Blessings, blessings, blessings...

Yes, I am on a pain meds as I write this, which basically turns me into the emotional consistency of a pregnant lady, but everything that I am about to type is true.
   I was feeling bad for myself a little while ago, (like 20 minutes ago),........."oh poor me, my lungs are filling up with fluid.....oh poor me, it's hard to breathe...........oh poor me,.............waaaawahhhwahhh." And then I went to my facebook entry i had recently posted and noticed that 27 people had posted beautiful remarks about praying for me and caring for me, and loving me. My heart was sooo touched that I stopped feeling sorry for myself and started to look around me at everything else......
   Here are some wonderful things that have been going on lately.
A. I had a horrible sore throat for two weeks, that sore throat was what got me into the ER finally last week. Nothing was wrong with my throat, but my lungs were filling up with fluid and collapsing. Sore throat blessing?........ I think so!
 B. Our family has experienced an outpouring of love that surpasses my understanding. Meals, Grandparent slumber parties, cleaning sisters, laundry fairies,  and the list goes on and on..... I am baffled at the love!
 C. And i would just like to share with you a story that touches my heart everytime I think of it. It is very personal, but I feel close to all of my readers.
Morgan and I went back to the hospital on Sunday night and I was going to have my left lung drained again in the morning. I BEGGED Morgan to go home and be with the kids, so they wouldn't be so traumatized at mom being gone at the hospital AGAIN. Reluctantly he left my bedside and went home.
Hours went by and I lay in the dark hospital room and all I could think of was something the lung doctor had said, almost in passing...."worse case scenario, you could drown in your own lungs....." like it was the flu, or a bad cold.
  In that dark room, as those words swirled around in my head, I had FEAR, real live FEAR! I didn't want to go to sleep and die in the night, and I lay there on the hospital couch in the room with wide eyes.
  By this time it was probably 1 am and still I lay there looking like a cartoon character in the darkness with HUGE eyes. My nurse came in to check on me and immediately melted. She asked what was wrong and I told her that I didn't want to drown. She was soooo nurturing, I will not ever forget it. She ran over and sat next to me and talked to me. She asked me if I wanted to play on her iphone or just hang out right there all night together. She asked if I wanted to watch a movie with her.  She got me medicine that calmed me down and then she didn't stop there. She stuck her desk right outside my window to my room and opened the curtains so she could constantly watch me. She turned a dim light on and she would come in every once in a while and rub my arm or my hair, just to let me know that she was there. She propped my door open with some cupboards that she dragged over and listened and watched me ALL NIGHT LONG. Long after the medicine worked its magic and the prayers kicked in. In the morning, I saw her only momentarily as they whisked me away to my procedure. I didn't get to thank her, but I will never forget her. The night nurse who had other patients, but left the ninety and nine, for the one who needed her the most!!!

I have a date with my nebulizer!

Well, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, but almost. I was in the hospital from Monday of last week until Friday of last week. Then I had a great time with the family on Saturday, watching Lund play in his last football game and enjoying the sunshine. Then Sunday, I was feeling a lot of the "symptoms" they warned me about, so I was back in the ER. The results of the hospital stay last week showed that I had fluid around my left lung and they had to do a procedure to remove the fluid. ("thorancenticis") Anyway, I didn't realize how painful "re-inflating" your lung can be! Last Thursday when they "tapped" my lung the first time, they pulled out a liter and a half, which is a LOT of liquid! After they finished draining my lung, my heart rate and blood pressure plummeted, and I had to lay down until they could get my body under control.
 So, when I had to get the fluid drained again today, I wasn't quite excited. I did ask my nurse to give me pain meds before I left my hospital room and it was STILL painful. I was given more pain meds when I got back to my room and I finally had a chance to eat breakfast.....then I threw up. Fun times! Too much pain and too many pain meds don't work wonders on the tummy.
 Another procedure they performed on me last week in the hospital was called a broncho-scope. They lay you on a cold metal table and then shoot a syringe of numbing solution up your nose....How Rude! The Pulmonologist went into my right lung to see what was going on to make the top lobe collapse. Turns out it is a new tumor doing the dirty work. Stinky tumor!
   So, now that I have been discharged from the hospital twice in one week, I think we have a plan. It goes as follows...
    1. Place a catheter/stint into my left lung to drain the liquid easier.
    2. Possible radiation for the tip of the right lung to shrink the tumor that is blocking and collapsing that lung.
    3. New chemo regimen since the current regimen doesn't seem to be effective in the least.

