Susan G. Komen Foundation needs your help!!!

I am having somewhat of another good day in spite of the fact I was up from Midnight until almost 5:00 am this morning....my body was exhausted but I couldn't get my mind to shut down for the night....popped a xanax and managed to get in a couple of hours of sleep....I'm sure I will be napping most of my day away later.....but all in all, I feel much better after this round of chemo than I did with the last one.....now let's see if I can make it through this weekend without falling down and going BOOM! lol lol lol

When I was first diagnosed with BC, I wanted to read everything I could get my hands on, since my surgery (8-16-06) I didn't want to read one more thing. I had come to the conclusion that BC had taken enough of my time and effort and body parts and I didn't want it to become "everything" about me. So I put away all my reading material, then when October came around I was flooded with BC commercials due to the fact that October is national BC awareness. I have to admit I changed a lot of channels and so many shows did their own telling of BC. For all the awareness it raised I am eternally grateful, but when I had those blissful moments of forgetting what I was dealing with, I found myself getting upset being reminded of it constantly.....this too did pass and I am back to finding ways to promote awareness, to find a cure and to help other women who will be on the same path as me.

So yesterday's post was about signing a petition to stop drive through mastectomies, today's post is going to direct you to the Susan G. Komen Breast Care Foundation..... Once again Congress needs to be reminded that all women should have access to lifesaving screening and treatments and with the cutbacks that they want to make to  Medicare regarding this issue will make it almost impossible (financially) for our Older American Women on fixed incomes....please stop by and read up on it and if it moves you to do so please fill out your information and send the form letter to your Congressmen and Congresswomen.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation | Take Action: Be a Champion!

Thank you so very much for caring about me and other BC patients who are trying to find their way to becoming BC survivors!

Love,
Kimberleigh

Petition to stop drive through Mastectomies

Having had my left breast removed on August 16, 2006 due to Cancer, I can personally attest to the need for quality health care given to Women who will be walking down the same path I am finding my way through. I have recently discovered this insane practice of what they are calling "Drive Through Mastectomies" where Women are being forced to leave within hours of having a Mastectomy............I find this appalling! I hope you do too!

Please visit this link to learn more about it and see the faces of people who are taking up this fight for Women...... Please sign the petition to help urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2005 (S 910/HR1849).

Lifetimetv.com: Breast Cancer Awareness - Petition

I am still feeling pretty good following my 3rd chemo treatment, my cheeks are becoming flushed which means the fatigue will be setting in sometime today so it's back to bed I go....I do believe drinking the water helps a great deal in how I feel following the chemo (learned my lesson! lol).......Gatorade also makes a water called "Propel" that is fortified with vitamins plus calcium.....at it's FLAVORED........I'm liking the berry flavor (comes in lemon too) and when you have to drink 64 ounces of fluid a day this makes it a hell of a lot easier! lol lol lol

Ties that bind....

A few summers ago when my Daughter Amanda was a Senior in High school, one of her best friends tried to kill herself with an overdose of pills. Since I had become "MOM" to many of my Children's friends, her friend knew she made a mistake and called me at home to tell me what she did. I immediately flew to her house and let myself in to find her semi-coherent enough to tell me what she took and how many she thought she took, I called 911 and waited for the Paramedics to arrive. My intent was to follow her to the hospital in my truck but I actually arrived at the hospital before the ambulance did (go speed racer go!!!! lol) I gave my statement to the police officer that responded. Whenever there is a suicide attempt the police department has to be notified.

While I sat in the waiting room, waiting for them to finish pumping her stomach, her Mother arrived, I had never met the Woman before and I wasn't sure how she would react to the fact that I was her Daughters confident and not her. With tears in her eyes she thanked me for always being there for her Daughter especially this time, her Father's reaction.......let's just say he wasn't thrilled with yet another hospital bill, didn't even ask how his Daughter was doing........nuff said!

The reason I am revisiting this time is because even though 2 years has gone by and the girls don't keep in touch that often, I received a card in the mail yesterday from Amy and I wanted to share it with you.

