More Out Than In!

This has been our mantra every December for many years!  Obviously, this year is a bit different.  I don't think I have ever been "in" so much. 

However, I have been doing so well that "my girls" (not to be confused with "the girls" -- see below for definitions) are taking me out tonight!  Yippee!  We plan to do our gift exchange and enjoy a lovely dinner!  I can't wait.

Of course this means a shower.  :-( Again, mostly anxious not too painful.  But I am sure will be well worth it all. 

Then tucking back in for a cozy weekend at home.  Steve is feeding me oh to well!  Shauna brings my lunch! Sharon makes me delicious brownies! And Gail and Steven brought a wreath for the front door and a spaghetti pie (yummy and interesting).  I think (I actually know) I am getting spoiled!

Have a great weekend everyone!  War Eagle!!!!  

Definitions:
"My Girls" - Lisa, Sharon and Shauna (girlfriends / sisters)
"The Girls" - My new "Super B" additions
"War Eagle!" - Auburn fans use as a greeting -- watching Auburn play in the SEC Championship game tomorrow afternoon (college football US style).

The "Wheels" on the "bus" go round and round

NOT!  Moving these implants every six hours is enough to make me sleep the other 5 hours and 55 minutes.   If you were thinking yesterday - ouch.  You were right!  My guess is 60% is me being nervous about it and the other 40% is real ouchiness (hard to call it pain when it just doesn't compare to the last surgery). 

All I can say is these things BETTER look good when this is said and done!  :-)

Today is good though.  I am dressed, cleaned up, haven't napped yet and just easing my way around the house.  Supposed to walk at least 10 minutes every 2 hours and it is too darn cold to go outside so laps around the house will have to do. 

Who said "rabbit rabbit" this morning?!  December 1st!  Not me, I forgot.  Hopefully, the bag of salt I threw over my shoulder in its place will make up for the good luck!  ;-)

Happy December!!!! 

Hello it's Me!

Yes, I am able to do my own post the day after surgery!  A huge difference over the last one. 

Surgery went well and we were home by about 430PM.  The details....implants (Super B's as we like to call them) went in successfully, she opened the previous incision and increased it for a couple of different reasons, and she loosened things up in there.  So the pain I am feeling today is in the middle and in the pectoral muscles (probably where the nerves are in tact).  Slept very well on Valium and Percocet.  After a day of nausea yesterday, it was good to eat a banana this morning and drink some tea.  Overall, on a very positive path to recovery!

After this post, I plan to take another Perc in preparation for moving around the implants.  Yikes!!!  Every couple of hours I am supposed to move them around in circles, up and down, right and left, and towards the middle.  Yowsa....not looking forward to that!  A nap will follow immediately! :-)

I am so glad to have this surgery behind me.  For some reason it had me really frazzled, anxious and emotional.  Thanks to everyone for your calls, comments, emails, texts!  Always appreciated and they definitely make me feel better.

Have a great day!  Think of me in about an hour doing my movements! :-0  I'll update you tomorrow on how that goes!

Out With The Old....In With The New (Again!)

My next surgery is scheduled for Monday, November 29th!  This is where they take out the tissue expanders (aka "bricks") and put in the implants.  While it is under full anesthesia, it will be out patient surgery -- which is great!  And the doctor says should be much easier than the last surgery (since a lot of my nerves in that area are gone).  Hopefully she is right!  Physically, I have been feeling great!  My stamina is good and strength is returning.  As a matter of fact, she emphasized how important it will be to follow orders (no lifting above 10 lbs, no dishwasher, no cooking, no laundry, no repetitive motions, etc.) because I will be feeling "so good".  Doctors do have a way of understating things but I am really hoping she is right on this one.  So she is figuring two weeks off work to be safe. 

This surgery comes with mixed emotions.  Mostly, I can't wait to have it done!  But it is a little depressing because I feel like I was just getting back into the swing of things again.  My hair has bounced back, I am cooking meals, doing laundry, grocery shopping, making beds, loading and unloading the dishwasher......wait, why did I want to bounce back (other than the hair thing)?!  :-)  The absolute great news is that after this surgery, the other adjustments will be minor (spread over the next six months).

So I have been preparing meals (did the Dream Dinners thing and loved it), shopping for the holidays, and organizing the house and my office.  I also returned to work for a couple of weeks which was a good "toe in the water" experience.  I lost a few (maybe more) brain cells over the past few months so needed to crank up the brain and get it back in gear.  It is like the Tin Man (Wizard of Oz) and how rusty he would get, then the oil can would come out and help him get loose. 

Okay so physically I am doing great!  Mentally (wa wa wa) there are good days and bad and you really can't explain it or know when to expect them.  Could be the medication, the Big C fog, the physical limitations that I do still have....who knows.  I just push through those days or hours the best I can and remain focused on all the good things. 

