~The reason for the season~

So much has been going on in our lives lately, that when it finally calmed down enough today- I knew I needed to update a post on here for any of those that may stumble upon here anymore. There have been so many exciting changes in our lives. As expected, the Army decided it had been too long since we set up house in MD- and Matt received orders to Fort Bragg, NC. Luckily, we have both lived in this area of NC before, so it was a move we were happy to do. Even more exciting, we decided it was time to put down permanent roots, we bought our first home! After many hours of searching, Matt found us a home that is perfect- it's absolutely beautiful, with a nice yard- which makes it Daphney approved!:) However...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't very apprehensive going into the house buying process. I apologize in advance for the "dreary" tone of these next couple senteces. In honesty, these are the types of things I typically filter from most everyone, but after thinking often about this- I felt guilty for being stingy. Truthfully, these are the moments where I'm most able to share the light that God has been able to shine in my life despite the darkness of this illness, and keeping it to myself, I was being stingy with the very thing some may need to hear. Similar to the way that if I knew the cure to cancer I would be sharing it with anyone and everything for it's life saving potential, I feel the need to share this information with all of you as well. This is one of those times it crept from the back corner of my mind to the forefront, that monster. That monster that unfortunately has established residency in my brain- cancer. Almost every time we mentioned looking at houses, I had instantly had that thought "How can we even think of buying a house? What if I'm not here long enough to actually live in this house? How can I possibly fathom getting this house, and stick Matt with a huge loan when I'm gone? Why even bother finding my dream home- I should just be content in a basic rental for the time I have here" I allowed these thoughts to continue to bully me, and steal the joy from one of my biggest dreams. Key words there, I allowed these thoughts. Regardless of how well versed you are in the bible, what version you read, or whatever denomination of Christianity you believe in- it's really no secret that scripture states there are power in our words, and also that our mind is the greatest weapon we can hand over to the enemy. Growing up, my mom had relentlessly told me "If you want to sit around and mope, then that's how things will continue, negatively. Being upset is no reason to be unpleasant- count your blessings and you will see things get better". This is one of many times I am sure in my adult life I will begrudgingly admit, my parents were right. As I mentioned earlier, I was allowing these thoughts to corrupt my life and steal my joy. Yes, there is darkness in my life. I was diagnosed with this horrid hereditary disease, it had progressed to cancer, I did have to have the nasty chemicals of chemo pulsing through my veins, I underwent a challenging surgery that has forever changed my "normal" and what I see when I look in the mirror. But, that's not where my story ends. Not unless I chose for it to be. When I actually stepped back to look at my situation, these dark times are where God has shown brightest in my life. I have this ugly disease FAP, but God lined me up with doctors at Johns Hopkins, which also happens to be where some of the top FAP doctors are located; I had cancer, but that doesn't mean I have to act like I STILL do. In fact, the latest tests show that I am still healthy and I am about to come up on 2 years of disease free. Beyond that, I am quite possibly the healthiest I have been, undoubtedly much more active, and much more aware and watchful of what I am putting in my body. Unfortunately, I did have to go through those chemo treatments, but God's hand saw me through each of those treatments without major complications, and thankfully I barely have any neauropathy lingering this winter! (*Those of you that have dealt with neuropathy know that this last statement alone is praise worthy enough. haha:) I did undergo the Jpouch surgery, but God blessed me by putting me in the hands of a very skilled surgeon, Dr. Medich, who continues to be a god-send and helps me still to this day. After the challenges I faced recovering, I can say now that I can do pretty much anything I would like to, and when meeting a stranger on the street, they don't "see" anything from my surgery to make any preemptive judgements. Again, knowing so many other warriors that have fought this battle and had less favorable results, I know this is something to give thanks for.I have also secured a job that I enjoy, working with children again- and I have even lined up a few interviews with public elementary schools! As intimidating as it is to dip my toes back into the world of teaching, it's also very exciting to know that opportunity is on the horizon! So as you can see, in a nutshell, I had no reason to not pursue my dream of owing my own house. God has healed me, and has continued to release blessings on me and my family. Once I chose to recognize and focus on this and verbalize it, I saw things come into a much better perspective. Yes, the sickness could come back, but that is a bridge I will cross and deal with at that time if need be. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the gift that God has brought into my life, our new home that has opened a whole new adventure for us! Okay- coming back down from cloud nine... Although I am basking in the joy of the blessings in my life- that doesn't mean I am escaping the realities of my life as well. Unfortunately, as an FAP patient and cancer survivor, to some degree my calendar will always be marked with doctors appointments and tests. With the coming of the new year-- will also bring my next scans and bloodwork, as well as basically my annual "FAP check up", checking every nook and cranny of my body. Can we say anxiety? Add to that the fact that I will be switching doctors due to the move, and it gets even better. Just another time to put this "mind over matter" approach to the test, huh? If you could keep me in your prayers around that time I would appreciate it, and I promise to update and let you know how it all goes! I hope you all are getting ready for the holidays and preparing to spend time with your families! As for us, Matt and I will be making our Christmas trip, stopping in both PA and Indiana to see our families- I am so excited to be feeling well enough to enjoy every minute of it, and not having to rush back for treatment! Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”

