Just an Update

Well, not too much has been going on with me lately so I don't have much to write about!! The job is still going great, and I like it more and more each day. Friday night I went out with my boss for a little while to dance and hear a band play!! It's great having a boss that is so close to me in age because I feel like we can really relate to one another. I'm so happy to feel that through this new opportunity I have had the chance to make another friend! Saturday, Justin and I had dinner with his parents and I ate a steak for the first time in months!!! It was so tender and yummy and it really didn't hurt my jaw too bad! I was so happy to be able to eat it!

I saw the new Harry Potter movie trailer for the first time today and it was great! I think this movie is going to be super good! It was my favorite book until I read the last one so I hope they do the book justice with this movie. I was somewhat disappointed with the last one, so this one better be twice as good to make up for it! I hate that I have to wait until November to see it though! The good thing is that college football starts in about 30 days, and once that gets going, the fall tends to fly by! I cannot wait for kickoff against Clemson - Roll Tide!!!

Like I said, not much to write about...it's amazing how little free time I have left since I have a job again!! Although I am NOT complaining! I love having lots of free time but I like having a job much more! Please continue to keep Geoffrey, Joe and Nikki all in your prayers. Don't forget that Geoffrey and Nikki have a Caring Bridge site set up if you want to read about their experience of leave an encouraging message! I hope everyone has a great week and an even better weekend!

For Geoffrey and Joe

Over the last week or so I have been hit with two very important prayer requests, and I would like to pass them along to anyone out there that will join me in prayer. The first is for Geoffrey Glaub. He is the 9 year old son of a former co-worker, and he was put into the hospital last week. He had been running a fever for about a month, and was finally sent to see an Infectious Diseases specialist at Children's Hospital. A CT scan showed a mass on his liver, so they took an open biopsy for a pathology test. The test came back today and he has been diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. He is still in the hospital trying to recover from his recent surgery. He will probably be starting the chemotherapy treatments next week. Please keep little Geoffrey, his family and his doctor's in your prayers. It's not often that we hear about a child being diagnosed with cancer. His family has set up a Caring Bridge site, and I encourage you all to please visit the site. Geoffrey is apparently loving all of the messages that people are sending him, and I know that he would love to hear from people who are praying for him. His website is http://caringbridge.org/visit/geoffreyglaub.

The second request is for a family friend named Joe Elkins. He went to high school with my mom, her sisters and her brother-in-law. My aunt and uncle have stayed best friends with him and his wife since high school, and they are currently down in Tallahassee to be with both of them. He was just diagnosed with lung cancer and congestive heart failure. Him and his wife, Paula, were in Florida for a vacation when he started hemorrhaging from his lungs and had to be rushed to the hospital. He was stable enough for the doctors to do surgery, but had to stop abruptly due to the amount of blood he was hemorrhaging. Please keep Joe, Paula and his doctors in your prayers as well.

It's so unfortunate to have so many friends and loved ones diagnosed with cancer. It seems the disease is everywhere we turn these days. You constantly hear on the news about studies that are showing all of the crazy things out there that can potentially cause cancer. I don't necessarily believe that there are certain foods or beverages out there that can cause cancer. I have known plenty of healthy people who have been diagnosed and it truly has nothing to do with what we consume - if that was the case, we would all starve to death because of all the things out there that they "claim" to cause cancer!! I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to this cancer thing, and I think that is one of the reasons why it is so hard to understand. All I know is that I am going to continue living my life the way I always have. If I get diagnosed with cancer somewhere along the line, then so be it. All this tells me is that for some reason, God planned for this to happen to me. And we can't spend our time questioning why...it absolutely gets us nowhere. All we can do is pray.

So Far, So Good

Well, two days into the job and so far, so good! The drive has been excellent and I've gone home for lunch both days (something I haven't done in a looong time!). I know it has only been two days but you can usually tell pretty quickly if you're gonna dislike the job, and I feel quite the opposite! I think it will be a job that I really enjoy, and I am excited about working in a small office with a small amount of people. I've always worked in a corporation so the atmosphere is completely different!

My wires came out Friday, and after I slept off the sedation, I was hurting and aching pretty bad. My gums are extremely sore and they just throb! I've been taking my pain medicine which just really throws me out of whack! I didn't sleep well the first night ~ I woke up wide awake at about 1am and read my book and watched TV, and by 6am I was up, showered and at Wal-Mart!! I've since cut back on my medicine and I've been sleeping much better!

I also want to give a quick update on Nikki ~ and it's good news!! She got a call from her nurse today and her tumor counts are DOWN!!! So hopefully this means that the new chemo is working! She has an appointment with her doc on Friday and hopefully the good news will continue to pour in!

Below I'm going to post a "before" pic from Friday ~ this is what I've been dealing with since the beginning of May! Then I've got a couple of random pictures to post as well. Hope everyone had a great weekend!



METAL, METAL, METAL!!!


My Mom and I


Justin and I at a Panic show!!