Which of course brings me to Thanksgiving!  To list all the things I am thankful for would be impossible at this point.  But I would like to highlight the really big ones...Steve, my sisters (Shauna and Sharon), my entire family (Buring's and Hoffman's), my friends (among them Lisa, Marilyn and Joanna) and the many many many people who have helped me along this journey.  And that is you! 

I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving!  If you are outside the US....enjoy the quiet.  And let the holidays begin!!!!!

More Birthdays!

http://morebirthdays.com     by The American Cancer Society

I like the idea of celebrating life and lives!  It is like that Tim McGraw song, "Live Like You Were Dying".  The meaning and lyrics are great.  But do we always have to get a "wake up call" to make us realize and appreciate how special life, love, family and friends are?   And what if we turned that song around and lived our lives and treated our loved ones as if they were dying (I don't mean this in a harsh way).  Say what you mean and mean what you say!  Every day!

I know life goes on and everyone can't stop and go sky diving.  :-)  So put your reminders up, your sticky note on your mirror, your daily calendar quote, the top priority on your daily task list.....  And be the person YOU want to be.  Live the life YOU want to live.  Have no regrets!

Today is my birthday and it is QUITE special and emotional this year!  I want to hold on to my lessons learned throughout the past few months forever!  And make certain I follow my own advice above! 

Have a great day!  I know I will!

"Live Like You Were Dying"
by Tim McGraw

He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?

An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:

"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?

"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."
"To live like you were dyin'."

Just when you start to feel pretty good.....

Another doctor appointment today with the plastic surgeon.  And even though we were convinced it would just be a "check up" type of visit....they were equally convinced I would get another "fill".  Yes, another 60cc per side.  And of course she said I would probably be uncomfortable (that's because it really didn't seem like there was room for any more fluid!). 

So what is my actual status?  VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! 

If you get queazy, stop reading here.  If you want the details, it's like having two bricks inside your chest.  These things do not move.  I have to move my arms around them.  And for you gals out there, there is no scooping or pouring into the bra at this stage.  This is what I would call a true "over the shoulder boulder holder" situation. 

Can't lay down, can't slouch, can't walk....just sitting in a semi-reclined position thinking about watching Oprah (when all I want to do is take a nap).  And this doesn't happen very often but there are tears in my eyes! 

All I can say is OUCH!

So, what is next?  Meet with the plastic surgeon again in two weeks to discuss the details of the next surgery.  And it seems the next surgery will be the week of November 15th. 

Yes, I am definitely keeping in mind this could be worse.  I could have all this AND chemo.  My goodness, my heart goes out to those!  So what is my mantra -- EARLY DETECTION.

Team Buring Raises Over $1,000 for Komen for the Cure!

What a day!!!!  I am still very emotional just thinking about it!

First of all, a HUGE thanks to Team Buring (pictured above - L to R Bottom Row -- Charley and Ethel Hoffman (My Amazing In-Laws), Me, and Bill Lampe (Brother-In-Law/Shauna's husband) // L to R Top Row -- Steve Hoffman (my hubby), Jake Lampe (nephew), Sharon Stuard (sister), Lisa Donnelly (friend/"sista" from birth), and Shauna Buring (sister). 

Second of all, an ENORMOUS THANKS to all those that donated to the cause!  At this time, we have raised $1,075!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Which is pretty darn amazing considering we didn't even start until Thursday!  Donations are accepted through October 31, so it's not too late! :-)

Over 18,000 participants for the day (over 700 of those are Survivors)!  You can ask any of us girls in the group....it was emotional to say the least.  As I had mentioned, my plastic surgeon had instructed me not to walk (with drains just out) so Steve (my "co-survivor" and "rock") hung with me while the rest of the Team enjoyed a beautiful morning walk of 3.1 miles!  You may think Steve got the easy duty, however, given my emotional state he actually ended up with quite the challenge. :-) 

As we waited at the Finish Line, we saw my breast surgeon!  (see picture below)  Clearly, I am a survivor due to her skill in manually detecting the lump that started it all.  I have been seeing her for about 9 years and grown comfortable with her very direct style.  So it only seemed fitting that she told me "you could have walked it" and told Steve "what's your excuse?". 

We all crossed the Finish Line together (they said it was okay for me to cross the finish line since I was only 45 days post surgery) and again....very emotional.  I will just say, the volunteers who make this race and fundraising event (over $1M was raised in total) happen are amazing! 