Already?!

Wow- time truly does fly. As I sat down to write today, I realized I had never submitted my draft from November when I was going in for my 9 month scans. Now it is just about that time again, with my 1 year scan creeping up. On Monday, I will be doing the usual camp out at Hopkins for my CT scan and blood work. Then 4 days later I will be celebrating my 28th birthday. Yikes! When the heck did that happen?? I was a bit hesitant scheduling my scans that close to my birthday, but then I realized if I put them off until afterwards, I will just spend my birthday worrying, and more importantly- what greater birthday gift could I celebrate than 1 year cancer free?! I won't lie and say I don't have anxiety about the impending appointment, but I am really trying to trust in God and the fact that he's seen me through this far, I'm confident he can do it one more time. Over the past month or two I have had to take what I would call a "walk back through my cancer journey". Whether it be for the article I wrote about my experience with FAP or just trying to locate something for medical records, and for a lack of better words it was nothing short of traumatic. I didn't realize just how much re-reading old notes or medical records could rip all the wounds open again. It's still unbelievable to me how much has happened, and how much has changed in this short of a time. Thinking back to where I was a year ago, it is no doubt by the grace of God that I am where i am at today. I had not quite finished up my chemo, I was weak, dealing with neuropathy and hair loss, and trying to prep for my last surgery. Fast forward to today and it's hard to believe a body can recooperate that much in a year.I count my blessings that for the most part my life is now back to "normal", aside from those lovely 3 month check ups. However, in comparison with others who have been down this road I know I am very fortunate. I have not had to make any drastic changes, and most of those that I have made, I make by choice. I've learned more to watch what I eat (turns out this means more than just watching what goes in your mouth), eating way more fruits and veggies, trying to buy locally grown/organic produce when possible (I never wanted to be a grocery snob, but the whole pesticide ordeal scares the crap out of me..too much time on your hands after surgeries leads to way too much time to read on the internet.), cutting processed foods and sugar way back or or out entirely, relying mainly on fish/chicken with a little bit of red meat, supplementing with some vitamins and seriously increasing my intake of water. Since all of this has happened, water has basically became my go to drink, it's pretty odd to see me without a bottle of water in my hand. Unless of course there's a coffee cup. :) Lots of people say you should kick the habit of coffee. Not happening. It is one of my true loves in life and I just ain't parting with it. haha OH, and most importantly I've tried to making exercising much more a part of my routine and not just random spurts. It's pretty hard to do, especially in the snow fall we have been having lately- but it's worth it in the end! Certainly doesn't hurt my health at all and research shows it can improve survival rates in cancer survivors. I apologize for that little bit of a rant, but it seems with each day I hear of more and more people affected by cancer, and it breaks my heart. Even more scary, it seems to be that there are more and more young people it is reaching. I don't know whether it was because I grew up in a small town and my world is now more diversified, but I never remember knowing of this many people dealing with some sort of cancer diagnosis. There's all sorts of suggestions as to what's causing this increase, but no one seems to have any answers. The only thing known for sure is it is definitely relevant to all of us. Whether it be a hereditary cancer like mine was, sarcoma, leukemia, etc., in today's world it is touching all of us and I can't express how important it is to do whatever you can do in means of prevention. On to some other news--I am a bit late on this but, my brother Kaleb and his wife Fabi welcomed their first child, baby Thomas, into the world in November. He is beyond precious and I love him to pieces! I have full intentions on spoiling him and becoming favorite Aunt. It's so weird to me to see all my brothers as fathers now, but it's also amazing and I feel so blessed that I'm here to see all of it. I am hoping to sneak a few pics of Thomas in this post for you all. Luckily, he takes after Fabi and got his looks from her side of the family! :) haha The smallest things really do show us what is important in life. :)