And the most important step is to...................Go on a cruise and forget that any of this stuff exists!!!! Wahooooooo! March 10th cannot come soon enough!!!!

This week's update through random pictures acquired in my hospital room

 Last week, I was ridding down the road of life, and I hit a little bump.(that's what I get for riding such a crazy bike!)    I had a cold that just wouldn't leave. So, eventually I went in and got an antibiotic, and on I rode. But, after five days on the antibiotic, I noticed that I wasn't getting any better. In fact, I seemed to be getting worse. My throat was so sore, I thought maybe it would close up on me as I slept.  Finally, we decided to go to the ER, since we had a guest staying the night and they could stay with the kids. Thanks Mentz!

 And the diagnosis is ........... "walking pneumonia"

 And a couple of days later, I was still like this guy in the above picture......

                                                                    (Picture of my actual hospital)
 So my Oncologist sent me back to the ER, and they decided to admit me and figure it out. Updated diagnosis is that the right lung has collapsed a bit and there is fluid around the left lung.

 So, tomorrow they are going to do a procedure similar to the picture above to drain the fluid and do a broncho-scope to see the collapsed part of the right lung. So, we (Morgan and I), are doing a lot of hanging out in my hospital room, and have been getting four antibiotics via IV. I feel like I have chords all over the place and I wouldn't recommend the bed..... not comfy..

.......but the breathing treatments are really helping the wheezing and coughing attacks. I will be here until I get a clean bill of health in the lungs, which will probably be a few days.

Also, we learned a few things along the way this past weekend.
    A. I am allergic to Morphine. No fun to find that out, but at least we know for next time.
    B. After looking at the x-rays, my oncologist gets the feeling that this chemo med isn't working, so after we get rid of the pneumonia, then we need to decide which route to take next.
Thanks to all of you who have been helping out with the kids at home. Feelin' the love!

13-years-old, a bonk on the head, and football

 Someone in our family turned the big 13 last Saturday! She planned her own party and I limited her to only four friends since it wasn't really a party year for her technically. She paid for her own decorations and made her own cake, etc. All because she wanted a party. I tell you what, if she wants something, she MAKES it happen!

 This year all she wanted was money. So, my clever hubby came up with a power point presentation that was a Jeopardy-style game show. She loved it and her friends loved it too. Even the 2 girls who weren't members of Church were willing to memorize the Articles of Faith if they could earn money. hummmmm! Maybe that could be a good missionary tool. I just don't think they can fit it into their meager monthly budget.

 The end result was one happy girl! Then Morgan pulled out the Bonus Question..... Before I tell you the bonus question, You have to understand that Cassidy has been BEGGING us for a new ipod touch and not the hand-me-down one I gave her for Christmas. So, the bonus question made her put her money where her mouth was... Her dad announced that now that the game show was over, she could choose to keep the money, (140.00), or turn in ALL of her money AND her ipod 2nd generation and she would receive a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW IPOD TOUCH, 4th generation! We gave her five minutes to make up her mind. She looked at her friends, she looked at all the cash, and then back at her friends....................... and..........................................she decided to keep the cash and her old ipod. (smart girl if you ask me). Though her friends were pretty divided on the subject, I think she made the right choice. I told her she can no longer complain about her hand-me-down electronics. Wahoooooo!!

 And Papa Lund and Gramma Karen gave her a money and candy lei set. (2.00 bills of course!)

 Her friends indulged her Justin Beiber fetish, along with gift cards, and fun. Grandma Wiemer did her traditional trip with Cassidy to pick out her own present and all Cassidy wanted to buy was supplies for her party. What a goof!