After the race there was an official Survivor Celebration that took place inside Great American Ball Park (GABP).  The survivors sat together, were honored and then filed onto the field for a group picture.  We spelled out "hope" with a ribbon outline above it (I'll post the picture once it is published).  Funny comment - of course most of you know me very well and that I am a fairly organized and methodical person.  So the first thing my sisters said to me when we rejoined was "were you going crazy that they couldn't organize the picture any more efficiently?!"  To which I said "YES!"  So just imagine about 500 people filing onto the baseball field (not in single file of course) and being loosely guided to stand on these ropes that spelled something (but we didn't even know what at that time).  It all works out in the end but I really think I could have shaved about 10 minutes off the exercise with a little instruction and discipline.  :-)

At this point, I know you are thinking...."I want to do that next year with Team Buring!"  Well, you can!  I'll let you know when and where and we will strive to grow our Team and have even more fun celebrating, walking and crying together than we did this year! 

To cap the event, we had our own private celebration / luncheon (thanks to Steve) at Rock Bottom Brewery!  Our friends James, Carrie and Quin joined us (they had walked in honor of Tracy who lost her battle with breast cancer this past year) and it was great to catch up with them!  It was very enjoyable and certainly a memorable day for me!  To think I am at a 45 days survivor status (actually not really officially a survivor for five years I think but what the heck else are you supposed to call yourself?) is quite amazing.  My nap was a great one yesterday and my 12 hours of sleep even better!  Taking it very easy today!

Again, thanks to all!  Each and every one of you are helping me get through every day and to continue to heal and grow in all ways!

A"Coming Out" Party Like No Other!

While that statement can mean many things, for me it means......MY DRAINS ARE OUT!!!!!!!!  Oh my gosh, you don't know (or some of you do actually) how fantastic that feels!  Five weeks those darn things were hanging out of each side.  Yes, I know the benefits and appreciate what they were doing for me.  However, they were very annoying from a trying to get through the day standpoint.  (Showering - ugh!, Blousey tops that hid the bulbs - ugh!  You get the point!)

Now I have about a 5 - 7 day "risk" period to further watch for infection and to make certain my body absorbs the fluids.  The Doctor said, getting through this upcoming weekend will be key. 

Night One with drains out was a little more painful than I had expected (Perc and Val were my friends).  Night Two was great!  I actually was able to roll on my side (VERY carefully) and sleep like that.  After five weeks of "flat on my back" sleeping, that felt wonderful!  And I moved into my Big Girl bed! :-)  No more couch for me (except for napping).  Still can't sleep with Steve....he has been known to flail around at times which would not be good right now.  Was that TMI?!

Also received another "fill" while at the Doctor's office.  Very strange sensation!  It makes you feel like a "DD" or bigger, but that is just the "tissue expanders" working their magic.  (Todd - get your mind out of the gutter!)

Overall, my energy has been pretty good and I was feeling much stronger.  Drains out (and the fill) causing a slight set-back due to the tenderness they have caused.  But still trying to walk (although gliding is actually preferable - no bouncing welcome here) at least once a day. 

It is pretty easy to update everyone on my physical state.  My mental state is a bit more challenging.  I have a feeling there will be many phases on that front. 

My "Coming Out" party was a delicious dinner at Maggiano's with a glass of wine.  Yes, I have my wine taste buds back.  I didn't want to alarm anyone but was getting quite worried they might be gone forever. 

Thanks to all for your congratulatory messages on the No Chemo!  It was and remains to be quite a relief!

Have a great day!  Remember to celebrate my "Coming Out" tonight!  :-) 

XOXOXO to all
Susan

The Breast Cancer Formula (according to Susan)

Breast Cancer = Surgery + Chemotherapy + Hair Loss + Nausea    

Right?!  That is how we typically think of “the steps” once diagnosed with breast cancer.

However, I am one of the fortunate few that will stop at

Breast Cancer = Surgery + Hormonal Therapy!   YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

In a nutshell, I’ll be taking a drug called Tamoxifen for the next five years.  And I will NOT need chemotherapy or radiation therapy. 

This really is terrific news!  But I must admit…..I was a bit concerned at first.  I thought everything always pointed to chemo.  However, after consulting with the Oncologist and reviewing all the pathology details of my cancer, this direction DID/DOES make sense.  For you “detail junkies” out there, here are a few stats:

              My Oncotype DX – Breast Cancer Recurrence Score = 16 (out of possible 100)

              Those patients who had a Recurrence Score of 16 had an Average Rate of Distant Recurrence of 10% (95% CI: 7% - 13%)

              Node Negative, ER-Positive Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Benefit – Approximately 2% (Risks associated 1%) for a Net Benefit of 1%

So WOW WOW WOW! 

We are definitely celebrating tonight! 

Pizza and wine (for Steve) / water (for me)! 

My sisters are really happy too because in a very weak moment, they had agreed to shave their heads with me (well, not really Shauna because shaving her hair just wouldn’t be right).  But Sharon was right there with me on it!  Steve too!  The side effects of Tamoxifen pale in comparison (fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings (or at least that is the excuse I will use), etc.).

Remember when I said all the test results just keep guiding me along in my decision making?  This is another perfect example! 