AND Matt and I have a new addition to our family. Our new puppy Daphney! :) Daphney is a mini australian shepherd and was my surprise early birthday present from Matt this year. She is such a sweetheart, and a complete ball of energy! She is definitely keeping me busy, but it's hard to complain about that when it comes to this face.

It sounds like the warmer weather is finally coming this weekend, so I hope you all get out to enjoy it. Please keep us in your prayers, as I will continue to pray for you all. It seems like life can be so crazy and busy lately, and I've really found this verse to be helpful. In a world where we are trained to go,go,go- how hard it can be to just stop. But he truly means it, if you will only be still, God will fight your battles on your behalf. God bless! "The LORD will fight for you, you need only be still. Exodus 14:14

Thanks!

Wow! It's hard to believe so much time has passed so quickly. I was just thinking on the way to work this morning how quickly the time has gone by. Just a year ago, we were in the midst of treatments, and I had, for a lack of better words, holed up at home. I had no desire to go outside of the house for much, and I pretty much didn't. Now, here I am a year later, quite the opposite! I am back to working 4 days a week, keeping up with the housework (or trying to at least..haha), running most days (I even get to sneak a few days of running with my favorite running partner, the hubbs, every now and then!), and being busy on most weekends. What a blessing! Before this whole ordeal I would have never thought of "being busy" as a blessing, now I know it is nothing short of that, and thank God every day that I am able to count that blessing.  I apologize for not updating more regularly, I always have full intentions of updating at least a month, but as we know, life creeps up and plans change. :) Thankfully my mom picked up the ball and covered for me the last time. Haha. As she reported, I had my 6 months scans in August and was given the all clear for another 3 months. So we will head back at the end of November for my next scan, and God willing, receive the same results. I can't express enough gratitude for all of the prayers you have been sending my way- please keep them coming! The first two years after treatment are the most crucial, as that is when most recurrences creep up. I am fully confident that with your prayers and God on my side, I will make it to the 2 year mark all clear, and each 3 month check mark is just another reason to for praise and thanksgiving!

If you missed my mom's previous post, we have two other reasons for praise in our family lately! Two babies! Kalen, Trisha, and Jack welcomed Miss Cora into the family about a week ago, and Kaleb and Fabi  are expecting their baby boy in just a few short months! :) Unfortunately, I have yet to meet baby Cora, but she is absolutely gorgeous in her pictures (There's been some chatter she looks like her favorite aunt??), and I can't wait to snuggle up to her soon. I've even heard big brother Jack might be liking her a little bit as well. I'm a sucker for babies, there's no way around it, and I'm hoping God will bless us with a family sooner rather than later, but these two will certainly curb my baby fever for awhile! :) haha

And yet another blessing, Matt and I were finally able to go on vacation! :) Due to my diagnosis coming right after our wedding, we truly didn't have time for a honeymoon as we had to move full speed ahead with treatments. So we promised ourselves that once this was all done and over with, we would go somewhere. Holding on to that thought kept me going many times when things got ugly... and thank God, we finally made it! We just returned from Montego Bay, and it was absolutely amazing. I feel bad because every time someone asks about the trip, that's what I tell them, but there are just no other words for it. The whole entire trip was utterly amazing. The most simple and obvious reason being the fact that Matt and I finally had a chance to get away from everything, and remember what brought us together in the first place. It was so nice to be able to focus on and appreciate each other, and gave me the time to celebrate the fact that I am married to the most amazing man I know. How I ended up with such a selfless, considerate husband is beyond me, but I will never get tired of thanking God for that blessing. ;)  Beyond that, Jamaica itself was just breathtaking. The scenery was awesome, clear blue waters, a beautiful mountain back drop outside of our room, and such vibrant colors in both the wildlife and the agriculture, I could go on for hours. lol. The culture as a whole was inspiring. It's a shame we don't see more of that here in the states. Everybody was in a good mood/happy/helpful! I don't think we dealt with one person that wasn't outgoing and helpful. Granted, most would say this is because they are paid to be that way, but to me it seemed more than that. It seemed as though it was innate. And the food there..don't even get me started on that. I'm pretty sure Matt and I gained 10 lbs while being there. It'll be time for some serious dieting in the Fausset household now. lol. I would say the coolest part of the whole trip was the snorkeling we were able to do a few days. It was so neat! Seeing all of the different creatures in the ocean, and feeling jellyfish and other fish, awesome!  I've often heard that people feel closer to God/God's presence by the water, and it's definitely true for me. I've always been a beach baby at heart, and this trip sent me home feel completely refreshed and renewed.