New Beginnings

Well, I am happy to say that my interview this morning went fantastic!! It actually went to so well that I got a call a few hours later with an offer!!! I am SOOOO excited about this job! It seems like it will be a great learning experience for me, as well as challenging at the same time. And what's even more amazing - I start on MONDAY!!! It's literally about four minutes from home so I am ecstatic about the drive (or lack thereof!)!! I can also work flexible hours so that I have every other Friday off!! The interview was pretty easy and I made an instant connection with both ladies interviewing me, and I think I will get along very well with both of them!! I am just so relieved...I feel like I can actually breathe again!! This just takes away so much stress, you just don't even know!!!

On top of getting a job offer today, I cannot stop thinking about tomorrow!! I mean, what a great way to start off my weekend!! A job offer, getting my wires out, recovering and then starting a new job!!! A fresh start....a new beginning. I could not be happier and I feel like I'm on top of the world right now!!

Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers during my stressful time! Please continue to think about and pray for my friend Nikki. Have a great weekend!!

Interviews!!!

So as of this morning I have two interviews lined up! I'm really excited about them!!! I was hoping to have an offer on one of the other jobs by now, but, more interviews are a step in the right direction. Plus, the more interviews I go on, the better. I admit they are stressful, but the more practice I get at them, the better I will be. One interview is tomorrow morning, and the second is scheduled for Monday morning. I hope they both go well and I'll be sure to report back any news I get!!

Well, in about 41 hours (but really, I'm not counting or anything!), I will be at the doctor's office getting prepped and sedated for my wire removal!! I seriously cannot wait!! Of course, I will have that day off to recover, and I'm also taking Saturday off in case I'm still drowsy or in any pain. I can't remember how I felt the last time I went through this, I can only remember sleeping the sedation off the whole day. So, in a way it will be like a new experience!!

I also wanted to give a quick update on Nikki ~ she had her doctor's appointment last week and didn't really get great news. She said that since the higher dose of chemo wasn't very effective, there is no point in continuing with that particular chemo treatment. She started another one last Thursday, and I haven't gotten an update on how that one is going. Since she has never tried this chemo before, there is a 30-40% chance of it shrinking what she has, but the doctor does not think this will cure it. If this chemo doesn't work, the next step would more than likely be clinical trials. Amazingly, she still has this positive outlook on things, and can still find a way to see the good side, rather than the bad. It's amazing to me how she has stayed so positive throughout this whole process. She realizes that there are some people who have it worse off than she does, but at the same time she realizes how lucky and fortunate she is to have lived the life that she has. I'll share something that I haven't yet shared with her ~ when I was cleaning out that closet last week, I found an old scrap box that I have kept all of her old letters in from when she moved to Illinois. There were SO many of them!! There were even some notes that she gave me when we lived right next door to each other!! I took a while to read through some of them, but I couldn't quite make myself read them all because of how emotional I got. The ones that I did read brought back so many memories!! Some of the things that she wrote are so ironic to read now, knowing the situation she is in. Even then, she had this amazing outlook on life. I know that outlook is what is keeping her here, fighting this disease with everything ounce of her being. I hope and pray that she continues to fight like she has, and that she can continue to keep her positive outlook on life. Please pray for her as well, along with her family.

A Moment to Vent

I'm sorry that I'm going to take my frustrations out on my blog for anyone and everyone to read, but I have to get it out!!

I am truly amazed at just how badly I have misjudged someone. I mean, I have always thought I was a pretty good judge of character, but oh how I was wrong. Now Justin on the other hand, he can tell you what kind of person someone is after just meeting them. I thought that I had that ability as well. Today, I learned that I don't. It's amazing how someone's true colors come out during a crisis or when emotions are high. So here goes my venting....stop reading now if you don't want to hear my rant. There will be no mention of names or specific actions that occurred, as this is directed at one person who may or may not read this blog. If so, you know who you are.

For someone to call themselves a "true lady" and claim to be a classy woman, or a "real woman" - I beg to differ. You are sooooo wrong. A true lady and a classy woman does NOT do the things that you did. Granted, you might see those things as a payback of some sorts for something wrong that was done against you. But I have never before been thankful that original "event" happened, because I would have never known what kind of person you really are. Thankfully, things unfolded the way they did for a reason. Now I know who you are and realize how badly I misjudged your character. And just remember, WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND. I know you think what you did was funny, and you feel like you have proven a point. But all you have proven is what a sorry person you are. The things that happened two months ago really upset me. I was mad at what happened and I was completely on YOUR side. I did not agree with the actions that were taken (his actions, just to clarify) and the hurt that was placed upon you, and I hoped so badly that things would work out between you two. I hurt for you and I felt your pain. I truly wished I could take it all away and make things right again. I did not, however, see this coming.