 Cassidy planned all her games with the help of Gramma Karen and myself. They did "mixed up karaoke" , "Fluffy Bunny" and

 the flour game (one my friends and I made up as teens). you place a quarter on top of a cup full of flour sandcastle-style and then everyone has to cut at the flour until the quarter falls in the flour. Then you get to dig the quarter out with your FACE!!! he he....

We also love to put paper tablecloths out to be signed by everyone.

Cassidy only had one breakdown when everyone wasn't listening to her after she had taken so much time to plan her party. She cried, and her friends consoled her and all was well. And then........................Will fell down the stairs and hit the corner of the banister splitting his eyebrow pretty good. I have a matching scar above my eye from my childhood. It is a spot that doesn't hurt very much, but sure bleeds a ton! he has quite the black eye this week as well.
We decided to end the party early after the blood and tears were flowing.

 The next day, Lund had yet another flag football game and I actually remembered my camera this time. We love our #27!

We love watching his games each week. I hope he always remembers how many family members love him. Both sets of grandparents have come out multiple times and his Aunt Leesha and her brood have watched as well. I love the support of a good family!!!

A very Pink Celebration!

Last week, I went to an AMAZING surprise party for a dear friend, who was turning the big 50. The decorations were OUT OF THIS WORLD! And many fond memories were made. I was lucky enough to be the photographer for the event and that is something I love to do.

 One of my dearest friends, LeAnne.

 Here are all the gals that came to the party. The lady of honor is in the front. She is an amazing Young Women's President, and great friend.

 I stole someone's baby, (of course). And then someone stole my camera and snapped a few  pics.

 Seriously, the decorations were amazing!

Lots of fun! I hope my 50th birthday will be just as fun, in 17years~

The new superhero to hit the streets..........Birthday Man!!

Today, a new superhero was born............well actually, six years ago a superhero was born........... Birthday Man!!

 I made him this shirt to wear on his special day!

 I even personalized it!

 But when I came to his Kindergarten class to deliver his cupcakes, he didn't want me to take his picture!! Silly boy!

 Later this afternoon, we headed over to Makutu's Island. It was AMAZING!!! The slides were like this! And it was the biggest playland I have ever seen. Grown-ups were allowed on everything! Great workout!

 Sarah LOVED it!!!

 I tried a slide that went straight down......FAST! I screamed the whole time!!! Fun!

 Here are the Lund's having a great time!

 Here is Cassidy after flying off the end of the slide

 Cousin Brody loved hanging out with Will. Will only wanted two people at his "party". His cousin Brody, and his best friend, Grant.

 Here is what I created with the help of Cassidy.

 The car is the cake and "Candy Mountain" is to the right and "Present Volcano" is straight ahead.

 The kids placed the lizard there to run it over! Cake roadkill!

And here is Candy Mountain. Cassidy put a lot of work into this project. It says "Charlie" because my family loves the YouTube video "Charlie and the Unicorn" and they have a "candy mountain" in that video.

 What will I wish for?

 Big Blow!!! I think he forgot to make a wish......

 After opening presents, he didn't want to eat his cake..........

 He just wanted to build! That is so Will! (How do you just leave chocolate cake untouched?!)

 He wasn't the only one who enjoyed his toys. Lund and Morgan and I had tons of fun playing with his bucket of gears!

 And everyone loved the T-ball set with the string attached to the ball. It just bounces back to you....perfect for Will who will be starting T-ball soon.

 And here is Will with his buddy, Grant! They are soooo fun together!

This was the cutest card, I just had to show you...

Seriously, adorable!!

 But by the end of the day, I, and everyone else felt like this!!!

 And my house looks like this!!!!!!!!! It looks like a war of the Toy Village and the Candy People, with a little bit of Cake Natives thrown in!!! I think I will pretend it doesn't exist, and hit the bed.......................

Stay tuned: Cassidy's birthday is on Saturday! Teenage girls, pizza and a Kareoke machine.... I sure hope I get a nap before then!