Preparations~

Can hardly believe that in just 9 days, we'll be admitted to the hospital for what will be my first, big surgery.

Yesterday, while we were in Eugene with the Ziebart-fam for Easter Sunday, a hilarious half-hour long 'collaboration' session-- (including one very supportive mama on speaker-phone back home in Roseburg)-- took place to decipher and plan all the 'in's and out's' of where-whom-will-be-when during that crazy few days. Of course, one thing is easy... I will be in a hospital bed, ha!

That's right.

If anyone needs me, I'll be the bald one with drains dangling off, holding down a bed, sporting the latest and oh-so-stylish of hospital fashions. Of course, I've been told I'll be on some pretty heavy duty pain meds initially, so beware that I may also be 'that' patient who thinks everything's hilarious--and any of you who know my eldest, know that Grayson definitely inherited the VOLUME LEVEL of his mother. So, if you for some reason plan to come and visit, just follow the loud. (That is unless the specialists are smart enough to give me the pain meds that act as a natural sedative!) ;)

This week's lead-up is a pretty UN-eventful one. Just keeping Gray on his schedule (knowing he'll be completely off of it next week) and doing what the weather allows for things around the house, inside and out, that make me feel 'good,' in the 'nesting way.' Also, I'm starting the first of many infusions of Herceptin, today... and by many I mean whatever every three weeks for a year adds up to.

Friday will be yet another day of packing--can't help but wonder how many times I truly have done that, now--and this time, packing for a week.

Saturday will be filled with a lovely time of church and church-family, as we are going with mom and dad to a Christian conference up there before we found ourselves stuff inside the hospital walls. Seems all to appropriate to spend the few days leading up to everything praising and worshipping and literally surrounding ourselves with God's family!!!

Come Monday, there will be much shuffling of beds in reserved hotels between all the family (thanks to American Cancer Society, again!), anticipated cousin-time with the three little amigos and my loving sis-in-love, pre-op appointments, surgery, recovery, and we've been told to expect to go home sometime on Thursday--still with drains and fun 'garb,' but home to our beds, anyway. Aaron will also be playing freeway ping-pong due to needing to treat patients--(still have to have an income!)--but is taking at least a couple of days off to be there on surgery day and stay with me overnight that first night.

Things are a bustle, that's for sure. Feels like getting ready for a big Christmas party--only I think I'd much rather be doing that. :-P

My sis-in-love called me this morning with a Facetime invite to show me some shirts that she was picking up at the Goodwill after going and looking for a bit this morning. I can only wear fully button-up/zip-up shirts for a while due to limited mobility with my chest-stretching and right arm movement (where they will be removing lymphs), so we are like little squirrels, gathering for a coming season. Mom Z. let me go 'shopping' in her closet yesterday for whatever she already has--not only did we find some, but we confirmed that she needs to send hand-me-downs my way more often!

What a closet full of cute things!!! ;)

Anyway, I apologize that this entry is less than 'inspirational'--just meant to be informative of what is quickly approaching for us in this leg of the hike. The surgery-trail is a much shorter one in some ways, but then we will come upon it in spurts for the next 9 months or so by the time all reconstructive day-surgeries are done. A LONG journey, indeed, but the hope and prayer now is that this big surgery that involves the removal of the cancer that remains is so successful that I do not have to have radiation. So, if you are wanting to pray for something, specifically, you can pray for that--no radiation needed!

I continue to emphasize, as it can't be said enough, how thankful we are for every one of you. All who know us and have loved on us in the hundreds of different, blessed ways...all who don't yet really know us but still follow and pray with us. We continue to feel every prayer and I can't tell you enough what a difference it makes in the midst of this trek knowing a 'safety net,' in the form of a myriad of people and loved ones, are right behind me if ever I slip. :)

For those of you who have asked what we need/you can do in the coming weeks, I will be updating our Caringbridge (which is linked on the righthand-side of the home page of this blog) with some ideas, so do visit that. Also, our meal-plan will re-start after this week for once we're home and in the two+ additional weeks of recovery, so check that link as well, if you're wanting to do something.

But as always, the most important thing you can continue to do for us is PRAY. Not just for us and for me, but for God to move in this... in people who are needing Him or needing to come back to Him. He's already received a lot of Glory, let me tell you. There are some seriously wonderful stories that people have shared and inspired me with--stories I plan to share in an area of the book I'm going to write out of all of this, someday. But those need to keep coming! (What can I say...I'm greedy and I want God to receive even more Glory!) ;)

To sign off on a lighter note, my lovely sis-in-love found one of these for me today (only mine says Pheonix AZ--a sign, Charity?!) at the Goodwill, new with tags, while searching for 'drain-friendly' button-ups and pjs and the like. Though I will, unfortunately, not be able to wear this while in the hospital, it was a must have for later when I have my obnoxiously fake 'girls' all in place.

Of course, we were making the joke that it may even be funnier if I wear it with my surgery scars and NO chest at all, lol. :-P