You fooled me big time. You fooled myself and my family. I know that you don't see what you did as your fault. But I never thought that you would stoop so low and do the things that you did. I thought you were a bigger person than that. Now, I'm going to quote YOU for a bit. I'm a little unsure how someone "provoked your emotions"....I think really what you're trying to say is that you didn't realize that you had those emotions and those feelings, and the ability to be so mean and cruel. Maybe you should take a step back and look at yourself from the outside. You think you were "pushed to be someone you aren't proud of"? I don't think so.....I think you're someone you aren't proud of on your own. The problem is, it took this chain of events for you to see the kind of person you truly are. And you're not proud of it. Now, whose fault is that??? And oh yeah, so "you gave more than he'll ever know how to"? Really? And how is that? By not learning the concept of responsibility and managing your money? Didn't your car recently get repossessed? And I'm pretty sure this happened AFTER you were on your own. Again, whose fault is that? Hmm, let's see...what else? Oh okay, the "using and pushing" part? What exactly are you talking about? How were you "used and pushed"? I would love to hear your explanation on that!!! So...you "always come out on top" huh? Because of all the "love and support" you have? From who exactly? Your mother? I would find that hard to believe after the things that YOU told me about her. Your sisters? Didn't you always tell me that one of them you don't even get along with? So is it all of your faithful friends that you have? The ones that probably helped you do what you did? Some friends you have. These "friends" are the kind of people who help someone perform an act of cruelty and meanness for nothing more than having the feeling of triumph and excitement. And the best part?!?! From your own words - "you have dignity and class"!!!! I'm still laughing that you can actually believe that!!!! I mean, seriously, do you truly believe that? You truly believe that someone with dignity and class would do the things that you did yesterday? Seriously, you have a warped sense of self. You truly have a misconstrued image of yourself if you really think that you have dignity and class. And just because no "painting or hole patching" has to be done, that is NOT THE POINT. But really, why didn't you just go ahead and mess up the walls and put holes throughout the place? I'm actually kinda surprised that you didn't, with all the other stuff you did!! Ha, I guess you fooled me again didn't you? And nobody is "playing innocent" here except for you. He knows what he did and he has not tried to hide that from you. He knows he did a horrible thing. Trust me, I let him cry into my arms after he told you what he did. I saw the hurt and the guilt with my own eyes, and I felt his pain just like I felt yours. So nobody is trying to play innocent on his side. The fact that you can't see the wrong in what you did shows me that the only person that is playing innocent is YOU.

Again, I'm still confused on how exactly you were used? I would love an explanation on that one!!!! I think it's sick that you can actually tell someone that they "don't deserve an ounce of happiness in their life". Do you honestly believe that? What kind of person wishes that upon someone else? I would never wish you unhappiness. I don't agree with the things that you've done, but that doesn't mean that I hope you live a terrible life full of pain and unhappiness. What kind of sick person thinks that? My family has seen enough pain and unhappiness for you to ever even dream of having. You truly have NO idea what we've been through together. And for you to say that he doesn't deserve an ounce of happiness....it's just wrong.

Maybe one day you will look back at this and realize how childish and malicious you acted. Maybe you will see the pain and hurt that you also caused. Maybe you will actually regret what you did. I know he does. Or, he did, I should say. I don't really know how he feels anymore, since what you did showed a side of you that we would have never seen otherwise. He doesn't deserve you. He deserves sooooo much better. And you deserve someone that sees you for who you truly are. If they can accept that, and accept you for your true colors, not the lady of class and dignity that you claim to be, then good for them. I hope in all honesty, that you find someone that makes you happy. I hope that you can move past this time in your life, and learn from all the mistakes that were made on BOTH sides. I truly hope that you live a life full of happiness.....because EVERYONE deserves at least that.

Holiday Weekend

Well, I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend!! This is the first year that I can remember not doing anything to celebrate the 4th!! Kinda sad, huh? I had to work until about 6:30 that night and Justin was working out of town so I didn't really have anyone to enjoy it with! I know I could have gotten together with some friends, but honestly....I was exhausted!! I helped my mom pack and move stuff all day Thursday and I don't think my body had completely recovered from that! By 11:00, my happy butt was in my bed reading until I fell asleep!! Unfortunately, I had to work again yesterday and realized how horrible it is to have a manager that you really don't mesh well with. Every time I ask her a question she makes me feel like a complete idiot, and that I'm incapable of doing anything right. Plus, one of my tasks at hand yesterday was quite horrible and took almost an hour to do...I will spare you the details because trust me, you really don't want to know!!

I'm so glad that I had today off! Justin and I got up and went and ate breakfast, and a few hours later I was back in the bed asleep again! My body requires so much sleep that I promise you, I could never get enough!! We have a pot roast and potatoes in the crock pot that has been cooking all day and I'm really looking forward to a yummy dinner tonight!

In five days I will have a normal mouth again, with NO metal in it!! I am soooo excited, I wish I could put into words how excited I am! It will be interesting eating again without swallowing half the wax I keep in my mouth, and only taking three minutes to brush my teeth, rather than 10-15 minutes that it takes me now (removing and replacing rubberbands and wax...it's a long process!!).

Well, I hope you all had a great week and enjoyed your holiday weekend! Hopefully everyone was safe! I hope to hear some good news about a job this week so keep your fingers crossed! I promise I will post something if I hear anything!! As always, thanks for reading and I hope you all have a GREAT week!!