Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Happenings and surgery...
Wow! I can't believe it's already October. And I can't believe that it's been since June that I've posted an update!!
Here are a few of our highlights from the summer.
First off I went to Canada to "surprise" Papa, Omi and the rest of my family. Only Jason (my bro) and Amanda (sister-in-law) knew that I was coming and were kind enough to pick me up from the airport. A very generous friend of mine gave me a buddy pass so I could fly home. I ended up staying up there for 10 days. It was so nice to spend time with family.
Next vacation was a few days in San Antonio to attend our great-niece's 1st birthday party. We spent time with family there, our niece and her fiancee as well as my cousin from Michigan. We also went to Sea World. We had a blast!!! We ran into some friends of ours from Kingwood at Sea World.
After that we had visitors from Canada. My brother, Jason and my sister-in-law, Amanda and our 2 nieces came to visit for a week. Quality family time!!!
Off to Vegas next for Jim and I. We met up with some of our dear friends from Austin. Jim and I were celebrating our 40th birthdays along with a few of the others. Vegas is always fun!!!
Our next vacation was the last week and a half of the summer. We first went to Pensacola Beach, Florida then to Treasure Island, Florida. It was amazing! We went in-shore fishing (in Tampa Bay), hung out at the beach, the pool, collected treasures (seashells), rented a boat, watched dolphins swim right by the condo we stayed in. All this thanks to some of our close friends. It was definitely paradise - I would move down there for sure!!!
Kids are back into the routine of school. Jakob is a Freshman in high school now, Kelli is in 7th grade and Joey is in 5th grade. Jakob tried out for the High School golf team and made it!! Kelli really enjoyed swim team this summer and got "high point" winner for her age group at All-Stars! Joey loves going to the ponds just down the road from our house to fish!!
Jim is busy at work. He just returned from a short trip to Kuwait. This was his 3rd trip to Kuwait this year.
Me - well I'm feeling great!!! I have started running again. I only run about 3-4 miles, I'm running for me.
This past weekend we participated in Houston's Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure. A 5K. There were over 35,000 registered participants. This was my 3rd time participating, 2nd time as a Survivor!!! I had lots of friends and family on my team - Moni's Bosom Buddies this year.
Tomorrow, I have a day filled with appointments at MD Anderson. Pre-op appointments. I'm having surgery on Wednesday. This is my reconstruction surgery on my non-cancer side. It should be my final surgery. Dr. Skoracki will be removing my tissue expander (a.k.a. the rock). It's called an exchange surgery because the tissue expander is exchanged for an implant.
This time I won't even be spending the night in the hospital. I will most likely have 2 drains. Jim will be taking a couple of days off to take care of me and the kids. I most likely won't be able to drive for about 2 weeks. Should be the easiest surgery to date.
I will have Jim update the blog on Wednesday as soon as he gets word that I am out of surgery.
Thank you once again for your prayers. Please pray for the Dr.'s and medical staff caring for me before, during and after surgery. Also for Jim and the kids as they wait for me to get out of surgery.
I would like to share with you an article that was in last week's local newspaper http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/kingwood/news/survivor-credits-breast-cancer-with-changing-her-life-for-the/article_a06a1e5a-d8f9-55b9-b95a-d1ab566fb7df.html
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk/journal
And if you'd like to sponsor me in the Race for the Cure (it's not too late)
http://rfch.convio.net/site/TR?px=1664564&pg=personal&fr_id=1130&s_tafId=39220
Here are a few of our highlights from the summer.
 |
| Guelph, Canada |
 |
| San Antonio |
After that we had visitors from Canada. My brother, Jason and my sister-in-law, Amanda and our 2 nieces came to visit for a week. Quality family time!!!
 |
| The kids with their Canadian cousins |
 |
| Celebrating our 40th Birthdays |
 |
| Florida |
Kids are back into the routine of school. Jakob is a Freshman in high school now, Kelli is in 7th grade and Joey is in 5th grade. Jakob tried out for the High School golf team and made it!! Kelli really enjoyed swim team this summer and got "high point" winner for her age group at All-Stars! Joey loves going to the ponds just down the road from our house to fish!!
