped. Further testing would tell us more. She was admitted to the hospital. My grandma stayed with her, and the rest of us headed home. I got home about 3am. I was tired, and scared. I had to be up at 6am to get my son off to school.
That day passed in a blur. I couldn't eat. I felt sick. I was weak. I didn't know how I'd make it through the day. I went back to the hospital to be with my family.
Friday morning, the 15th, my mom had brain surgery. The removed the entire mass. They wouldn't have more information for us for at least a week, when the pathology report came back.
After surgery, we all got to see her for a few minutes. That night, mom was so drugged up, we all left her there in the ICU so she could rest and recover. The next day, my dad and grandma spent some time with her. My dad was in terrible amounts of pain (still fresh from his surgery) and asked if I'd come relieve him for a few hours. So I headed down to the hospital (thank goodness that my husband was such a saint, and played "Mr. Mom" over the course of this week...) for about 3 or 4 hours to be with my mom. It was so hard to see her that way. But she was coherent, mostly. And restless. She had taken a short walk earlier that day, and wanted another one, but they wanted her to wait. And when her dinner was served, she literally gagged on it, saying it was so gross. I could tell my being there was causing her to lose rest, so finally I told her I was leaving so she could rest.
Later that night, we get a call. The nurses said she wouldn't stay in her bed, and that if one of use didn't get down there to calm her down, she'd have to be restrained. Dad didn't feel well, and I knew grandma was tired, so off I went. That was one of the longest nights of my life... Mom was very agitated and restless. Numerous times she tried to get up, and she had several panic attacks that were hard to control. I convinced the nurses to give her something to calm her down. It worked... kind of.
Finally at about 7am my dad got there to relieve me. I drove home, trying to stay awake. When I got home, my bed had never felt better than it did that morning. Too bad I only got to stay in it for 4 hours.

(To be continued...)

Today

Today is the first day of summer vacation for us. I always find the end of the school year to be an emotional time for me... so bittersweet. For one thing, it's a very obvious reminder of how quickly time is passing, and with that, the fleeting childhood of my babies. While I love the reprieve from early morning madness and rushing off to school, and homework, and whatnot, I also sometimes miss the structure we get with school time, and I usually am attached to my child's teacher, so it's sad to say goodbye.
On the other hand, we have a lot in store this summer, and I am looking forward to it!