Thanksgiving Day

With today being Thanksgiving, & I’m lucky enough to be home for it, I’m going to get temporarily serious.  This is most definitely a sign that I’m taking pain medicine!

I’m thankful for my family.  My husband, Matt, has been incredible.  He’s learned to empty the drains that are stitched into my skin, so I don’t have to see them.  By them I mean the three tubes protruding from under my arm that he’s taken to calling my “cyborg” ports.  My visiting nurse, Pam (who I’m sure I’m going to have a LOT to say about.  She was a HOOT) was quite taken by him today & the fact that he’s not grossed out.  He’s keeping track of all my meds & is insuring that I’m taking them when I should.  And, he’s taking care of things here at the house, as well as running the businesses we own.

My kids have been unbelievable as well.  Aubrie pitched in to cook Thanksgiving dinner, complete with pies.  Elyse has been my personal masseuse, assistant & entertainer.  Dakota has turned into the family pack horse, running all the physical errands.  They’ve all done much, much more, but I’m so tired right now (& the pain is a little intense at times), I can barely see, let alone type.

My poor mother in law, Gretchen, has been the glue, as usual, that’s held this family together.  She’s always there & sometimes doesn’t think that the things she does get noticed.  They get noticed, Gretchen.

I’m also thankful for the large grid of friends that have rallied around me.  Of course, any one who knows me knows that my best friend is Michele Buono.  She’s the keeper of my pass words & secrets (& still hangs around with me anyway).  She’s usually right there whenever I’m in thinking about doing my next dumb scheme, & has managed to stop many of them.  And, if she doesn’t stop them, she’s right there with me doing them.  Matt’s convinced that he & Alex (Michele’s husband) will be bailing the two of us out of jail at any time.

I’m astonished at the amount of women who’re lined up to help me; who’ve signed up to come feed my family – even during Christmas.  I can’t believe the amount of women who’ve emailed me & shared their very personal stories.  I’ve been touched by the flowers sent to my room accompanied by notes of encouragement.  Your words, thoughts & prayers have made this experience much easier than it probably would have been.

I’m also thankful for the surgeons that worked on me.  Dr. Quiros is such a sweet, soft spoken man.  Yet, for his quiet demeanor, he’s a freaking rock star in the operating theater.  Dr. Morrissey is more outgoing & has sparks of a pretty good sense of humour.  I think I may puzzle him, though, with my goofiness.  Charity (& all of Dr. Quiros’ nurses) as well as Dr. Morrissey’s nurses have been fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, Sue Folk, Dr. Evil (just teasing, Dr. Sebastiano), & all the ladies at the Regional Breast Health Center have been amazing.  Sue & Dr. Sebastiano called the day after my surgery to let me know they were thinking of me.  I know if I have a question, they’ll be right there to answer it for me.  And, honestly, ladies, if you’re afraid to go get your mammogram, do what I did.  Get it at the Regional Breast Health Center!!  They’re truthfully a great bunch of broads, & you’ll be treated like a queen.  A queen with her boob in a vice, but a queen nonetheless!

I’m not done with my thankful-gram, but it’s about all I can do today.  I’m very, very tired, & the pain is coming back. Thankfully, I have pain meds that put me to sleep.  And sometimes, sleep is the best place to be for a girl!

And since I can only be serious for so long, I’m going to say a little “prayer”.  “Dear God, please let the Broncos win tonight.  It would really make me a happy camper.  And these days, You owe me”.  JUST KIDDING – as far as you know.


Just watch, though, the Broncos will lose BIG TIME as God's response to my sacrilegious prayer.  Remember the guy on top of the roof during a flood, who asked why God didn't hear him?  In similar fashion, He can say to me, "I sent you a wonderful family, gifted surgeons, a plethora of friends, & a whole host of other gifts.  And you were worried about the Broncos??"