Jim is busy at work. He just returned from a short trip to Kuwait. This was his 3rd trip to Kuwait this year.
Me - well I'm feeling great!!! I have started running again. I only run about 3-4 miles, I'm running for me.
This past weekend we participated in Houston's Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure. A 5K. There were over 35,000 registered participants. This was my 3rd time participating, 2nd time as a Survivor!!! I had lots of friends and family on my team - Moni's Bosom Buddies this year.
Tomorrow, I have a day filled with appointments at MD Anderson. Pre-op appointments. I'm having surgery on Wednesday. This is my reconstruction surgery on my non-cancer side. It should be my final surgery. Dr. Skoracki will be removing my tissue expander (a.k.a. the rock). It's called an exchange surgery because the tissue expander is exchanged for an implant.
This time I won't even be spending the night in the hospital. I will most likely have 2 drains. Jim will be taking a couple of days off to take care of me and the kids. I most likely won't be able to drive for about 2 weeks. Should be the easiest surgery to date.
I will have Jim update the blog on Wednesday as soon as he gets word that I am out of surgery.
Thank you once again for your prayers. Please pray for the Dr.'s and medical staff caring for me before, during and after surgery. Also for Jim and the kids as they wait for me to get out of surgery.
I would like to share with you an article that was in last week's local newspaper http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/kingwood/news/survivor-credits-breast-cancer-with-changing-her-life-for-the/article_a06a1e5a-d8f9-55b9-b95a-d1ab566fb7df.html
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk/journal
And if you'd like to sponsor me in the Race for the Cure (it's not too late)
http://rfch.convio.net/site/TR?px=1664564&pg=personal&fr_id=1130&s_tafId=39220
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Don't Know Why...
I don't know why "bad" things happen but I do know that God uses those "bad" things to bring people to Him, closer to Him.
This past year and 3/4's has been filled with so much good. The fact that I'm healed of cancer is amazing in itself. The most amazing thing though is the outlook on life I have been given. Moni is not in control - GOD is!!! What comfort and joy that brings. I have eternal life because of Jesus!!! Can I get an AMEN?!!?!!!
I have friends and family that are hurting right now. Newly diagnosed with cancer, endless surgeries and trials after cancer, dealing with the loss of child, dealing with the loss of a spouse, dealing with the loss of a friend, dealing with physical hurt, dealing with emotional hurt, dealing with loneliness... Things that are just out of our control. Bring your hurts to God. HE is in control!
Pray for those loved ones around you that are hurting. Prayer does bring comfort!
(an update on what's going on in our family will be coming soon)
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
This past year and 3/4's has been filled with so much good. The fact that I'm healed of cancer is amazing in itself. The most amazing thing though is the outlook on life I have been given. Moni is not in control - GOD is!!! What comfort and joy that brings. I have eternal life because of Jesus!!! Can I get an AMEN?!!?!!!
I have friends and family that are hurting right now. Newly diagnosed with cancer, endless surgeries and trials after cancer, dealing with the loss of child, dealing with the loss of a spouse, dealing with the loss of a friend, dealing with physical hurt, dealing with emotional hurt, dealing with loneliness... Things that are just out of our control. Bring your hurts to God. HE is in control!
Pray for those loved ones around you that are hurting. Prayer does bring comfort!
(an update on what's going on in our family will be coming soon)
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
Monday, June 20, 2011
Still attached...
Good morning!
Hope everyone is doing well.
Summer is being enjoyed by all in this home. Jakob, Kelli and Joey are still at it with swim team. Practices are early in the morning so we still haven't gotten to sleep in but that's okay. That'll come soon enough. The boys have also been enjoying fishing at a local pond (about the only place around that there still is water). We are in a major drought, please pray for us to get some rain.
