What a weekend! It started with a lovely holiday dinner with my family (including the Godason!) and the weekend kept getting better from there. I had the chance to spend time with friends and do a little Christmas shopping. I also had the chance to bond with my sister while making some new curtains as a birthday gift for our mother. We celebrated my mom’s 82nd birthday as a family on Sunday (the big day is actually tomorrow). My sister, Joyce, did such a good job sewing those curtains and Mom loved them. It wasn’t until I commented to Joyce about the dark shading on my head (microscopic new hair growth!) that I realized I am still in the middle of this breast cancer battle. It was such a “normal” weekend with no consideration of chemo side effects needed or being too fatigued or feeling the slightest bit icky. For just a few days, I was able to forget all about it. That is certainly something to add to my list of things for which I am thankful!

This is the big week. I am having surgery later this week. This is the beginning of the final stage of treatment. There will be several steps over the next several months; however, this is the biggest procedure in the process. You can read all the previously posted details about this here. I am looking forward to moving on and having more normal days ahead of me. Once I come out of surgery, Joyce will post my status on this site for anyone who is interested. This is a big step in the process and I do have mixed feelings about everything; however, I do know that I am moving in the right direction and that this is the right procedure for me.

Each day I am blessed with tremendous support. Just today I received an email from a co-worker that said, “I'm still wearing my yellow band for you. My kids keep asking when I'm going to take it off and I tell them the same thing each time, ‘When my friend gets cured.’” I have no doubt that I can make it through both the physical and the emotional impacts of this surgery with all of the encouragement, hope, prayers, and blessings that surround me. If there is one thing that has been reaffirmed through this process, it is that I am indeed truly blessed.