Please continue to keep us in prayer, and we will continually pray for all of your as I know there are so many of that need it right now.. but also remember that just as important as it is to ask for God's help, it is equally important to praise for the blessings already given to us. I heard something before that has always stuck with me; "What if all you woke up with tomorrow, is what you thanked God for today?". It's a very good point. Each of us have something to be thankful for, whether big or small. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the crisp fall weather that is upon us now!

2nd one down!!

I was just checking in to see if Meg has had time to keep this blog updated and not surprised to see that the post are few and far between! It is sooo easy now at this point to forget the past year and get distracted from what has happened. And then a little reminder pops it's ugly head up...like her 6 month scans. But once again things have went well and she remains clear. Also good news is that they can now start thinking about that family she has always wanted..no rush though b/c we already have 2 new ones on the way..1 any day now and 1 in September. It has been such a busy summer with so many good things going on that I have to remind myself  to remember that in the middle of the darkest day God was there and remains there even when we are too busy enjoying this life to truly take time and appreciate the way he holds us close. So thank you Lord for this latest blessing!

A year gone by??

Whoa- it has almost been a year already?! It is so baffling to me to think about a year ago I had just found out that I most likely had cancer, my husband was in Afghanistan, I was trying to plan a wedding, and prep for an upcoming surgery....only to hear the other shoe drop, and face 6 months of chemo. The silver lining behind all that is that it simply amazes me to think how much life can change in a year, and what amazing power prayer and faith in God has. There is no doubt in my mind, where I stand today is thanks to all of you and your many many prayers, and good thoughts, and the love of God.

So sorry that it has been so long since I have updated..Matt and I have been so busy lately, but I'll take it! I love the fact that thanks to all of your prayers, I am feeling well enough to BE busy. Let's see where everything is at now.. I had my reversal the first week in March. Just for anyone who stumbles across this blog that is in the same boat I was in and unfortunately needs to go through this operation, the best advice I can give you is what everybody tried to tell me, but I didn't listen- STAY AWAY FROM THE INTERNET!! Leading up to my surgery I read so many horror stories, I was convinced the whole surgery was going to be traumatic, and that recovery was going to be even worse. I was sure that my life was going to be confined to my house, and therefore I didn't make many plans to do anything afterwards. Everyone in my family tried to discourage me away from reading these stories, but I was sure they didn't know what they were talking about since they weren't "in my shoes"... (yep, insert foot into mouth now.) That is not to say that there isn't a lot of great advice out there- just be sure to proceed with caution,  and filter!! Not every scenario will happen to you..everybody is different, every person heals differently, and the power of prayer really does deliver miracles.

Somewhere in all the negative thoughts, my stubborn attitude came through and I made three goals following my surgery. #1. Get back to work, somehow, somewhere. I felt terrible for not contributing to our monthly bills, and also it was just driving me nuts being home all day! #2. Be able to comfortably attend Matt's Army ball..(anybody that knows me knows that I have pretty much been looking forward to this since the day I met Matt.lol) #3. Participate in the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5k.

Well I can tell you I have now completed all three of those goals!! :) Looks like I will have to set some more goals soon. Recovery from surgery was MUCH easier than I anticipated, I was back on my feet and feeling better in no time at all. Actually, I am just about to the point now where I am feeling back to "normal" (or as close to normal as I have ever been.. ha!) and it is SO nice. I made it through my recovery with no complications yet *knock on wood*, had my 3 month scans in May- which were clear, and had my port removed! Such a simple thing, but it was so nice to remove the last physical reminder of this battle, aside from my fantastic scars or "battle wounds" of course.

