And we have a date....

I got the phone call today!! I will be beginning phase one of reconstruction with surgery on Oct. 4th. I'm pretty excited, and scared at the same time. I can not wait to get this finished and be done with cancer. I know that I will always have reminders, but to me this feels like the final chapter of the the story. We decided last Friday to go ahead with expanders and implants. While it isn't what I had initially wanted after talking with the surgeon's assistant she defused some ideas that I had in my head, and put me more at ease about having the surgery. Also, if you've kept up with our journey you know that this was the choice that Nate had liked best. Although 4 doctors had told me my body, age, and all other factors were perfect for the surgery I wanted I decided that #1 I wanted to honor my husbands request and to follow biblically what I know to be true (Eph 5:22 - Wives follow the lead of your husbands, as you follow the Lord). While we both understand that resentment may play a factor in either case I pray that I won't feel that way and that his decision will be best for both of us. And #2 I am just so over thinking about this I want to get on with it!!

So here we go, on with the show! Praying I can get through surgery with ease and quick recovery, and that my emotional state from the last surgery does not haunt me this time around. I will be having surgery in Ft. Wayne this time around so I hope that helps!

More Milestones

A few more year marking dates have passed in the last week. One of the highlights was celebrating Hannah's 9th birthday. Last year I tried to make it memorable in the sense that she would remember her birthday and not what we were going through, and to tell you the truth I don't even think she remembers what we did, haha!
On the 6th was the 1 year anniversary of Nate's hospitalization. I will tell you I was kinda emotional the night before. Thinking about taking him to the hospital the year before, and how much pain he was in, and then trying to tell our family over the phone what was going on, then off to another hospital and another before finally having him admitted. I vividly remember the drive home by myself that night just wondering how the heck we would make it through. I remember pulling into the driveway and going inside where my Mother-in-law was waiting for an update. It was all I could do to get myself to the couch and cry since the next day I would be headed in the opposite direction as my husband to endure my first round of chemo. My neighbor was kind enough to drive me there, but essentially I walked into those doors alone. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined doing that. It was nice to see several smiling faces waiting for me on the other side though, and I think we may have overwhelmed the staff a little by all the visitors I had on that first day. My friend Rachel was sweet enough to drive me home and then we went to see Nate. Although I was sleepy I was so glad to be in his arms. That is the moment this photo was taken...

This week will mark the 1 year anniversary of Nate's surgery, and Friday we will be headed back to Ft. Wayne to meet with my new plastic surgeon.

One last milestone we celebrated was 10 years of marriage on August 31st. I can't believe how much more in love with this man I am today then I thought I was back then. I wrote him a poem to sum up our last 10 years, and I can't wait to celebrate the next 10 with him.

10 years ago we stood on this day
He said, "I do" and I said, "hooray"
We started a family and life got busy
So much sometimes it made us both dizzy
Each child a blessing
each change kept us guessing
Sleepless nights
brought some bickering fights
Then came the cancer and crohns last year
it had us wondering what to do, oh dear

Surrounded by family and friends we knew
our love would survive as our trials grew
With new perspective and lease on life
I am so happy to be his wife!
I love you with all of my heart and more
Heres to 10 years and another new door!

Happy Anniversary Nate!