Merry Christmas everyone.....

Ive been waiting..... stalling all week...wording this post over and over in my head.....but it just didn't suit the mood of the season to write this post earlier.... it seemed wrong to be anything other than chirpy.... but I cant hold off any longer...so here goes.....

...some things just take 'us' by surprise....in fact....some things just never happen to 'us'.....they happen to 'other people'.... well thats what I thought... it never entered my head that these things could and would happen to 'me'..... to hear the word 'cancer' used in the same sentence as me was plain nasty.... the blood drained from my body....and my ears froze over. I cant even describe that first 24 hours..... I felt so ill ... I couldn't grasp the news.... my mind literally raced like a movie on fast forward.

...so with just under two weeks to Christmas I was diagnosed with breast cancer......that dreaded lump in my boob wasn't the friendly type at all... and the wait began....always waiting....

I had great plans for Christmas..... I had things running to a tight schedule.....I still needed to shop for gifts....I needed to shop for food....I hadn't mailed a card... hadn't done the annual Christmas letter.....and I still had gifts I wanted to make.....

...the house we are building went into full swing.....the Electrician needed power points planned.... we had cabinets to choose...decisions needed to be made.

..the kids were finishing up school... Briony won an award and we needed to attend the school presentation night.....Mitch began a new job.... lots of happy occasions for the kids....lots of happy faces needed.

I was supposed to be at work.....I was supposed to be having an early Christmas at my place.... I was too busy for this....

but.... it was real....and I had to deal with it.

...so we waited the six days until my appointment in Adelaide with the specialist.... I thought I would almost die from anxiety the morning before my appointment....but I quickly learnt that...this was only the beginning of the waiting...and the anxiety.
I then had to have bone scans... chest x-rays (both clear...phew).... more biopsy's.... more bad news.... there is actually two lumps...not one... and finally this huge wait until January when I go back for my surgery.
It has been huge..... but I feel positive...and very lucky to have had a Doctor who ordered a re-check.... when there was no early indication for it.... I have been told twice now that someone was watching over me....they cant believe the manner in which this was found.....so I have to feel lucky about that.

I have without a doubt the most wonderful Husband ...I cant believe the amount of different ways he has found to lift my spirits....to distract...and entertain me.... he has been my rock...and I love him more and more for that.
I have the best kids in the world.... they were initially shocked and upset as you would imagine... but they have been wonderfully open.... encouraging and humorous.... and made it all so much easier than it could have been.
I am very lucky to have a close family network.... and I also have the best friends (both locally, away and online) and work colleagues in the world... my phone hasn't stopped... the offers of assistance....the shoulders.... the flowers.... I cant thank everyone enough... its very uplifting to get an email..... a phone call... an acknowledgment .... so to all of you....THANKYOU from the bottom of my heart.

...so after a week in Adelaide....Im sent home for Christmas....my surgery is planned.... and Im waiting..... Ian and I managed to finish the Christmas shopping in amongst the appointments.... I whipped up a Christmas letter.... I even made a few more of the gifts I had planned and I got the cards in the mail.
We had a lovely early Christmas with my family here in the weekend....Mum and Dad brought Grandma Lorna up.... we had a delicious traditional lunch.... and a lovely weekend... then today we were all up bright and early..... we opened presents just before 6am..... and I headed off to work.
Brent and Alex left after breakfast for Christmas lunch with Alex's family.....(ohhhh...and I must add....Alex's brother is doing well.....they woke him a few days prior to Christmas....and he has had his hip and ankle plated...it will still be a long recovery...but he is doing ok)
Then Ian, Mitch and Briony came over to my work for lunch. Sue (my work partners wife) cooked a lovely roast lunch and we spent it all together at work......it was a lovely Christmas.... and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well.....thats it for now.... and because I don't have any Christmas photos to share tonight....I'm going to share my layouts from Kims Christmas Extravaganza..... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this throughout December.... it was a hoot....thanks Kim.

...so......I hope you have all had the most wonderful magical Christmas days possible.... and I wish you all the very best for year ahead.....
xx