Worst Parade EVER and other happenings in Htown

So what's up with the "worst parade ever" title?  The Houston Marathon and Half marathon took place last weekend and that was the most talked about sign on the marathon route.  Supposedly all the runners thought it was hilarious.  Of course I had to take their word for it as I decided not to run this year even though I had signed up and ran the Vegas half back in December.  Why?  I just didn't have it in me!  That and my reconstructed boob had been "squeaking" ever since Vegas when I ran my long runs.  It turns out the "squeaking is no big deal...dehydration.  That does make sense since the only time it would do it is when I ran more than 4 miles.  Anyway, my friend and former co-worker from Austin, Braun Borman, came into town to run the half.  I really enjoyed being a spectator this year and hanging out with his girlfriend, Heather.  I didn't miss running it and to tell you the truth was a bit shocked!  I know I'll be back running halfs, but for now I'm temporarily retired!  Hopefully I'll be back next year to run in the "worst parade ever".  


Cute pic of Braun and Heather at mile 8 Pink Ribbons Hoopla station!  Way to go BRAUN!!

This last Tuesday I had my last surgical procedure regarding my reconstruction.  I had the nipple/areola reconstruction.  It was actually fascinating as they did this in the OR while I was AWAKE!  Yes, I had only local anesthesia.  It only took him 20-30 minutes to do it and I didn't feel a thing!  I didn't even feel the injections to numb my skin.  This was a nice surprise after doing the liver biopsy only a month ago.  It all went well and I was back home by 9:30am that day.  The worst part of it was not being able to take a shower for 2 days.  So now, all I have left with all the reconstruction is to have my nipple and areola tattooed to match the color of the other one.  That's all in office stuff that can be done very easily...so no more surgical procedures for my boobs.  YAY!!


I am getting ready for my big liver resection surgery on February 16.  I'm so excited that my sister and nephew are coming down for all the fun.  In the meantime I am going to ISRAEL next Saturday the 28th thru February 4!  This has been all last minute...Clint was asked to help out last minute on a project there and I decided to tag along for the end of trip (Clint left earlier this week).  We are planning to go to the Sea of Galilee area, the Dead Sea and Ein Geti, and finish up the week in Jerusalem for a few days.  I'm really excited to visit the Holy Land.  Let me know if any of you have any suggestions out there on where to go and what to see!  


Many of you keep asking about Suites of Hope, my non-profit.  I contacted the IRS this last week to see where we stand in the process and they told me that I have been approved and should be getting my official paperwork any day now.  I'm so excited.  I know I haven't posted much on our progress, but we have been meeting, looking at a particular condo, and are in the process of getting our website up and running.  Hopefully when I get the official paperwork, we can then move on buying the condo.   We are so close!  We plan on having a "registry" to furnish the condo and I will let you guys know when that is up and running.  I still think we won't be up and running for business until April or May, but that's OK as I want to do this the right way!  


In closing I just want to say that I'm very proud of the Houston Texans!  It was a great year and such a long time coming.  We should have beat the Ravens, but that's just the way the ball bounces especially off your face mask when trying to field a punt that you shouldn't have...ask Jacoby Jones about that! :( 

It's been a REALLY GREAT WEEK!

Being a die hard Houston sports fan I have to start out with the obvious.  GREAT GAME, TEXANS!  Woohoo!  I also have to include a special pic of Arian Foster after his second touchdown in yesterday's game.  He leapt into the crowd right into the arms of my former co-worker, Georgette Jacob.  You can barely see her, but she is the blond girl holding on to Arian.  CRAZY!

So jealous, Georgette!  Now onto our next victory against the Ravens next Sunday.  Go Texans!

It was also a great week because me and Clint got to spend Friday evening back in the 80's.  We went to the Richard Marx and Peter Cetera concert at the Arena theater.  Yes, that's right, I said the Arena Theater.  That place has been around for some time.  I even think it was built before I was born?  Anyway, it's such a cool little theater.  It's small, maybe 2000 seats and the stage is in the middle and rotates around like the stage at the rodeo.  I'm a big Richard Marx fan.  "Endless Summer Nights", "Hold on to the Night", "Should Have Known Better", etc.  He sang it all on acoustic guitar!  He was really good and a comedian as well.  Peter Cetera sang with a band and was incredible.  I didn't realize just how many songs he has written, sang, produced, etc.  He sang not only his solo and duet hits, but he sang a lot of his Chicago tunes...mainly from Chicago 17!  I was in heaven to say the least.  Don't laugh...you know a lot of you out there just love his song "Glory of Love" from the Karate Kid movie - you just won't admit it.  Here's a pic of Richard Marx sans the big, fluffy, long mullet from the 80's.