Dear Kim,
I just wanted to write you a note to say that my prayers are with you and I know you are strong enough to pull through this. Thank you so much for taking us under your wings, you've treated Me, Krista, Matt and all of Amanda's close friends like your own and you're truly a unique, caring, loving, thoughtful, trusting and most of all understanding Mom to us all. Without you I don't know who I'd turn to during my sisters addiction and hard time and with my bipolar, because you've been in the same situations, which my own Mother doesn't quite understand. Thank you for being there for me, and I hope I can now be there for you. I know you can survive this because you have survived life and are the strongest Woman I have ever met and you're a God Send to me and I hope one day I can be the same for my daughter's best friends! Thank you for being in my life and also for saving it, I will never forget that day, I will never forget your love, Iwill never forget you! Thank you for being you and don't let this letter get you down.

We love you always,
Amy

With a letter like this life just can't get any sweeter! She is doing better and her realtionship with her own Mother is stronger, her Father has quit drinking and they are healing old wounds and they both have sent long their prayers and good wishes that I have a full recovery too. So far this morning I'm feeling really good after yesterdays chemo, but if I don't post for a few days then know that I am resting and will be back soon!

Love,
Kimberleigh

Heard it in a love song.....Ours!

Many couples have an 'Our Song' Usually it's the song they have their first dance to as Husband and Wife. It is either a song that expresses to others how they feel about one another or a song that mimics a time in their lives.

I have many favorite love songs....most women do, what I didn't know until maybe 3 years ago is Jim had a song that held a lot of significance to him. As many of my long time readers already know Jim and I dated over 4 years before we were married. That last year of dating was an extremely difficult time in our lives and went spent a lot of time apart....so much time that I started dating other men and when Jim and I discovered we both wanted different things, we thought we split up for good..... I was heartbroken but moved on, as did he.

One morning Jim's clock radio went off at it's usual time, but instead of hitting the snooze button, (like the snooze-aholic always does! lol) a new Garth Brook song started playing, being a big fan of his...he listened to the song and really felt the words.....the song is called 'If tomorrow never comes." It was while listening to that song that he came to the conclusion that he really didn't want to spend the rest of his life without me in it. That very same night he showed up at my door after waiting for me to come home from a date and demanded that I marry him....not a sweet, well thought out proposal.......I was told that he wasn't asking me to marry him he was telling me I was going to marry him! lol and I had to get rid of the new boyfriend! lol

Now I want you to go and read this older entry about a magical night we had out under the stars at the lake 2 summers ago..it's about a magical moment, a slow dance and a serenade...........click the link and then come back for the rest of this entry (please)

The Dance

It was that song that he sang to me that night.

"If Tomorrow Never Comes"

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

(Chorus)

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

(chorus)
If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes.

So Jim, if at sometime my tomorrow never comes...... the love you've gave me in the past will be enough to last.....till we find one another once again......I love you!

Today is round 3 of chemo, then only 1 more round of the bad chemo to do...........yipeeeeeee! Then on to 4 rounds of Taxol.

 

VIVI Awards and ME! ME! ME! lol

As most of J-land already knows it's that time of year to vote for your favorite Journals.... Jackie from HOPE FLOATS along with Other J-land Friends have graciously poured their heart and souls into getting this years VIVI AWARDS together.

To find out more about it and when and how to vote for your favorite nominees that have been selected please click on this link ~~~> 2006 VIVI AWARD JOURNAL

It is a great way to explore around J-Land and find new blogs to read and a great way to meet new friends along the way. That is the best thing about J-Land! You make real friendships and get the chance to explore other people's worlds. You find connections with people who might be experiencing some of the same things you are, you can get some really good advice or learn a new lesson by someone else's experience, you may find some really good parenting tips, some people even take the time to teach you how to pick up a new hobby or pass along a really good recipe......real people, real lives!

We laugh together, we cry together.......we hold each other up and cheer each other on! That is what makes J-Land so special!

I want to thank those responsible for nominating "I SHAVED MY LEGS FOR THIS?" All that I am is in this journal which I started back in August of 2004. My many ups, my ever so few downs and stories about my Family. Here is where I can share my words, my poetry and my photographs....here is where I found many new friends!

I was nominated for 3 different categories...........