Jakob has been playing golf, sort of. He actually hurt his back a couple of weeks ago so we took him to a chiropractor to have him checked out. It turns out his hips were tilted. We got him pretty much straightened out and as I type he is playing in his 2nd golf tournament of the summer. Jakob is planning on trying out for the high school team in August.
Jim has been busy at work and taking over all the "mom" stuff. Such as taxiing kids around, helping Jakob with golf and running to the grocery store and other errands.
I'm so happy with the way the kids are really stepping up and helping out around the house. They are even doing their own laundry and helping me with mine.
We've also had some great friends bring in meals for us which has been such an incredible blessing!!! Thank you!!!
So I'm healing well. I still have 2 drains in. One in my left breast (reconstructed side) and one in the scar on the left back where the muscle was removed. It's uncomfortable to be attached to these drains but definitely not unbearable.
Last Tuesday when I saw Dr. Skoracki he decided I was too close to the minimum number of cc's to have my drains removed. I have to be less than 30 cc's per day for 48 consecutive hours. I'm less than 30 cc's now and have my weekly appointment to see him tomorrow. I'll have been attached to these drains for 1 day shy of 4 weeks and I can honestly say I'm not going to miss them!!!
Other than going to MD Anderson for my weekly appointments I haven't been out much. A couple of Dr.'s appointments for the kids and a couple of small trips to the grocery store and a few minutes at Saturday's swim meet. That's it. I'm ready to go out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner :)!
Unfortunately on one of my trips to the grocery store I did something silly. Normally when I have gone to the store one of the kids is with me to help me. This time I dropped Jakob off to a friend's on the way home. I only had a few things in the back of my car (SUV), light bags. I opened up the back to carry the bags into the house then I went back outside to close the back. Forgetting that I'm not supposed to lift anything heavy. I reached up, pulled down on the back to close it and I felt something pop and was in pain. I didn't know what happened.
It looked to me like maybe my tissue expander had slipped out of place. I asked Jim to look when he got home and he thought that it appeared normal. This happened on Wednesday. Then on Saturday he told me now that he was looking at me again it looked like the tissue expander may have moved.
I've googled, looked all over the internet and can't really find much on a breast tissue expander shifting. I'm not too worried about it but I would like to ask for your prayers. Please pray that it is not a big deal, that it is an easy fix.
Like I said I've got an appointment with Dr. Skoracki tomorrow to have my drains removed and to have my tissue expander expanded. I'll let you know what he says about the expander moving. I won't be pulling like that again for a while. I'm being a good girl now and taking things slow. Which is hard when you feel so good!!
Also if you have the time please pray for Jakob and his golf tournament today. For his nerves and that his back doesn't bother him.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for our family. You really have no idea how much you all mean to us!!
God Bless you all and please remember to find your JOY every day!!!
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
Hope everyone is doing well.
Summer is being enjoyed by all in this home. Jakob, Kelli and Joey are still at it with swim team. Practices are early in the morning so we still haven't gotten to sleep in but that's okay. That'll come soon enough. The boys have also been enjoying fishing at a local pond (about the only place around that there still is water). We are in a major drought, please pray for us to get some rain.
Jakob has been playing golf, sort of. He actually hurt his back a couple of weeks ago so we took him to a chiropractor to have him checked out. It turns out his hips were tilted. We got him pretty much straightened out and as I type he is playing in his 2nd golf tournament of the summer. Jakob is planning on trying out for the high school team in August.
Jim has been busy at work and taking over all the "mom" stuff. Such as taxiing kids around, helping Jakob with golf and running to the grocery store and other errands.
I'm so happy with the way the kids are really stepping up and helping out around the house. They are even doing their own laundry and helping me with mine.
We've also had some great friends bring in meals for us which has been such an incredible blessing!!! Thank you!!!
So I'm healing well. I still have 2 drains in. One in my left breast (reconstructed side) and one in the scar on the left back where the muscle was removed. It's uncomfortable to be attached to these drains but definitely not unbearable.