We wanted to get the GREAT NEWS out today!  Stay tuned tomorrow for some side notes to our Doctor visit and other updates ….   

Please celebrate with us tonight!  Pop a cork, a bottle cap, the faucet, a can….whatever your pleasure!  

The positive mojo you ALL have been sending my way has paid off BIG today!!!  THANK YOU!

Below are just some links and details about Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy in case you are interested:

Chemotherapy is the general term for any treatment involving the use of chemical agents to stop cancer cells from growing. Chemotherapy can eliminate cancer cells at sites great distances from the original cancer. As a result, chemotherapy is considered a systemic treatment.^1,2   www.chemotherapy.com

Hormonal Therapy

Hormones naturally occurring substances in the body that stimulate the growth of hormone-sensitive tissues, such as the breast or the prostate gland.¹

When cancer forms in breast or prostate tissue, its growth and spread may be caused by the body's own hormones. Therefore, ways to fight cancer include drugs that block hormone production or change the way hormones work, and the removal of organs that secrete hormones, such as the ovaries or testicles.²

Hormone therapy, similar to chemotherapy, is a systemic (not local) treatment—it may affect cancer cells throughout the body.³

In addition to hormonal therapy, chemotherapy is another way to treat cancer. Learn more about treating cancer with chemotherapy.

Getting Better Everday!

Yes, that's a song!  Who sings it?

I really am getting stronger and a little better everyday!  Which is nice!  I'll take any and all the progress I can get! 

Still can't drive, can't lift more than 10 lbs (you would really be surprised how everything seems to weigh more than 10 lbs -- including just shifting your body), definitely lost lung capacity -- but feel a ton better than 3 weeks ago!  So I'll take it!  Oh yeah, the drains are STILL in.  You will hear the celebration when those things come out -- trust me!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  We live next to a catholic church and school and their Oktoberfest was this past weekend.  They had a few rides, game booths, auctions and bands.   It just so happened that the kids would be just about in front of our house when they spotted the rides.  The squeals of delight and amazement were so cute.  They kept me chuckling all weekend long.

What do I miss most?  That probably changes everyday and aside from not being able to do whatever I want (like open a window for example), I miss cooking!  Funny, I wouldn't have guessed that leading into all this.  Lesson - appreciate the little things that you do (they may not be so little some day).  :-)

Fill 'er Up!

A little surprising yesterday when we went to the Doctor's (Plastic Surgeon) office yesterday and they were ready to "do a fill" as they call it.  Hmmmmm, just when I am starting to have mostly good days.  But she said "it wouldn't be like starting over".  And that is when you want to say, excuse me but have you ever had this done yourself?  In the end though, you do want progress so you may as well go with it!  60cc's more per side were added (this is added to the tissue expanders) in a relatively pain-free process.  The definition of pain takes on a whole new meaning every day!  This felt more like someone just sat on your already sore chest.  And then later the pressure was joined by pain.  So for those of you that thought I went off the pain meds a little too quick, you will be happy to know I fell asleep with the aid of a Percocet and Valium last night.  Boy did I sleep well!  :-)

I made an exciting discovery yesterday!  I have somewhat mastered the waist down stretch. Now you may think that is easy but just try it! Laying down, see if you can really stretch (you know that morning stretch that feels oh so good) but just from the waist down (no arms, no head or neck, and certainly nothing that makes the chest area even tweak). Yeah, that's right....it is pretty darn hard to do!  I have been surprised at how involuntary the morning stretch really is.  Feels like your body just does it without any brain command. 

Today is a great day!  It's FRIDAY!  Yeah, even though I am not "working", there is still something great about knowing it's Friday!  My pain is being eased by Tylenol, I don't have to shower today (gross to some of you I know), and the girls are getting together for a quick happy hour tonight.  Fun Fun Fun!  Of course, my happy hour is water or Gatorade -- woohoo! 

I hope you have a great Friday and an even better weekend! 
Blog Soon!

Shout Outs!!!!!

It is really too bad I didn't think of it sooner, but the picture above is a mere sampling of the wonderful gifts, flowers and cards received!  (If you don't see your gift here it just means I could not carry it or retrieve myself.)  Isn't it amazing?!  All so thoughtful, creative, comforting, entertaining and delicious!

I thought you would enjoy seeing and hearing about some of the items.  So every day or so, I plan to add a couple of specific "Shout Outs!" over on the right hand side of the page (no particular order....so you may have to check the site everyday to make certain you see your "Shout Out!").

Speaking of everyday....sorry I don't blog everyday.  And that sometimes it is actually a few days in between.  Honestly, typically that means I am either in a "dark" mood or really tired.  What, you thought I was positive, perky and upbeat everyday?!  Silly!  Just ask Steve and my sisters....they can tell you I am not always the pleasant, funny Susan you have come to know and love.  :-)

Today, I am feeling pretty good (and relatively strong)!  That is very welcome because I had about three days where that was definitely NOT the case.  Lot's of pain which is just exhausting to manage.  I figure there will probably be phases to this recovery process and that is to be expected. 