           

And I must say I am in rather good company with the other nominees! So if you want to, you can go check out the sight, read up on some really good bloggers, young and old and vote if you want to!

Actual day to Vote is November 2nd, so in the meantime get reading! lol lol lol

 

Pimping other Warriors in Pink

It's almost the end of October and thanks to the help of millions, October is the official month of Breast Cancer Awareness, unfortunately it's not the end of Breast Cancer but with all the donations raised each year it gets us one step closer to a cure. Cure has become a beautiful word to me.

So in honor of my fellow "WARRIORS IN PINK" I would like to pimp a few Women that I have found them or they have found me through J-Land and who are going through their own battles with Breast Cancer at the same time I am. They always say you are as strong as your weakest link and there isn't a weak link amongst us.

So if time permits you today stop by, read up on them and then show em' some love. You have all lifted me during times I needed to be lifted and you all are my "LIFE ANGELS" and my heart is full because of all the love and support you shown for me and my family.

Meet Trish from  My Breast Cancer Story She is a Wife, A Mother  of two and a Warrior in pink! She has already lost one of her Sisters, Sharon to this disease and is like me fighting hard to survive this disease.....she too like me can only tolerate Peanut Butter and Jelly on toast on her not so good days....She also works part time at a Middle School and adores the kids......please stop by and give her a hug!

Now onto a very new blogger named Barbara....she found my blog after being recently diagnosed and after reading up on me decided to become a new member of the J-Land Blogging community....writing is good for the soul and I know it's has helped me get through whatever I have had to get through all my life. Barbara has also lost her youngest child Evan due to a car accident early last year....so she knows heartache and now she has to deal with Inflammatory Breast Cancer....that's a lot tougher than my diagnosis so please stop by and show her some love and support over at  Just Another Day In The Life Of Me

Now meet Stephanie.....a stay at home military wife living in Hawaii. Her ordeal started in June with a routine mammogram. She is the Mother of two fraternal twin 7 year old boys. Her life as a military wife (20 years) has taken her a lot of places and has enjoyed it. So not only is she dealing with the diagnosis of Breast Cancer her world was really rocked by the earthquake last week. So please make a trip over to her blog  in perpetual motion... and let her know she is not alone in this battle.

Lyrics to "You raise Me up" by Josh Groban
Beautiful words...beautiful sentiment

when I am down, and oh my soul's so weary
when troubles come and my heart burdened be.
Then I am still and wait here in the silence
until you come and sit a while with me.
you raise up so I can stand on mountains,
you raise me up to walk on stormy seas,
I am strong when I am on your shoulders,
you raise me up to more than can be.

Thank you all for always raising me up farther than you will ever know!

Thankful

When I am remembering to be thankful for even the smallest of things I usually end that entry with "Life is good and I am blessed!" and today was another one of those days that I am happy just to be.

I ventured out by myself very early this morning to go to spend some time with my Mom....I wanted her to see for herself that her baby is doing just fine once again.....I have been told many times that with Cancer it doesn't just effect the patient it effects the whole family and everyone else that loves and cares about that person. I know this is hard for my Mother to see me go through this....she wished it was her instead of me......all Mothers feel that way I am sure...I know I do! I told her, "No Mom I want it to me rather than anyone else that I care about." I don't do very well on the sidelines, I would feel the same helplessness that I know others that care about me do....I don't do well with helplessness. At least with me being the patient I can be proactive..it's all up to me, my A Team of Doctors and the powers that be.

My Afternoon was spent at my Sister's house....laughing! Between me loosing all my hair and her having a full set of dentures put in a few months earlier and taking them out for me to see her toothless we both laughed till we cried........what a sight we must of been! Me bald and her toothless! The kids thought we lost our minds too! Love those Belly Laughs!

Dinner was spent with My Darling Jim and our "Sweetest Day" date. We went to our favorite steakhouse for dinner and I was hungry enough and well enough to eat Filet and Grilled Shrimp...skipped the soup, salad and appetizers...give this girl protein!!! lol  And then upon arriving home again I found a dozen PINK roses and a card telling me how lucky I am to have him.....LOL! I am luckier than he will ever know!

So you see, even with cancer I can still say....

Life is good and I am blessed!