Well, since Jon is working late again tonight, I thought I would update you!!

Last Friday, May 4th, I went back to Dr. D. He removed all the staples and said the incision sites were looking good.  There is one area of concern, the site where my Stoma (the spot where my bag connected to my body) was is not closing up as quickly as he would like.  There is still a hole there and it is healing inside, out.  Which he said was normal for it to do.  He gave me Silver Nitrate to help heal the areas that are still opened, there are 4 spots.  It sounds worse than it is, but I really would like them to all seal up so I can stop stressing every time I shower! I go back in 2 weeks and he will decide then if I am ready to go back to chemo.  I suspect, I will get the green light as long as my "raw spots" (as he called them) are healed up like they should be!

Physically, I am doing good.  I am down to about 3 pain pills a day. 2 Dilaudid and 1 Morphine.  I don't take them during the day anymore because I want to be completely "there" for the kids while Jon is at work.  I am back to doing most everything I was before.  I am not picking up Caylee as much as I used to, (I am not supposed to be doing it at all, but explain that to a 2 year old) I have most all my strength back and have not used a wheel chair at all since leaving the hospital.  Like I mentioned before, I am just getting frustrated with the areas on the incision that are still not closed.  I am DONE with Jon having to change bandages for me and nursing me back to health.  He does not deserve this.  He did everything for me when it came to my bag, so he was as excited, if not more excited than I was to get rid of it!! Now he has to deal with this!

I do have a PRAISE REPORT!!! My friend, Julie Nelson, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer! She is a couple years older than me and is married with 2 young children! Her entire family (parents included) have been through the ringer the past couple months! But I am so happy to report she had her last chemo and she is having her last surgery on June 15th!!! I am so happy for her and her family to start getting back to their new normal!! CONGRATULATIONS JULIE!!! Praise God!! I did think that I got cancer because somehow I was not a good enough Christian.  Like it was a punishment or something.  But when I found out Julie had cancer, I knew that wasn't the case because Julie is one of the most God fearing, Jesus loving, Christians I have ever met.  I was so fortunate to spend some time with her before she had her last chemo session.  She had a chance to come to visit from Colorado 2 Sundays ago and it was really nice to talk to someone who is going through the same things I am going through!

But, I wouldn't be who I am without a prayer request!! Its a big one!! Another friend of mine that I went to high school with, Tyler, was just diagnosed with a 2.5 cm cyst around the area of his colon/rectum,  He will be having a endoscopy and colonoscopy on Monday, May 14th.  They will be doing a biopsy to make sure its not cancer.  PLEASE PRAY IT IS NOT CANCER!!! He is married to a wonderful woman named Star and have 2 young boys under the age 10 years old.  After the procedures on Monday, they will be scheduling him for surgery where they will take out some of his intestines and rectum.  They will be putting a colostomy bag on him for 3 to 6 months.  So he will literally be 9 months behind me in all of this.  As my chapter with the bag and taking out my colon and intestines close, his is just beginning.  Please keep him and his whole family in your prayers.  They really need them right now! I am just so happy that they have Jesus!! Because I honestly don't know how people who don't have the Lord in their lives go through this!

Well, that is all for now friends! I love all of you and thank you so much for all the prayers.  God is listening and healing me!! On June 4th it will be a year of battling this horrible disease! I don't know if it's been the longest year of my life or the shortest!! I just know that I was WAY more sick a year ago than I am today!! I am still me!! Planning Mother's Day, baby showers, vacations and VBS!! (Just to name a few) Who says stay at home moms have it easy?!! HA!! I love that my husband tells me all the time, "I don't envy you staying home with the kids!!" I am so glad he realizes the work that goes into raising 3 Jesus loving children!! Right now, my life is too busy for cancer, but I guess I will have to pencil in chemo sometime soon! BUMMER!!!