Update from the Doctor visit last week -- the breast surgeon was pleased with my overall progress.  She reviewed some test results with us which were encouraging to hear.  First of all, while the tumors were only in the right breast, the left breast revealed clusters of atypical cells (soon to be cancer).  So the double mastectomy was definitely the right thing to do!  The lymph node was negative so they don't believe the cancer has spread.  (These of course are my very simple layman's terms and I couldn't remember if we had previously revealed these details or not.)  And as expected, she did recommend an oncologist and I have an appointment next Thursday, September 16th.  (Really?!  This was the soonest you could get me in?  Are you kidding me?  Do you know how much "stuff" hinges on this consultation?!)  So I am still setting my expectations of having to go through chemo (but there are some outside chances this could be where I get "lucky").  More to come on that next Friday!

Back to the picture above.  The gift display area is doubling as my "home" for the past three weeks.  So that couch you see under the gifts is my bed!  :-)  This is a side room to our house and we chose this area because it is on the first floor, very sunny and open (plus if you look in the background you will also notice it is our "bar" which is quite convenient ;-) ).  So generally a pretty cheery place to be.  I am really looking forward to sleeping in a bed again (soon) but until my drains come out (one on each side) this just seems the safest thing to do.  Can't roll over and no one to bother me or "the goods". 

Well, here's hoping I post tomorrow!  :-)  Hope you had a great holiday weekend!  Just think, this work week is already half over!!!!

Take care!

Ladies and Gentleman -- We are in a holding pattern.....

What I mean is, things are good (great actually) and progress is steady.  But there are not a lot of daily accomplishments to report on at this time.  I mean do you really want to hear that I watched daytime TV for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday?  And now I know why I don't watch daytime TV!  Or that I took another nap today!  :-)  Some of you are probably jealous of that aspect of the recovery!  Every day I definitely get stronger.  The pain remains about the same for now...tolerable. 

Tomorrow is another Doctor appointment....this time with the Breast Surgeon.  She will check my healing progress and discuss some pathology results (http://www.genomichealth.com/  Genomic testing / Oncotype DX if you are familiar/interested) that will assist in determining if or what the chemotherapy path will be.  She will actually be referring me to an Oncologist who will analyze those results and consult with us on the need / benefits of chemotherapy.  So I won't actually know tomorrow about chemo (although I REALLY wish I would) but I am guessing get the referral and hopefully be able to schedule that consultation sometime next week. 

I don't know if everyone knows but my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47 (same as me right now) and didn't even make it two years.  Hers was definitely more advanced (they didn't really talk "stages" 25 years ago) but she did go into remission for a short time after the surgery/chemo before discovering it had spread.  My point of telling this is that I am amazed at how far things have come since then.  Starting with awareness, diligence and so many medical advances.  At every turn in this process there has been a test / result to assist in making the next decision.  While eradication of breast cancer (all cancer actually) is desired and a "cure" would be a great second choice, we are very fortunate to live in times of such medical advancements.

So on a more positive note, here we are about to enter a three day holiday weekend (in the US anyway)!  I am thinking about a manicure (didn't count on the fact that it would be rather hard to file my own nails), lunch out with my sisters and maybe a cookout (barbecue for those who prefer that term).  How about you?  What are your plans for the holiday weekend?!  Whatever they may be......ENJOY!

Tuesday's Thoughts

Yesterday went well!  The legs did require extra assistance from the weed wacker but other than that....all went as planned.  Even Steve blow drying my hair (yes, picture that!) was not bad!  He may have a new future as hair stylist extraordinaire. 

But it really is hard to get used to little tasks being so exhausting!  The big goal for today.....walking around the block. 

So I mentioned yesterday that I would talk about "normal" today.  I have always hesitated when using or hearing that word.  And now that I am trying to "get my life back to normal", I have decided there really is no such thing!  Every person, every day, every situation, every life event, basically every moment makes things different so that nothing really ever stays the same.  So there is no normal!  Instead of striving to be "back to normal", I have decided to take all the yesterdays and have them make me a better and different person and life.  Kind of like the old act of asking yourself "what did you learn today?" or "what are you thankful for today?", etc.  So just as a reminder, ask yourself.....do you want to be "normal" or "different (kind of new and improved everyday)"?  And, if you feel like sharing....it would be interesting to hear/see what you are thankful for or have learned today!

According to M-W the true definition is:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normal and a few of the highlights are:
2a : according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle b : conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern 3: occurring naturally <normal immunity> 4a : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b : free from mental disorder : sane

No, I am not on any drugs....just a little time on my hands to reflect!  :-)  I promise not to give homework everyday, just thought it would be fun!

