GREAT NEWS and a FUN weekend

I wanted to post an update about my Mom's breast cancer. After a looong wait for results, the news was GREAT - early stage 1. What does that mean? It means that the cancer was caught VERY early and her prognosis is excellent. This news is especially great because we learned that my Mom's cancer is/was lobular breast cancer. One in 10 people with breast cancer have this type of cancer. Lobular breast cancer has had a reputation of being the most aggressive type, but in reality, it isn't more aggressive, it is just usually detected by a mammogram after it is very advanced and often has spread to both breasts and/or the chest wall. Reason being is that most breast cancer is tumor-like and lobular isn't as formed and it needs to be fairly advanced to be detected by a mammogram.

Why all the details? Well, to repeat some of my previous post - my Mom's cancer was found after a clean routine mammogram. Her doctor sent her for a breast MRI because her sister is a breast cancer survivor. Her doctor encourages all of her patients who have a family history of breast cancer to have this test. The week my mother got her diagnosis, her doctor diagnosed three other women, all with clean mammograms, all found with a MRI. That's huge. Almost hard for me to wrap my head around. It's hard for me to understand why this isn't standard practice everywhere. Crazy.

So, I encourage you to seek out a breast MRI, in addition to yearly mammograms - especially if you have any family history of breast cancer. Please spread the word about breast MRIs to your friends and loved ones. You may just save their life.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you who included my Mom in your prayers and/or offered kind words of support. It really helped.


NEW topic:
This past weekend I went to a girls scrapbook weekend in the Poconos with good friends, including Stephanie (Forks&Chopsticks, The Written Word and Me So Crafty). We stayed at the hotel from the Shining - as Stephanie liked to call it. Ha! Ha! This was the first time that I have ever went away without the kiddoes. Everyone survived - including me. Although, my house look like it was invaded and ransacked by burglars when I got home. I was so refreshed when I got home, I didn't even care. But, I hope no one dropped by when it was looking like that. I haven't asked - I don't want to know.

My friend runs these weekend getaways twice a year and I will really try to go each time. It does everyone good. I didn't study once over the weekend and I had a major test today - and I don't feel guilty. To quote my friend, "Sometimes you have to clear your head before you stick more in it." Wise advice don't ya think?

(Pssst Joannah - your wishbook/scrapbook page for Jillian will be arriving soon!)