In the midst of all these other happenings, Matt and I also moved into a new place last weekend. Thank God for Jodie and Tom being so generous and helping us with a place to stay for many months, but like my mom has always said, you don't want to overstay your welcome, and it was time for us to get on our own feet. We found a place much closer to Matt's work (actually he can run to work if he wants...bets are open, who thinks this will happen?!). Although I am not enjoying all the unpacking that comes along with moving, it has been nice for us to get a fresh start- a new place, without cancer. :)

Goal #1- 6 weeks after surgery I started working as a nanny for a 15 month old boy, Grady, and an awesome family! They have been super supportive of everything that may pop up in my life, and it has been a great transition for me back into working.

Goal #2- Matt and I made it to the ball in the Inner Harbor and had a blast! It was just what we both needed. Luckily, we had some good friends to spend the night with as well.

Goal #3- Participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5k with Lacee, Brandy, and Vicki and had a kick ass time!! Not only is this an accomplishment I am proud of due to the fact that it is 4 months out from me finishing chemo, I'm proud of this period because I don't run..unless I'm being chased by T-Rex or something serious like that.

Agh- I have some great pics of ALL of these goals to share with you, but in typical fashion, my computer won't cooperate. BUT I will try again tomorrow so just try to have some patience with me. :)

Matt's brother Brian and his girlfriend Lacee came out to visit us for the week. Such a good time! Always a great time having company, but so quiet after they leave. Hopefully they are back soon!!

More exciting news- we will have another niece, and either a niece or nephew this fall! I can't wait, love spoiling them!

Sorry for rambling, but there's been so much going on. I apologize in advance for not updating much- but that just means life is good. Life is calm again, and I am back out enjoying it, rather than hanging out in hospitals with doctors. I would much rather it that way, what about you?! As I always say, thank you SO much for the continued prayers and love. Although things are good now, I know with something like this I am never completely "out of the woods", and I know now is not the time to stop praying- so please keep them coming if you can! :)

Hope you all are out and about enjoying the start to your summer!

Full circle!!

  I just thought I would be nice and post some on here to be a good supportive mother for Meghan, plus I am really overjoyed at where we are now in our lives! It seems that we have came full circle from where we started this time last year. It was in April that we were planning a wedding without any major concerns about her health. It is because I have just came back from spending  a week with her and it was fantastic! I count my blessings that God has brought us to this point and I have a wonderful husband that will let me run away when I want to. Also on a side note the house doesn't even look too bad for him "baching" it for a week.
  It was such a joy to go to Meghan's and see how happy she was to play "hostess" (we pretended for Jim"s sake that she needed me to stay while Matt was away but she would have been fine without me). Their house is coming along so nicely and looks so cozy! I was so proud of the way she has went from a young girl to being a wife with a home of her own to take care of and enjoy making a home with!
 But it was wonderful and combining that with the fact that we had just had a great time at her benefit along with the knowledge that she has had the support then and though-out this journey of so many wonderful people ..it was just one of those special times in life that remind you of how lucky you are. We did manage to be slightly serious though 1 day and went to Hopkins to get her blood work done for the genetic testing
(once again thank-you to everyone who made this possible! now we can hopefully find out where this monster came from and the risks for the children in the family) But mainly we were just a young wife and 'mom' bonding while being tourist because we didn't have the time/focus or energy when we were together in that area before this.
Before I finish this I would just like to say a few things about her benefit for anyone who might not be on facebook much and is still keeping up with her blog. It was wonderful and there are so many who helped to make it a success!! It took a lot of effort from  her brother Jamie and Dad to pull it all together and even though at 1st it seems a bad date because of Easter it actually worked out well and provided a reason for so many of the family to be here for both events. She is lucky to have them both in her corner. I don't know what would have happened if her Uncle Greg and Jim along with help from Sibonne Voss weren't there to man the entrance tables with the tickets for different things. ( I know that I have spelled her name wrong but this "lady" was a god send and I wanted to acknowledge that I really appreciated her help! So sorry about the spelling. Also it is important to mention that I was no help at all!! Not really sure why but I was pretty much worthless even though I tried ..I just couldn't get it together to actually be much help. So for that I apologize. There are so many others though that did help ..the Summit Staff and Tracie that helped set up & tear down along with donating their time..the family, friends and local businesses that donated food for the event..the donations for the Chinese auction and silent auctions..Everyone who took time from spending it with their family on a holiday to show their support..those that bought tickets or even just made a monetary donation..and they are still coming in!! (how lucky she is and I can attest to how appreciative she is each time she gets even just a card from someone.) The gentleman that won the 50/50 and then donated it back and the list goes on and on....
And this is why I don't often post on here Meggie..I just don't seem to know when to quit typing. But thank-you, thank-you for supporting her and LIFE IS GOOD!