Last Tuesday when I saw Dr. Skoracki he decided I was too close to the minimum number of cc's to have my drains removed. I have to be less than 30 cc's per day for 48 consecutive hours. I'm less than 30 cc's now and have my weekly appointment to see him tomorrow. I'll have been attached to these drains for 1 day shy of 4 weeks and I can honestly say I'm not going to miss them!!!
Other than going to MD Anderson for my weekly appointments I haven't been out much. A couple of Dr.'s appointments for the kids and a couple of small trips to the grocery store and a few minutes at Saturday's swim meet. That's it. I'm ready to go out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner :)!
Unfortunately on one of my trips to the grocery store I did something silly. Normally when I have gone to the store one of the kids is with me to help me. This time I dropped Jakob off to a friend's on the way home. I only had a few things in the back of my car (SUV), light bags. I opened up the back to carry the bags into the house then I went back outside to close the back. Forgetting that I'm not supposed to lift anything heavy. I reached up, pulled down on the back to close it and I felt something pop and was in pain. I didn't know what happened.
It looked to me like maybe my tissue expander had slipped out of place. I asked Jim to look when he got home and he thought that it appeared normal. This happened on Wednesday. Then on Saturday he told me now that he was looking at me again it looked like the tissue expander may have moved.
I've googled, looked all over the internet and can't really find much on a breast tissue expander shifting. I'm not too worried about it but I would like to ask for your prayers. Please pray that it is not a big deal, that it is an easy fix.
Like I said I've got an appointment with Dr. Skoracki tomorrow to have my drains removed and to have my tissue expander expanded. I'll let you know what he says about the expander moving. I won't be pulling like that again for a while. I'm being a good girl now and taking things slow. Which is hard when you feel so good!!
Also if you have the time please pray for Jakob and his golf tournament today. For his nerves and that his back doesn't bother him.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for our family. You really have no idea how much you all mean to us!!
God Bless you all and please remember to find your JOY every day!!!
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
Friday, June 10, 2011
Recovery and Birthday...
Sorry for the delay in the update. It's not like I haven't had plenty of time to update, I've been taking it easy...I just haven't written.
Surgery went really well. I had the mastectomy on the right breast with a tissue expander placed. Left side - the tissue expander was removed, a permanent implant placed and the latissimus dorsi flap was taken from the back and transplanted onto my left breast. So I have 3 (actually 4, another small incision under my left arm) and all 3 are healing very well. The incision across my back is about 12 inches long. I would have to say that most of my pain has been from my back. But the pain is tolerable and when it becomes too much I don't hesitate to take my pain pills.
I also had 6 drains placed. Two for each breast and two for my back. A week after surgery a drain from each breast was removed and this week the last drain from my right breast was removed along with a drain from my back. So 2 remain.
I stayed in the hospital from surgery, Wednesday May 25th until Sunday May 29th. Let me tell you if I were a queen I doubt I would have been treated any better than I was. I didn't want to leave the hospital but decided I probably should get back home with my family. The doctors, nurses, nurse's aides were so kind and caring. The food was incredible!! And the bed -- I want one!!! It was so peaceful to be in the hospital at MD Anderson!!
So yesterday I turned 40!! I am so blessed to be alive and well! It is truly a miracle and gift from God that I'm here! The celebration for my birthday was put on hold due to the fact that I still have the 2 drains - it's best that I stay out of public places for risk of infection. I had been hopeful that I wouldn't have any drains on my birthday and had mentioned that to Gordon (PA) and Dr. Skoracki on Tuesday. Gordon said, "well we'd rather you have drains in on your 40th birthday than an infection". True!!! I also thought, "how special it truly is to have these drains in on my birthday, how many people can say they had drains in on their 40th birthday?". I mentioned this to Papa and he said (imagine this being said in an Austrian accent), "well you are a plumber's daughter you know all about drains". It really made me laugh!!!
