A Little Neupogen Injection, A Lot of Gratitude!

Today is a good day, both because I feel good and because my visit to MSTI took only a few minutes. While I was there I learned how to give myself Neupogen injections at home, which is great for me, because I need them 4 times a week and that's a lot of trips to MSTI! It isn't as gross as you'd think. All you need is clean hands, and alcohol wipe, a syringe, and a little body fat to squish--so I'm in!


Neupogen is a medication designed to promote white blood cell production in the body. It works by amping up cell production in the bone marrow. A possible side effect of the medication is an achy sensation in the large bones of the body kind of like when you're getting the flu. If the pain becomes too intense, the doctor will sometimes let you skip the Friday shot, otherwise you just keep taking them. These shots come with serious sticker shock--our portion of the costs AFTER INSURANCE was $1,200. WHAT?


Since the medical portion of my blog is short today, I want to use this space as a THANK YOU card of sorts (since my friends have forbidden me to write individual thank you notes). I have so many people to thank for many many acts of kindness. If I forget you PLEASE forgive me. Your thought is no less appreciated.


I want to thank my sister-in-law Valerie who picked me up the morning of my surgery, drove me to the hospital, waited patiently while I checked in, did surgery prep, and had anesthesia. She talked with my doctors after the surgery, and was with me immediately when I woke up. I want to thank my sweet niece Ashley for arranging the best of the best to help me through every second of that procedure. She was even in the operating room with me and her beautiful smiling eyes were my last visual before I succumbed to the anesthetic.


I want to thank my mom and my sister Heather for freezer meals, laundry folding, and bedroom decorating, and my brother-in-law Kelly for being my personal handyman--putting safety locks on my doors so Tadman can't escape, and installing a very handsome drapery rod in my room.


I want to thank Jesse McOmber for accepting the full time job of being our home teacher, and for coming to our house on Sunday evening to give us a message of hope, and then assisting Greg with healing and father's blessings, and then giving Greg a very sweet blessing of his own.


My friend Laurie Gabrielsen showed up near the end to present me with a huge basket of notes, food, lotions, candles, socks, chocolate, and other lovely goodies. I'm pretty sure I cried at each note I opened. Justine Powell sent delicious chocolate cookies for a perfect Sunday night treat, and Sister Johnston sent a beautiful doll and card. Annette's gift of the little boy with the hope balloon really touched me, as did Becca Brienholt's story of the lady losing her hair. I will try to be as optimistic as that lady, Becca!


I am grateful to all the sisters in the ward who sent freezer meals and continue to send food. We've had the best wheat bread, the best desserts, soups, and rolls. My kids will be sadly disappointed when I'm the only cook again!


Thank you to Mindy Johnson and Justine for babysitting Tadman. What a relief it is to leave him in the homes of trusted friends who love him!


Thank you to Ted and Jan for the bouquet of spring flowers. That'll lift your mood in a hurry!


Thank you to Greg's mom and step dad for the many, many, many times they have stepped in, sometimes at the last moment, and taken over the management of the kids. Thanks to them my kids have gotten to their appointments and practices, been fed and clothed and washed, and especially and most importantly, watched over. Along they way they've fixed a bike, a cabinet knob, killed ants, folded clothes and loved Tadman so well he'd rather be with them than anyone else.


Thank you for everyone who had called or visited to offer encouragement and support. I've really liked talking to my great family and friends on the phone and have had some better than ever conversations.


Thank you to Connie McMurray for happily stepping in to finish off my end of school year duties as Mrs. Lane's room parent. She's doing it ALL for me, a mere acquaintance of hers. I am sure we are acquaintances no longer but now great friends!


Thank you to Kristina Aceves ( I hope I got the spelling correct!) who filled me in on all the details of cancer treatment and made me believe I could do it!


I also had a fabulous and encouraging talk with my friend Paula Pulley about cancer treatment and the great things it can inspire in kids. I hope my kids will step up and care for each other and get stronger and closer from this experience. I hear it's happened before.


I want to thank Valerie Davis for the card, the book and the lucky bamboo. I need lucky bamboo right now! Val, with the help of Barb Fletcher, is also covering all my Football Booster duties but letting me keep my dignified TREASURER title. They're even gonna let me back in when the season starts. Thank you girls!

Thanks to our friends and partners in business Betsy and Michael Layton. Betsy sent a lovely card and candle and Michael helped Greg with inventory when Greg was at the NCAA basketball games. Who's da' man!!

I appreciate all the guys that work with my husband and help him keep business going in a sluggish economy.


Thank you to my family for hanging in there with me through better or worse as they say, to Hunter for shaving his head, to Rachel being my first chemo companion, to Parker for increasing greatly his hugs and kisses, to Kate for keeping me on my toes and always wanting to do something fun, to Tadman for occassionally cuddling even though breast feeding has been abruptly withdrawn, and to Greg for feeling just the same about me as he felt before I had cancer. Oh, and for paying all my exorbitant medical bills!


Thank you to Joe Gabrielsen and Mike Hyde for coming over at the last minute and giving me a healing blessing before my surgery. That one worked to perfection. I recovered from that surgery in no time.


Thank you to my friends Sarah Nokleby and Melissa McOmber for helping me start this blog so I can spread the word about the joys and pains of cancer treatment and keep everyone well informed--right now you're probably feeling a little too well informed--of my progress.


And thank you to Becky Phillips for taking some BEFORE pictures with me and my family just in case the AFTER is unrecognizable. Plus, I'll be so happy to have some up-to-date family pictures for the blog! YEAH BECKY!


As you can see I have an army of well wishers in my corner, praying constantly for my well being, and that is a GREAT feeling! I sincerely love you all and thank you most humbly for your instincts of goodness and for spreading that goodness in my direction. You are all da' bomb, baby!