I went for a follow-up apt. with Dr. Gordley on Tuesday. YES, my drains were removed and one last little wire that was still inside connected to a doppler (that was removed upon leaving the hospital).  All 5 of these items (4 were drains) just get pulled out. No I can't 'feel' them, but I can tell they are being pulled out. They don't hurt, it's just a weird sensation. I feel like a new person with no drains. But now I have to wear a band around my belly. It helps with swelling, support, etc. Kinda like a pregnancy band, stretchy and velcro. It actually is pretty comfortable and I do feel some protection of my scar, etc. with it on. I'm standing a little straighter now. Most people probably think I'm standing straight, but I've still got a few inches to go! I cannot lay completely flat yet either. The pull of the skin down in my groin and all the way up to my chest is still there, although it doesn't hurt to stretch, it actually feels good. Dr. Gordley also gave me the go-ahead to drive. What freedom that is to know I can get in the car and go somewhere. No, I'm not galavanting around town, shopping as Rob would claim. I am sitting at home, twiddling my thumbs, bored off my rocker! I've made a few trips to the kids school and the grocery store. On Tuesday evening I went to the high school volleyball game. Every year they do a 'Dig Pink' week and have a game to show support for Breast Cancer survivors and raise money for the Sideout Foundation. I went ahead and purchased 3 raffle tickets and what do you know, I WON!  How ironic is that and what a weird feeling to be sitting there as they called my number. I even enjoyed being able to go to Natalie's volleyball game on Thursday.
Friday was a fun day for us around here. The kids had a storybook parade at school. Instead of dressing up for Halloween, they dress up as their favorite story book character and parade around school carrying their book. I knew I couldn't sit in the bleachers comfortably, so I asked my favorite PE teacher if I could use a chair from her office. I never ask for special privileges, but I've learned you kinda have to just do it sometimes. Sure enough, by time I got to school, there was a chair front and center, with my name on it! I blame my friends who are so sweet and kind to reserve it for me, they really know how to take care of me! But, LOL, here I am, along the parade route with a chair, all these grandparents standing, sitting on the floor, etc. and not me, I had the best, most comfortable seat in the house!!!  And then several of my HS friends came out to have lunch with me. Such a treat, (especially since we were all suppose to be in Nashville for a girls trip-everyone cancelled because I had to). I really enjoyed sitting outside and hanging with these ladies for several hours!  Thanks, Marcy, Lisa & Tanessa!!
Today, Saturday, is Nathan & Emma's football & Cheer league annual Pink Out Day. During halftime of their games, the announcers will announce the person each player or cheerleader is playing in honor of today. Everything will be pink at the fields today. It is such an honor. Not a club I'd ever ask to be in, but once you're in, the love and support from everyone is absolutely amazing and so spiritually uplifting. I've even been told that one of Nathan's teammates and another friend, on another team are playing in honor of me, so touching. I don't mean to make an impression. But these young kids are watching. We never think they are paying any attention to adults. But they are. They see how we react to life's challenges. If I can be any kind of positive influence on these little kids to one day, when they are a husband, a father, a friend to a breast cancer patient and they can look back and say, you know she did it and so can you. To let these kids, my kids know, my scars don't make me. My scars don't bother me and that's all they are, scars, outwardly signs of what I went through.
Natalie is even doing her part today. The entire Woodlands Volleyball group (7th-12th grade) is having a bake sale on a street corner in hopes of raising money for the Sideout Foundation. I made breast cancer ribbon sugar cookies. (no, I'm not a baker, yes they look homemade, but I bet they're good).

As you can tell things are slowly getting back to normal. I'm up and doing things around the house just as normal. Except that I can't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk or more than 5lbs. That's hard to remember! I will say this surgery is easier than the mastectomy and I'd probably go ahead and say easier than a c-section. The recovery is long and since I feel so good that will be something I have to remind myself of daily.

Enough about my life post-surgery.....There's been a lot of talk about how people are portrayed on social media as having it all together, yet in real life they're falling apart. How people post things to one-up other people. Well, I don't post much and I don't have it all together, but I'd like to think I kinda have it under control. I wanted to share a little bit more of how I keep it together.

The Lord is my strength and my shield, in Him my heart trusts. So I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to HIM. Psalm 28:7  Just sit and think about this for a moment. Think, digest, reflect, process these words. I mean really process them. If we really and truly trust HIM, we can be at peace. We have no worries, no fears, we can live each day without worrying about the future. I was watching the Today Show this week, Dick Van Dyke was on. Did you know he's 90? The point of the segment was that he stays active everyday. He exercises (in a gym-you should see the weights he puts on those machines), he dances, sings, you name it. My point is, as I was watching I was thinking about my own longevity. I just burst into tears. I want to live to be 90, heck maybe even like 100 or something! Dick said there's a 100 meter world record for a 100 year old (4 people ran in that race), 27 seconds. His goal is to beat that. Maybe I'll start senior track and field games! And I want to do it all this with Rob by my side. I want to walk on the beach together holding hands, thinking about our kids, our life's struggles, and how wonderful life is. I WANT TO BE A 50 YEAR CANCER SURVIVOR! Yes, that'd make me at least 91! My point is, I love life. Sure there are struggles, sure things get in the way, but God created this place for us to enjoy, waiting for His Kingdom. So, why not enjoy it? Find the good in all you do, take time to look at the sunrise, sunset and even stop and smell the roses? (when was the last time you smelled a natural flower? I do, every time my gardenia's or plumeria's bloom!) I know I'm fairly young and life can take so many, many turns that can make everyday difficult. But, if GOD is on my side, if I lean on Him and I Have Faith in Him, I can get through anything. 'I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future!' My advice to you is this....if you're not happy, if things aren't going like you want....CHANGE. Ask for God's hand in the change. Stop, slow down, smell the roses. We don't have to run around at break neck speed, trying to get it all accomplished. It'll get done and if not, who really cares. Because if you're not happy, no one is, so BE HAPPY!

love, hugs, & prayers for you.....