Enjoy the day!

Monday Morning Koffee Klatch

Good Morning and Happy Monday!  This is actually me.....Susan writing the blog today! 

Shauna and Steve have done a great job of keeping it current but handed the reigns back to me (actually last week).  But you know, a wise man (Steve Hoffman) once said "fighting Cancer is a full time job" and he is right!  I am BUSY.  :-)  Yeah, I know what your thinking.....and you are right!  It is all relative.  But given my strength (or lack thereof), exhaustion (need two naps a day at least and a full 10 hours of sleep at night), speed at which I accomplish anything (NOT very quickly), daily maintenance of "the" area (you really don't want those details)......I actually do stay "busy". 

But this is all good!!!!  It means I am recovering! 

I went off all pain meds as of Saturday.  Those things were definitely a necessary evil.  Yes, I am in pain but at least I am coherent, have a decent appetite and have a moving digestive track.  When I asked the Doctor if I could go off the pain meds, she said why.  I said, "because I don't even know what kind of pain I am in!"  So she said sure, gave some advice about Tylenol and a taper off schedule and that was that.  But I will tell you a secret.....last night about 2AM I thought about sneaking in and taking a Valium (pain keeping me awake).  Maybe they should hide "the drugs" from me just in case!  :-)

Okay, enough about me!  How about you ALL!!!!!  WOW!  The"comments" (which I LOVE), cards, flowers, gifts, emails and calls have been amazing.  (By the way, I love the cards, flowers, gifts, etc. too).  Steve and I both thank you all from the bottom of our heart!  And if we aren't responding to a call or email.....please forgive us!  It is all pretty overwhelming at times and pretty challenging to keep up with.  But we "hear" you and it warms our heart to know you are there.

So next on my agenda (the 1030AM - 1200PM slot) ....a shower.  Hopefully, it won't take that long but I make no promises.  The legs have been neglected and will likely require the majority of that time!  :-)

I hope you all have a great day!  Keep on keepin' on!

Something to look forward to.......tomorrow's topic - "normal".  Stay tuned.

Much love and hugs to everyone!
Susan



Follow-up from Steve:
Just want to second Susan's point about the numerous emails, texts, voice mails received during the past week.  As we have noted, fighting Cancer is a full time job.  I haven't been able to return many of the communications.  That doesn't mean we don't feel your collective arms around us.  We feel the support, prayers and positive vibes every day!  From our friends in SEC country to family spread throughout the nation and buddies near and far -- we THANK YOU!  Keep the good vibes comin'!

Not to worry....we're back!

Okay, it's been a couple days of ups and downs. Sunday was not pretty. Percocet is our friend and enemy. Side effects of nausea and constipation were really taking their effect. After Susan had some OJ on Sunday (healthy right?) she was feeling pretty nauseated. The thought of vomiting when you have 2 drains in andincisions on your chest is pretty scary. So Sunday consisted of trying to balance getting food in her stomach to buffer the Percocet, but not make her sick. It was a high pain day so Percocet was a requirement just to keep her from crying. I'm hoping she doesn't remember too much about the day because it consisted of us badgering her to eat crackers and drink water or Gatorade.

Late on Sunday when her stomach was settled but she was exhausted she said, "I'm going to get on that blog and tell everyone you bi*&%es have been lying about how well I'm doing. Photoshopping my pictures so I look good, painting a smile on my face. When I get on that blog I'm going to tell them the real story." That's when I could tell she was starting to feel a touch better.

We tried to deal with the nausea by dropping the Percocet to 1 tablet instead of 2. This seemed to help with the nausea but I called the surgeon anyway to get some antinausea medication to have on hand. When talking with Jenn (the surgeon) she asked if Susan had a BM since the surgery. When I said no, she asked if I had given her a laxative, as instructed per the post-op discharge instructions. I said I tried the day before but Susan wouldn't take one. Well, did I get in trouble (from Susan) for that! For hours, I heard about how I had "ratted her out" to the surgeon. I was trying to save my own butt (every woman for herself)! The surgeon recommended enough OTC laxatives to make someone's bowel clean as a whistle. (Okay, that's kind of a gross metaphor). Anyhoo, we're working our way through those. MD also recommended decreasing the Percocet if Susan could tolerate it.

Good news is Monday turned out to be a good day for the most part. Bland foods but more substantial (yogurt, blueberries, sandwiches, etc.) No nausea and okay pain control. Lots of napping. Normally Susan is a "buck up" kind of girl. She's been known to tell Steve to "buck up" when he was recovering from his herniated disk last year! So, she's trying to decrease the amount of Percocet she takes each day so that the side effects will decrease.

