Well...

I don't know where to start. Since the last load of updates, my family and I escaped to Pigeon Forge for Presidents day weekend. I'm so thankful we did. We had a wonderful mini-vacation. I did not have an abundance of energy but we still managed to get in some shopping and plenty of eating. The Thursday before we left, my grandmother had been in the rehab center recovering from pneumonia. They said she would be able to come home in a little over a week, the following Saturday. We were so relieved, it was a great trip. Dad got the call on Sunday that she had gotten sick again. On Monday morning we got the call to hurry home, that Grandma was dying.

Monday was probably one of the hardest days. That was a long quiet drive back, straight to Radford Hospital. I stayed for several hours, holding Grandma's hand. It was so hard, it brought back so many memories of last year when we were there right before Granny passed. Mom took me back to my place later that evening. Because of my freaking insurance I was afraid to miss too much work and I had to start radiation at 9am the next morning. Dad spent the night at the hospital with Grandma. I was so proud of him, most of his family hadn't been there for her like they should have.

Monday, when we got back to my house there was a letter in the mail saying that the mammogram that I had done the previous week had found something, probably a tumor, and probably benign. There were just too many "probably"s in that sentence for me. And after the day I had, I had a bit of a meltdown. I was hoping to see the doctor the next day and get some answers but when I went for my treatment I found out she was off that week. The nurse said it was just a shadow from my surgery and that causes the breast to look different on any mammogram or scan. I still wanted to hear this from the doctor.

My treatments are going well. The machine is so huge and intimidating, I know I was shaking during the treatment. I can lay pretty still while they line up my marks with the lasers but then when the technicians leave the room and the two-foot thick metal door slides shut... then this huge machine arm starts buzzing around me! I either shake or my heart is pounding to where I'm pretty sure they can see the sheet move on the cameras. But I've been putting the aloe on like they've said, my skin looks okay so far. So 5 treatments down and 28 to go!

My dear grandmother passed away on Thursday morning. Mom showed up at my door at 8am and I knew. I had started to drive home the night before but the whole week I had been so exhausted I had gone to bed around 9:00 every night. I don't know if it was the treatments or stress. I regret that I didn't go home that night. I just felt like there was only so much a person could take and I had reached my limit. Thankfully, Dad was with her every night. And Mom and Dad were both there when she passed that morning. The people that came to her services and outpouring of love that was shown for her has been amazing. She was an incredible lady. I don't know what we'll do without her, she held the family together. 

As of today, I got to FINALLY see Dr. O. and she gave me a copy of her official report. In which it states there is no indication of any reoccurance of cancer! Praise the Lord! She also gave me her cell phone number in case any question like this ever arises in the future. We also got word from the city manager that they will work with me on the insurance situation. As long as I get between 30-39 hours in per week. Whew. Maybe I can start to breathe again. Soon.