Survived Surgery!! :)

Sorry for being so late in this update..I really hoped someone else would have felt ambitious enough to put an update in the past two weeks for you guys, in hopes that it would be something a bit more interesting than my usual blog posts for y'all! haha Anyway, as you can tell, I survived surgery #2 just fine. After LOTS of anticipation, it went much better than I, and I think the rest of my family as well, expected. Surgery took place as planned on March 7th, for once I didn't decide to take longer in the OR than anticipated, and I made it out on time! I was fortunate enough to have Matt, my mom, Jim, my dad, and Mike and Brian that all made the trip to be there for support. Thank you all! I love you guys. :) Thanks to the advice I had received from some friends that had gone through this surgery, I was up out of the bed and walking LOTS of laps as soon as the nurses would let me.. I wasn't quite as stubborn this time around and nobody had to force me..lol.. the walking seemed to help tremendously.Luckily I only had to stay in the hospital for 3 days and was discharged on Sunday- I'm pretty sure Matt and my mom would have killed me if either had to sleep in the hospital another night. lol. I also had lots of visitors to keep me company/distract me again while I was in the hospital this time around, thank-you!! In addition to all the visitors, I also had pretty much the same team of nurses I had last time.. they are awesome! If you ever have to be in the hospital, the people in 6 South at Passavant have to be some of the most caring, warm hearted people. We even managed to get our Team Meghan T-shirts signed by just about everyone, and snapped a picture on the day of my discharge.

After being discharged Sunday, we made the trip to Waynesburg to attend my grandfather's viewing. He had passed while I was in the hospital..it is such an unfortunate event and a huge loss to all of us, but I was glad to be able to make it and see him one last time, and also see some family members I haven't seen in way too long- although it would be much nicer to see them all under better circumstances next time! Tom Dulaney, you were such a fighter, and will be missed and carried in our hearts forever.

Since then I have been home, between Brockport and Ridgway, recovering. I am so happy to say that this recovery has NOTHING on the last one! Thanks to all of your prayers I am sure, this recovery has been pretty uneventful for the most part. The pain has been manageable, I have mainly been doing a whole lot of sleeping to catch up, and my appetite is even starting to come back..which for anybody that knows me, knows that surely this is no concern, everyone has no doubt the fat kid in me will be back in no time. lol I love food way too much to expect anything besides that. This time around we have had no issues with dehydration, no admissions to the hospital, and even the ugly incision they left me after the surgery is starting to heal up! *I will do you all a favor and NOT post a picture of that..lol* Mom and I made the trip to Dr. Medich's office yesterday for my follow up appointment and so far they are pleased and everything looks great! So that means Friday I will be heading back to MD.. I am very excited to see my wonderful husband again finally, not so excited about returning to those wifely duties. haha..

Even better news about this smooth recovery? I will be seeing you all at the Team Meghan Benefit coming up in a few weeks! I am really looking forward to seeing you all, and being able to thank you all in person for your love, support, and prayers! :) You have been absolutely amazing. Keep them coming--This is no doubt another step in the right direction on the road to recovery, but I know well enough we still have quite a long road ahead. Thank you! Hope you all are staying warm- I know if nothing else, I will be glad to be back in MD for the weather..lol The first day of Spring, and up here in PA it just seems that we keep getting more and MORE snow!

Well..Here goes nothing!

First of all- thank you to everyone who attended my "birthday party" on facebook, and anyone that popped in to read my mom's last blog entry, and for the comments. :) Also, thank you to my momma for taking the time to be so thoughtful and putting a smile on my face by doing those things. Although I was away from everyone on my birthday, I really didn't feel alone at all. I felt so much love from you all and my "team" everywhere!

