The post I forgot... MY LAST CHEMO!!!

LAST CHEMO!!!

How could I possibly forget to write about my last chemo treatment?! Oh I don't know... maybe because I was too distracted with coming home or maybe the fact that I PASSED my two classes for this semester even though I was not able to go to class pretty much at all. I had the BEST professors ever and they worked with me in any way they could. It was a HUGE blessing. Anyways... my last chemo!

This is my "chemo" blanket Holly Hirst and Tina made for me. :)

My grandma took me to my appointment and Rosey met up with me after her dentist appointment. It was so great to have her there and just sit with me while I got my last doses of poison. :) She has been the bestest friend ever have while going through this and Im thankful for her everyday. She sat with me at the hospital while at the IMC and then through chemo. What a trooper!!!

However I don't want to take away from everything my roommate Emily and Richard have done and all of my family! :)

So pretty much we just sat there and talked and she gave me these fantastic boots for Christmas. I was a slacker and didnt prepare good enough to have something for her. :( I have my ideas though!!! I dont have a picture of the boots yet because I want to be able to wear them, Im so excited!!!

When chemo was done, the nurses brought over a bottle of sparkling juice stuff with a candle in it and sang to me... Happy last Chemo day! :) Woohooo!!!! After all of the celebration, Rosey, grandma and I went to MacCools. Its one of my favorite places to eat in Layton... mostly because its Irish. It was OH SO YUMMY!!!!!!!

Home sweet home!!!

MUKWONAGO, WISCONSIN

Well I do not really have much to do right now so I thought it would be a good time to update my blog! :) Sorry i am just not so good updating it often but Ill get better.

Flying into Vegas!

So I flew home to Wisconsin Tuesday, December 15th. :) The ride was not too bad... some bumps here and there. However, I hate turbulence due to my bad flying experience 2 years ago to Chicago when my plane took a dive at the runway. :) Not good!!! But it was 5 degrees not including windchill when Melissa and I landed. Needless to say, it was DANG cold!

"You know when you you are in Wisconsin when you have to come to a dead stop on the freeway due to 3 deer running in front of the car. hahahahaha"

On Wednesday I made the lovely trip to the hospital Medical Oncology at Waukesha Memorial with my mom! :) Even when Im not in Utah Im still at the doctor. But I saw a doctor there just incase something were to happen while Im home. Its always better to be prepared and have people know whats going on when most times I don't even know whats going on!!!! :)

While there I was told my INR level was at a 3.2 which is good, thats high but it is sure better than 1.0 and my brain feeling like its going to burst through my skull. The doctors and nurses there were so nice and really caring about my situation and of course I heard...

"Wow. 24?! You are so young to have had Ovarian Cancer. And everything you have been through, its a miracle."

Yup, thats me. A miracle. :) I am so thankful everyday that I have another day to live and be with my family and friends.

Thursday I went with my dad to his painting shop and took some pictures for the website Im going to build for him. :) I got see Marty and Corey!!!! They are so great and I especially miss working with Marty.  It was cool to see the shop is still busy and there are things to do. Man I miss the good ole days of going to work with my dad and just doing hard work. Yes, I said it, I miss the hard work! After the day was over though... I was beat!!!! I came home and slept for maybe 2 hours. Im so not a nap person but I just sit down and fall asleep, IM OLD!!!

The best part of Thursday was CULVERS.... AGAIN!!!! It was my third time going there since I have been home. Culvers will never get old. :) Anyone who has never been to Culvers, check out the site, you will totally want to go there. BEST BUTTER BURGERS EVER!!!

Friday mom and I went to the Bowers to watch Joshua for a little bit however he pretty much slept the whole time. Once he woke up I think he was a little startled by us being there so we just left and headed for the hospital for me to get some fluids. I have learned to listen to my body and break down to say I need something. Its something Im not use to but its for sure something I need to accept. haha

My levels were checked again and my INR level was up to a 4.4 which is now really high! :) My blood does not know what it wants to do. So I was told to hold on taking my Coumadin a night and continue starting today. I also got a bag of fluids but it was switched to Potassium since my levels were really low. Since that burns going in sometimes it took about 2 hours and my hand was pretty sore after. However I was all sorts of hydrated!!!! Im not about to go back to the hospital and have problems due to my blood clot.

My new ride!!!!

Friday night it was just dad and I!!! We went to Walmart and I rode around in the auto cart thing and had a blast. My bones get so achey that it just hurts to move so to not walk around is wonderful. We got a Papa Murphys Pizza and the movie Julie & Julia. I convinced dad that it would be a good movie and of course, I was right!

We ate pizza, made my favorite Thumbprint cookies, hung out with Melissa and the Bowers kids, and I attempted to watch the movie however I passed out. Its a good thing I finished the cookies though, that could have been bad! I love Friday nights that are just low key especially with family... Its so fun to hang out with my dad and just be with him.

What has happen. :)

Since I am not very good at keeping up with my post I seem to always play catch up!!! Sorry!!! But since my last post nothing too exciting has happen. I have been to many doctor appointments! But I will give some random updates...

My INR level right now is back down to a 1.0. Now for the normal person that is the normal level rate at which your blood is suppose to clot. Never in my life have I heard that Im not suppose to be at the normal level but I am suppose to be at a 2.0 - 3.0. So right now my blood is too thick and is having a hard time draining from my brain... What does that mean... that means I have killer headaches ALL DAY LONG!!!! :) I spent most my day in the ER yesterday getting head scans, blood draws, and fluids due to my calves aching and my headache only getting worse. What did the doctors say?! Take medicine and hope that the headaches will go away. :)

I did go to the Christmas Devotional with my sisters, Peter and Kaylee and it was fantastic. It was great to see Kaylee, who was my nurse for my second surgery, not in the hospital and in a normal environment. :) She really is such a cool person and has this wonderful spirit about her that is so fun to be around. It was also great to be with my sisters and Peter... not in the hospital or in my apartment with me not feeling good. I love being able to get out of the house and enjoy life! My family and friends are the BEST ever and I could not ask for better support.

I was able to change my flight home to a week earlier and Southwest actually credited my dad $55!!! I have never heard of an airline doing that!!! I go home December 15th now and come back to Utah January 2nd. I really cant wait to be home and spend some time relaxing and getting better so I can return to work on January 5th!!!

Since I have not been able to work I have kind of felt like I have been going crazy! I love working and being able to wake up and go to my office and work an 8 hour day. I have not been to work since November 6th and really am SO EXCITED to go back to work and feel normal again. Right now it is still very hard to think and concentrate on basic daily things. Im hoping that will change once my chemo is finished and my blood slot starts to dissolve.

Here are some other photos I have taken throughout the week...