My parents visit

My parents were here the week of my surgery and it was a blessing to have them here. Their support throughout this journey has meant the world to me. They have never made me feel guilty for all the times they have jumped on a plane to come and be with me. They are not rich in the multi-million dollar sense, but as for compassion and unconditional love, they are the richest people I know. It gives me a lot of comfort to not have had to be the one to ask them to come be with me. Instead they have always told me they want to come no matter the expense.

I really enjoyed their visit and appreciate them taking care of Teya and me. It is nice to not have to worry about taking care of the house and Teya the day of my surgery as well as the days after. Less stress means quicker recovery. It is wonderful to have someone really take care of you for a few days. As women we feel guilty asking for help, even for the little things, like making tea, meals & cleaning. It is silly really, but that is how we are. My mom made sure I took it easy by always asking me what I needed and if I was doing something, she would shoo me away and tell me to go sit down and relax, which is what I needed for a couple of days.

Since my surgery wasn't as invasive as it could have been, I was able to truly enjoy their visit the entire time they were here and of course, Teya had a great time. She got some grandparent spoiling and enjoyed their visit. When it was time for them to leave, it was too soon. It was hard watching them go. We are already looking forward to our trip to Michigan in August.

Here a a few pictures from their visit:

Me and the butterfly princess

Teya and my parents in our backyard.

Our future cheerleader - Go Blue!

( Blah, blah, blah to all you Spartan, ASU & Ohio fans - you have to admit, she's cute!)

Recognition

Sometimes we get what we need from unexpected places/people and this post is to give thanks for someone's kind words.

One of the teachers I work with in my class and I were talking this week about the number of hours we work and she turned to me and said - You really amaze me. You work 8 to 9 hours a day, on your feet for almost all of it, taking care of the kids and after everything you have gone through and are still going through, you never complain about being tired. I almost lost it emotionally. Other than my mom, this was the first time someone has given me such a compliment. It felt really great to have this recognition from someone who sees me every day. I try hard each day to get up and do what is needed, even through pain and fatigue. I do it for myself, but it felt great to have someone notice and give me credit for my efforts. I know it can be difficult to remember what people are going through when you see them everyday, so I wanted to say thank you - Thanks Jeri!

Doing Great

Thank you for all the well wishes. The luck of the Irish was with me on Tuesday as the surgery went very well . The day of surgery I was home around 1:30pm and spent the afternoon and evening in bed. I attempted to get out of bed once and got extremely nauseous and dizzy, so I just stayed in bed. The pain was manageable, and compared to my last surgery, really easy to deal with. It is now 2 days after and I feel pretty good. I'm sore and the area is really tender, so I am trying to take it easy. With my parents in town that has been easy to do. My mom has been preparing the meals and my parents both have been keeping Teya occupied. Today they went to the zoo and right now they are all out in the hot tub. It is shaded right now, which is good since it is about 87 degrees outside. They are really enjoying this weather.

Again, thanks a lot for all your support.

Tina is home and doing well...

Hey all! Todd here. Just wanted to let you know, Tina had her surgery today, and is now at home resting and doing great...

Although they were not able to find the lymph node(s) the mole drained to (so therefore the surgery was a bit easier than it could have been), her surgeon did take a centimeter and a half of margin around the area just to be sure. I will leave the details to her, but the surgeon said she did great and hopefully she is off to an easy recovery! Teya and I are proud of our girl :)

MRI Results

A quick post to let everyone know that my MRI results came back clean and clear. I love these results! My parents flight will be landing soon, so Teya and I are heading to the airport.