Life is Good!

 I had my very first mammogram since my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment last year.

To say I was nervous is an understatement!

Here I was before the mamogram

I remember taking a similar picture a year ago as I was heading into my mammogram.

I was full of confidence.

It was just a routine mammogram.

Then they found my tumor, and my life was turned upside down for a year.

As we all know, life seems to go on and so it did.

We got through it, and are living our life.

I am forever grateful that I kept that appointment and that God had me back!

This year, all was well.

No tumors detected!

I met a woman in the waiting room just beginning her journey.

I gave her my contact info and told her to message me or call me if I could help.

She told me she had no one to talk to about the whole process.

We had a long talk inbetween both of us getting called out and then back into the waiting room.

I finished up and got dressed.

As I walked past her she rose from her seat and gave me a BIG hug.

She told me I was an inspiration.

I think god put me in her path to help her as many others helped me along the way.

I will keep in touch with her and make sure she knows someone cares about her.

I'm considered No Evidence of Disease.

Life is good!

~XOP~

February Quilt Retreat

 Every February a few of my friends and I go on a fairly local quilt retreat.

  It's about 2 hours from home for me.  

This year I invited my friend Kailie.  

She is living close enough to drive here.  

So on Thursday she and her dog came to my house. 

 We packed up her car, left her dog with Chris and headed out to meet up with my other 2 friends.  

We always have such a great time!  

WAY too much food, talking, movies and laughter. 

Some shopping at the quilt shops nearby.

 Oh and we sewed...a LOT this time!

First quilt shop was Seven Sisters in Carson City.

Kailie, Mary, Me and Cori

Mary found a few things, LOL

Mary had the first finish of the weekend.

Followed by Cori.

Mine was up next.

I have 3 of these to do!

Pattern is by Apples and Beavers.

It is called Unicorn Garden.

One of 4 is completely finished and you saw it in the last post.

Saturday we went to Creative Passions quilt shop.

Kailie finished this baby quilt while working on her Cranberry and Lace quilt.

Mary finished three more tops for her granddaughters.

Such happy quilts!

Cori finished another top.

Pattern is Double Slice and uses a layer cake and a bit of white

I made the FPP fairy at home.

I managed to finish the 3rd unicorn.

Three down one to go!

I showed Mary how to glue baste and machine bind.

She was able to get binding on TWO pretty sizable quilts.

I only remembered to snap this photo though.

Kailie made significant progress on her Cranberry and Lace top.

She continued to work on it when we got back to my house on Sunday.

It is a beauty!

Pattern is Denim and Lace by A Crafty Fox.

It was tough to leave as we had all been so productive!

I will see them all in July at retreat though.

Kailie and I returned home and Chris prepared a great spread for watching the Super Bowl.

I think Chris tired Ebby out!

Apparently the cats were exhausted as well, LOL.

I was right there with them.

I think I stayed up past 2am every night we were there!!!

A good time was had by all and we are all looking forward to seeing each other in July.

I have my first mamogram since my breast cancer diagnosis on Monday.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Last time I was in was for my annual, and we were supposed to leave for NC the next day.

Instead, BAM...breast cancer!

It's ok though, all is well as far as I can tell.

I will feel a lot better after Monday that's for sure!!

~XOP~

I Rang The Bell

 Yesterday was my last radiation treatment.  

A total of 15 treatments finished! 

 I believe I am now considered NED (no evidence of disease) 

 I brought cookies for my amazing radiation team. 

 They took great care of me and made my treatments easier. 

 I got a certificate and everything, LOL.

They invited me to come back and visit them, haha.  

Such sweet people.

They came out into the hall with me and cheered for me when I got to ring the bell too.

Chris took this video of me ringing the bell while my team cheered me on!

As you walk into the building for treatment there is a rock garden.

 People paint rocks with encouraging words, and sayings, memorials to loved ones, and things like you beat this, or we love you mom etc. 

As we were walking into the building on this day some of the workers were outside at a table painting rocks and invited us to join them on our way out.

I was so excited to have a rock there!

Imagine my surprise when I walked out and saw this in the garden.

Chris took a rock home and painted it for me!

I burst into tears and cried into his shoulder.

He teared up as we stood there, overwhelmed in the moment with how fortunate we were.

Fortunate that the BC was managable. 

Fortunate that the big treatments were over.

Fortunate that God loved me enough to save me.

Next week I will have a bone scan before I begin on an aromatase inhibitor.

I have 2 weeks before I begin that.

I'm not going to lie, that makes me really nervous.

It starves the body of Estrogen (which my cancer needs to grow).

No Estrogen?  No cancer growth.

I pray that God will continue to hold me in his arms and get us through this as well.

So far He has been SO good to me.

In the mean time.

I SEW BEAT THIS!

~XOP~

LARC Certification

I took a 10 week certification course last year and on Monday the university had a ceremony to honor us with certificates of completion.  

It was a LOT of information about how to be a Laboratory Animal Research Coordinator.  

This was the inaugural course and was by invitation only.  

I was honored to be asked to be a part of it. 

Rebecca Cunningham, our VP for Research was there to hand out the certificates. 

Bill Grear, our Assistant VP and Animal Program Compliance Oversite Director was there to speak.

We were awarded a certificate and pin.

Our PI's were invited and I managed to snag my boss to be my lunch date and attend the ceremony.  This is one busy guy especially since his promotion to Chief Science Officer of the University of Michigan, but he still made time to come with me and support me.  

I have been in his lab now for over 35 years.  

Retiring this year will be hard, he has been an amazing boss.

Working in scientific research is a very rewarding job, 

but recognition in a tech position is not common.  

It was nice that the university sees value in this program and I am looking forward to being able to help the university continue to make forward progress in its 

animal programs and regulatory compliance.

~XOP~