So the big day is almost here- I will be honest, I am a big ball of nervous and anxious today..but I am trying with all I've got to be productive. lol . Matt and I will leave tomorrow to head to Pittsburgh..that is, if Mother Nature cooperates. Of course Maryland would decide to get it's snow storm now, when we have to travel. ha! So some prayers for safe travels would be greatly appreciated. :) Then the real fun begins. The hospital will call sometime Wednesday to let me know what time surgery is on Thursday. Yikes. I know the end result will completely be worth it, but I DREAD the idea of being back in the hospital. Something about shots, the oh-so-comfortable hospital beds, and the 2am wake ups from nurses needing your vitals just doesn't really do it for me. However, I am looking forward to the fact that I should have about the same group of nurses as I did last time, which is a huge relief- they were nothing short of amazing. :)

According to Dr. Medich, this surgery should not be nearly as intense as the first surgery. His words exactly were, last time I felt like I was hit by a train, this time I should only feel like I got hit by a truck. Agh- we're supposed to find comfort in that?? haha. But it gets better- then he goes on to tell me I will feel like someone is stabbing me in the stomach with a knife- but that will be controlled with pain meds. Now I could be wrong here, as I have never been stabbed before, but I can't imagine that is a pleasant feeling either?? The good news is that, if all goes as planned and my body cooperates, I should only be in the hospital for about 3 days. Yay!! From what I can understand, there will be about 2 weeks following the surgery that things will be really rough, but after that things should start to improve. So going with that frame of mind, I should be doing okay by the time the Team Meghan fundraiser rolls around at the end of this month..at the very least I want to attend for whatever time I can handle to see all of you that have been supporting us every step of this journey!

I am sure one of the family members will be keeping tabs on this place after surgery to give y'all some updates...they are better at coming up with interesting updates anyway! haha. Hope everybody is having a great week..thank you in advance for all the prayers this week/weekend..and here's to kicking butt and closing this chapter. Love you all!

~God Bless

Happy Birthday Dear..It's YOUR party!

Happy birthday to you! I am trying to have a party for you but it is a little difficult when you live in a different state! I tried to create an event on facebook and invite ppl to post on here for you today but..you know my computer skills! Please don't think you are all alone and no one cares if the party is a bust and nobody comes. I can't believe everything we have been through in the last year and how unexpected a good bit of it was. Maybe sometimes it isn't good to know EVERYTHING the future holds. But I have seen more good than bad and look forward to what the next year will bring for you. I have always looked forward to each new stage as you grew and maybe that is why as the years past that I didn't seem to have as many negative feelings/sadness for the parts left behind that some parents do. Although not much compares to small hands and dirty faces or sweet sleeping smiles and damp ringlets.
This year I have seen you develop into a strong young woman that brings with it the knowledge that  now can definitely quit worrying about who will take care of me when I am old. I feel confident that as changes continue to come in your life, you will be able to meet them head-on, overcoming the obstacles that life often brings with it's joys. So happy birthday and even if it's "your party" don't cry..just stay in your pjs, eat bon-bons and watch soaps all day if you want! Love you.

And the craziness begins..

So these next few months are going to be super crazy- BUT I have it in my mind it's going to be a good kind of crazy, and I'm sticking with that. A positive frame of mind is half the battle, right? So chemo is officially done- yay! No Mo Chemo, at least if I have any say in the matter! All the blood work looks great, CT scans came back clean..which basically translates to a break from the oncologist's office for about three months. :) Don't get me wrong, there is still an incredibly long road ahead of me; surgery, check ups/blood work/scans every 3 months, Genetics counseling, etc.....however. I think this is an awesome first step in the right direction, and I'm going to take it and run with it right now. God is so good, and certainly heard all of your prayers- thank you. :)