Yesterday evening, Susan's longtime friend Lisa stopped by (a preapproved visit). Lisa's mom and our mom were best friends so we all grew up together. Anyway, Lisa's a hoot so her visit was invigorating but not too exhausting. She brought a snuggly blanket and teddy bear (which can be used as a pillow under her arms for comfort). I think it's the first tiem the four of us have been together when we weren't all drinking. (Susan and Lisa were "on the wagon"....Sharon and I couldn't resist a beer!) I've posted a pic of our pre-surgical celebration. This was before we read the pre-op instructions that advised no "heaving drinking" within 3 weeks of surgery....oops!

Suze is having a good morning so far. Her voice is stronger and eyes brighter. I think the food from yesterday helped. When eating breakfast this AM we were talking about "this food has to go somewhere"....hopefully, it goes in the right direction! In addition to another dose of laxative #1, she got milk of magnesia which tastes like (and I quote Susan) "....the water used to rinse out a can of tuna and then the water was left in there for a day." Yum!

Right now she is napping, has Enya playing in the background, and a lavender candle burning. Althought this sounds peaceful (and it is), I've learned my lesson not to paint too pretty of a picture.

Once again, many thanks for the flowers, food, gifts, and cards. In the last post, Steve mentioned the "routine" of meds, eating, walking, and sleeping. Opening cards, etc. is a nice refreshing break from the routine and a highlight of Susan's day.

1st Full Day Home

Susan is settling into a home recovery phase, take meds, sleep, wakeup for a bathroom break and then repeat the cycle. Occassionally during the awake phase Suze will read the countless number of cards and well wishing notes she has received over the last few days. Easy to see that she is deeply touched by the outpouring of affection from so many friends and family members. The house is also filled with beautiful flower arrangements. Susan can turn in any direction and be comforted by Roses, Daisey's, Sunflowers, Carnations and Snapdragons.

We 've learned to care for Susan by following prescription instructions to the tee. When scripts say 2 pain pills every 4 hours no sense in Susan trying to be tough girl and get by with just one pill. Comfort and rest is the key and percocet is the answer!

We also have introduced a little canine therapy. Molly, (Shauna's dog) is in the house. Molly will play an important role in keeping a smile albeit faint on Suze's face.

I'll turn it over to Shauna for the Pathology report... Steve

Last night Susan's breast surgeon called at 8pm! Major props to her for calling at 8p and on a Friday night no less. She reported that while there were no cancerous tumors in the left breast, the pathologist did find atypical cells there. This was validating to hear since Susan did have the choice of just having a right breast mastectomy but opted for the double due to the risk of recurrence in the left.

Great news is that of the lymph nodes dissected NONE were found to have cancerous cells. This means that it is highly unlikely that the cancer spread beyond the breast region. However, that doesn't rule chemo out as a possibility. One, her largest tumor was actually almost 2cm (which would bump her up to Stage II). Two, the next step for the pathologist is to perform an oncotype of the cancerous tumors. This info will help determine if she would benefit from chemo (in a preventative type way). http://www.oncotypedx.com/

Here is a photo of Molly and Susan. (Molly - the aforementioned therapy dog - looks like a demon ....but she's not.) Susan promises not to post another picture until she washes her hair. :-)

Home Sweet Home

Susan was discharged from the hospital at 11am today....yeah! It must be pretty exhausting to go under general anesthesia, sit/sleep in a hospital for a couple days, and then come home.....because she is snoozing Susan! Of course, the Valium and Percocet may have something to do with that as well.

I expect she will be back to blogging herself tomorrow. It's eye-opening to realize how much we use our hands/arms for everything (okay, that sounds like a stupid comment). I'm just thinking that even tomorrow, someone will have to put the laptop in her lap and then remove it because it's too heavy for her to lift in these first few days.

Even though she was tired, I noticed Susan brighten up when she was reading the cards, admiring the flowers, and opening some gifts from all of her wonderful friends and family. To be honest, I got choked up when I was reading the cards from such a wide array of thoughtful people. I think it speaks to the immense kindness of others as well as Susan's own investment in Hallmark cards that she is always sending to others.

My sister Sharon is bringing over beef stew tonight which should be scrumptious and energy building for Suze. Big shout out to cousin Jennie, the official Team Buring Social Networking Guru for researching and setting up this whole blog thing. She is the mastermind behind it!

Let us all enjoy our homes tonight and thank God we're not in the hospital. Of course, I could just have my cell phone beep throughout the night and wake Susan up every couple hours so she won't miss her routine! :-)

A Good Day (It's all relative)

Lots of progress today. Surgeon #1 stopped by much earlier today. She had already performed 4 surgeries from 7:30 - 11:00. Wow! She can be a bit curt at times but this AM, she was quite funny. (Did I mention that both surgeons are women?)