I got to go to a short district meeting with work in St. Louis.  It was a really quick trip but really worth it. I've never been to St. Louis before.  Just look at the view I had from my hotel window!

So now on to the REALLY big news of the week.  As you remember, I had an appointment with Dr. Steven Curley, a liver surgeon at MD Anderson, earlier this week.  It went really well.  Dr. Curley thinks I am a great candidate for liver resection surgery.  I am scheduled for surgery on February 16.  I still have to have one more set of good scans in early February, but everything looks good.  He will be taking out my entire right lobe and parts of the left (About 75% of my entire liver).  The remainder of my left lobe will then grow to take the place of the right.  It grows back completely in 1-2 months!  Isn't that just crazy?  We are hoping to get all the cancer lesions in my liver cut out.  I have an opportunity to be NED - NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE!  I asked him what's the longest one of his breast cancer patients has been NED after surgery.  Drum roll please:  he said 16 YEARS and she's still going strong (he just saw her 2 weeks before Christmas).  WOW!  I am so excited just to have the chance to be NED.  The surgery only takes a couple of hours, but I will be in the hospital for 5-7 days.  I then will be recovering at home for a couple of weeks.  

I just ask that you guys all keep praying for me.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate every single one of those prayers.  I know God listens, I know he has a plan for me.

Happy New Year - 2012!!!

Happy 2012 to you all!  It's been a really good 2011 and looking to have an even better 2012.  I've been off since the Thursday before Christmas and it's back to work tomorrow.  I've had such a nice time off - really didn't do much except get a lot of rest and relaxation.  


We did have a bit of sadness this Christmas.  Clint's cousin, Sherilyn and her husband lost their 10 month old daughter Samantha on Christmas Day.  Samantha was born with Trisomy 18.  Sherilyn and her husband knew about Samantha's condition in the early months of her pregnancy and made the decision to not have an abortion and carry Samantha to term.  The celebration service for her was New Year's Eve.  I have to say that I left the service inspired by Samantha and her family.  It's just amazing how so many people rallied around her in her 10 months of life and gave her so much love.  It was said that she probably lived a richer, fuller life in her short time than many people do in a whole lifetime.  I was just amazed at the courage, strength, and faith of the family.  Samantha's life was not in vain...who knew that a 10 month old child could teach us all so much about what life is really about.  


I also have some news to share with all of you.  I am scheduled to see a liver surgeon at MD Anderson this Wednesday morning.  My oncologists, Dr. Litton and Dr. Wheler want to see if I'm a candidate for a liver resection.  You may be wondering, "What's a liver resection?"  Basically it is a surgery where they can remove up to 75% of my liver.  The liver will then regenerate itself over the next few weeks.  It's a brutal surgery and I would be in the hospital 5-7 days with a few weeks at home recovering.  They don't do this surgery all the time, you have to be the right patient.  Mets have to be limited to just the liver, limited number of lesions, and small in size.  The good news is that this is a chance to take out all the visible cancer in my liver and be NED which is "no evidence of disease".  Again, as I have stated before, metastatic breast cancer is considered uncurable so even if I have a successful surgery I would still be on Afinitor and Arimidex after my surgery indefinitely.  I will find out more details this Wednesday at my appointment.  I know I wouldn't have the surgery until mid February since both oncologists want to wait until after my next round of CT scans which is February 13.  CRAZY!!!  This has all happened so fast so I guess its good I have a few weeks until the surgery would actually be done.  I'm just so grateful that I am being considered for the surgery...options are always good, right?


I just want to leave you all with a pic of me and Clint at dinner on NY Eve!  We appreciate all of your prayers, words of encouragement and friendship over the years.  We wish you all a very happy and blessed 2012!