The great thing about all of it -- it just means I get to celebrate my birthday even more than just one day!!! So as soon as these drains come out -- I'll be ready for birthday lunches and dinners ;). Really throughout this journey I have learned to celebrate each day, each moment!!!
Life is precious, it is a gift that I am given everyday!!!
Jim and the kids have been great in helping out around the house. It was wonderful to have Lauren (our niece) and her sweet baby girl here to help take care of the kids and housekeeping while I was in the hospital. And having Mom (Jim's Mom but I claim her as my Mom) here helping out too and taking care of me. We've had people bringing in meals - everyone is so kind and giving. Thank you for all the cards, messages, emails, phone calls and especially your prayers!
I am so humbled and overwhelmed with the love I have received!!!
Go find your JOY!!!
Love and Blessings from the Top of my Heart,
Moni
www.monkmoni.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Another surgery down....
Sorry for the delay in sending out this update.
Moni is out of recovery and was just moved into her room on the 11th floor of the hospital main building (room 11016.) Everything went very smooth and Moni is doing great.
We checked into MD Anderson this morning at 5:15 AM and Moni went into the operating room and started surgery at about 8:20 AM. Dr. Hunt finished the mastectomy at 10:20 AM and Dr. Skoracki finished the expander and reconstruction procedure at 3:15 PM.
Thank you for the continued prayers and support!
Jim
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Surgery time...
Good evening!
Just a brief update. The time for me to report to the hospital tomorrow morning is 5:15. Expected surgery start time is 7:30.
I had a great day today. All appointments went well and we are all on the same page as to what is going to happen tomorrow.
Here are a few examples of what I mean by great day. The lady (Alma) doing my EKG today prayed for me. The lady (Ruth) that drew my blood reminded me that I'm in the Head Physician's hands. I enjoyed my time talking with the lady (June) working on the 3D imaging research study. I had great conversations with Dr. Skoracki, Gordon and Dr. Hunt and with the nurse in Anesthesia. I also had some wonderful conversations with other patients and their caregivers in the waiting room. I know I am in the BEST care!!!
So I'm off to do the dishes and make my kiddos sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch. Then quickly packing a bag for the hospital. And then off to bed to get a good night's rest!!
Again thank you for praying for me and my surgery!!! One other request, please keep my dad (Papa) in your prayers, he is suffering with severe pain from Sciatica. Thanks!
Jim will update tomorrow once I'm out of surgery. Please check www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk or www.monkmoni.blogspot.com. Hopefully he'll update both sites but in case he doesn't update one you can go to the other.
Goodnight to all of my friends and family!!!
Love and Blessings from the top of my Heart,
Moni
Just a brief update. The time for me to report to the hospital tomorrow morning is 5:15. Expected surgery start time is 7:30.
I had a great day today. All appointments went well and we are all on the same page as to what is going to happen tomorrow.
Here are a few examples of what I mean by great day. The lady (Alma) doing my EKG today prayed for me. The lady (Ruth) that drew my blood reminded me that I'm in the Head Physician's hands. I enjoyed my time talking with the lady (June) working on the 3D imaging research study. I had great conversations with Dr. Skoracki, Gordon and Dr. Hunt and with the nurse in Anesthesia. I also had some wonderful conversations with other patients and their caregivers in the waiting room. I know I am in the BEST care!!!
So I'm off to do the dishes and make my kiddos sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch. Then quickly packing a bag for the hospital. And then off to bed to get a good night's rest!!
Again thank you for praying for me and my surgery!!! One other request, please keep my dad (Papa) in your prayers, he is suffering with severe pain from Sciatica. Thanks!
Jim will update tomorrow once I'm out of surgery. Please check www.caringbridge.org/visit/monimonk or www.monkmoni.blogspot.com. Hopefully he'll update both sites but in case he doesn't update one you can go to the other.
Goodnight to all of my friends and family!!!
Love and Blessings from the top of my Heart,
Moni
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
