Photo timeline . . .

Hello all. I am not going to bore you with lots of words today but instead, I am going to test my ability to add photos to the blog! Thought you might enjoy a little photographic timeline of my progress. This first photo is of me with my Mom and my sister Mariea. It was taken in my kitchen on 5/24/09, the night before I went in for surgery.




The second lovely photo was taken 9 days later, on Tuesday June 2nd, 8 days after surgery and a few hours before I had the stitches taken out. This is why I was afraid of scaring Charlie when I got home! Looks pretty gross but if you then fast-forward four days to picture number 3, you will see that the scars are healing quite nicely! The ones on the side of my neck are actually in a crease and you will barely see them in a few months time.



Picture number 3 was taken on Saturday June 6th, hanging out with the girls from the "hood " on Lake Norman. Seemed just like old times! That's me in the middle--you can barely see the scar! (Tia,Jenn,Me,Lisa,Lori)

Ok, now, just 15 days later on Sunday, June 21st, on the lake again, with Jason, for a sunset cruise, scar still looks good, notice though, the MUCH darker hair ! Decided that I didn't need to worry about my roots during chemo and radiation. It's close to my natural color but without the grey!

And, last but not least, a picture from last Thursday June 25th (one month after surgery) on the table in radiation oncology while they make the dreaded"MASK"! Yep, that's me in there, the little knobs on the side are what bolt it to the table. I will probably not re-post this picture every day for the next several months but I could . . .! Beginning on Monday July 6th, this will be my early morning photo op every weekday until the end of August. BTW, that mask started out as a flat piece of mesh in an arched frame. Then, they heated it and stretched it over both my face and the customized blue head rest that they had already made for me. I just kept my eyes closed (though I do have room to open them in there) and pretended I was getting a facial! Maybe . . .that will work for treatments too!

That's about it for today. I am not very good at adding photos, these took me an hour! Nevertheless, I will post again in the next day or two with all the info about the upcoming treatments. The short list is . . .hearing test and tube replaced in my ear tomorrow, Tuesday the 30th of June; chemo teaching appointment, hospital check in and feeding tube placed in my stomach on Wednesday July 1; hospital check out on Thursday and then, enjoy?!?!? the holiday weekend before beginning chemo and radiation on Monday the 6th (or maybe Tuesday, the 7th). Over the weekend, Charlie gets back from Nana Camp and Mom arrives to be my chemo partner next week! Thanks for checking in on me and for all your prayers. Have a blessed day.