Today they discontinued the IV fluids and morphine (all good things must come to an end). She ate solid foods for lunch and dinner (Turkey breast with dressing/gravy ....I think it's the same thing they serve in grade school cafeterias!). In and out of bed to the restroom, chair, etc. ...from my vantage point Suze has gained a lot of strength today. Percocet is now on board and seems to be controlling the pain quite well (easy for me to say!)

Late in the day, one of us commented that Susan looked good...."pinking up" as they say. I took a picture of her to show her and when she saw it, she said, "That's not bad. Post that mo'fo' ".....and so I did.

Have a good night! Tomorrow should be a busy day with discharge and getting set up at home...yeah!

Overnight Report

Why are hospital floors so shiny and clean? Evidently, it's because they spent the night shift buffing, waxing, and shining with the loudest equipment possible. Everyone knows hospitals aren't a great place to catch up on sleep with the every 2 hour vital signs. What we didn't expect were the major housekeeping projects during the night!

Steve enjoyed an awesome night of sleep in a non-reclining chair. :-) The upside is that he was here with Suze to watch the Reds come from a 7-3 deficit to beat the DBacks.....around 1am!

Having said that, Susan did get some rest and is feeling better today. Moving on to pudding, jello, tea (of course she was asking for coffee instead!). Surgeon #2 stopped by and gave positive comments. Drains look good and minimal pain meds were used. She's been up out of bed twice and will be moving to a chair today (finally getting that penthouse view!) All signs point to being "on target" for Friday discharge.

Suze is napping now and waiting for surgeon #1 to make rounds. Thanks to all those who have posted comments. We relay them to Suze and she's enjoying hearing them all.

More to update later today.
Shauna, Steve, and Sharon

Surgery Update #2

Susan is out of recovery and up to her hospital room (thank you Jesus it's a private room). She's controlling her pain with a push-button pump of morphine.....right now it's a 1 out of 10....yeah! Eating ice chips, dozing off and on, chatting about the room, how our day went, etc.

She is on the 15th floor which is the top floor (nothing but the best for Suze). She made note that it's like some hotels that don't know how to capitalize on their view. Her bed is facing the wrong way and her view is of the side of a building, but sitting in the visitor chairs I have a magnificent view of the city!

Beautiful flowers from the GetThere family are lovely to look at. All of the staff have been nice, professional, warm personalities....good experience (so far). :-)

Suze it talking about an evening with Steve watching the Reds beat Arizona on tv. Sounds like a pretty normal evening for them!

That's the update for now. More info tomorrow about the surgeons round!

Surgery Update #1

Susan was a trooper during the pre-op procedures. She was loaded with blankets, super cool compression stockings, IVs to keep her hydrated, anti-nausea meds....the works! They put a hat on her to keep the heat in and it looked like the Jiffy Pop container. I wanted to post a pic of it but Suze put the kabosh on that.

The first surgeon completed her part around 2:20pm. When she came to the waiting room Steve was in the restroom...niiiccccee. For her part, all looked good. The lymph nodes didn't look abnormal (which is good) but final pathology on that won't come back until Friday or Monday. (We're guessing pathologists don't work on the weekends!)

Surgeon #2 finished around 3:10p. She said Susan was "stable as a rock" during the surgery. Inserting the expanders went well and they were able to add quite a bit of fluid to them already (which is a good thing). She's back in recovery now and should be going up to a room around 4 or 4:30p.

That's all we know for now. Keep ya posted!
Shauna, Steve, and Sharon

T Minus 26 Hours

Okay, so just to bring everyone up to speed.  A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Tomorrow I will undergo a double mastectomy and the start of reconstruction (implants - not flaps).  During the surgery they will harvest some nodes to determine the chemotherapy path.  All in all, everything looks very positive for a great recovery!  I am viewing this more of a year of "inconvenience" than "illness".  Because as I tell everyone....I don't feel sick (at least yet). 

The surgery is at 12:30PM Eastern at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.  They expect a two night stay at this point.  Post surgery and over the next couple of days, we (Team Buring members) will be updating the blog with the latest information.  After that, I hope to be making my own updates!

My husband, sisters, family, friends, co-workers, customers and everyone else I interact with have been INCREDIBLY thoughtful and kind over the past few weeks.  I know I will come out of this a changed person.  The impact others are having on me is amazing and I love it!  The strength, virtual and real hugs, prayers, kind words, encouragement have touched me to my core and will carry me through this ordeal.

So, with less than 24 hours until I report to the hospital.....I better get going!  There are Doctor appointments, refrigerator cleaning, clothing organizing, TV hook-ups and, oh yeah, a pedicure to be had!  So enjoy the rest of your day!  I know I will enjoy mine!

Welcome to my Blog!

Hi There!
Here I am, opening my own blog!  Pretty interesting (for me)!  While I wish this started as more of a "Julie Julia" type blog story, the bottom line is it will be fun and a great way for everyone to "stay abreast" of what is happening.

So let the blogging begin!