Also on the medical side of things- Matt and I made the trip to Pittsburgh to meet with my surgeon at UPMC to see if everything looks okay for surgery- after a very long day, and a ridiculously fun test (I wish you could sense my sarcasm through a computer...lol) Dr. Medich said all looks great, and surgery is a go for March 7th. He's basically told me to prepare for roughly two weeks of hell after the surgery, but after that things should start looking up. The way I'm calculating things, that should put me right in the right time frame to see all of you that are able to attend the benefit. :) As and added bonus, we made the trip to Waynesburg the night before our appointment so we didn't have to wake up QUITE so early on Wednesday, and we were able to see Aunt Linda, Katrina, and Uncle Greg, my momma and my grandpa Tom...always a plus! Our families have been such a huge support for us through all this, and I know I am very fortunate to have that as many people don't, they are certainly something I thank God for everyday. It was especially important to me to see my grandpa as he is fighting his own battle with cancer right now- if you could, please keep him in prayer. He's stubborn as the day is long, and I have complete confidence he can continue to fight, he just needs a bit of help right now. Thank you! :)

The weekend before our trip to Pittsburgh, my dad and Nancy made it down to visit. We had a great time! Matt and I met up with them in the Inner Harbor, and we had a delicious dinner by the water (yes, I'm still a fat kid that loves food at heart. lol), and then made it back to our house where dad helped me build a makeshift garden at our place. I'm posting a picture my dad and I took by the harbor..completely terrible pic of me (it was FREEZING), but it's proof that my dad does travel sometimes. haha.

So it'll be birthday celebration next week, then time to prep for surgery. Then a little bit of recovery time, then Matt's family is coming to visit for a bit, then we'll be back up to Ridgway for Easter/Team Meghan benefit. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends! :) Also, quite a few people have asked how they can donate to the benefit, if they aren't able to attend/don't wish to buy tickets...to resolve that issue we have created a website where you can donate pretty easily.. if you are interested, just let me or my dad know and we'll get the website out to you.

I can't believe I almost forgot one of the most exciting parts of my life the past couple weeks..I'm going to be an aunt again!!! :) I can't wait! I love my nieces and nephew to pieces, and one more will just be all the better.

Hope you all are doing well and have a great day...God bless you all!

You go Girl!!

I just wanted to share that I am so proud of you for continuing to share on your blog. Life gets so busy that I haven't even thought about it in quite awhile. It is somewhat strange to be facing the end of this trial in your life. The year has went by, with so many changes that it seems both a lifetime away from where we started to actually hard to believe it is time for the "beginning of the end" of it all. Although I am sure it seems longer to you since you are the one dealing physically along with emotionally and mentally.
But I have been impressed with your strength and faith throughout this battle and am still amazed at times with how you have coped and grown as you have traveled through this valley. Keep in mind..it's just over that next hill, around the bend and then you will be ready to take on the world again!!

Final Chemo Day!

So it's quickly approaching..my last chemo treatment! I am scheduled for #12 on Monday, and I can't wait to get it over with!! Although we will probably be pretty tired after staying up for the Super Bowl Sunday. :) As nice as my nurses have been throughout all this, it'll be great to not have to see them again!! I know I have been asking you all for prayers throughout this journey, but I'd like to ask you if you have a spare moment this weekend, or Monday to send up a prayer specifically for the last treatment to go uneventfully- AND for my blood work to show that the cancer has taken a hike and is out of my system. It would really mean a lot to me, thank you!

After Monday, we have a pretty calm month- which I intend to spend the whole month celebrating..there are two major events, chemo is over and my birthday is at the end of the month. What more of a an excuse could a girl want?! Other than celebrating, we also have a few medical events coming up this month. On the 13th, we meet with the genetics doctor again, Dr. Giardiello, again to go over the results of the gene test. Matt and I met with him last month so he could basically go over all the specifics related to FAP, the genetic disease they suspect I have, and to do blood tests to identify the specific mutation within my genes. Then, on the 20th we will travel back up to Pittsburgh to meet with Dr. Medich at UPMC to see if all is a go for my next surgery. To be honest, I was somewhat putting off posting about this, merely because I didn't want to get ahead of myself and jinx any hopes of the surgery being able to take place. But after a lot of thought, I realized it has been all the love, support, and prayers from all of you that have got me this far in my journey, so how could it not make sense to include you all in this event, in a time that I can definitely use all the prayers and support! Dr. Medich will run a few tests, make sure everything has recovered from the last surgery and chemo, and then if all looks well we will be scheduled to see him again March 7th for surgery. This surgery *should* be a lot less uneventful, and a good bit less recovery than the last one. Although, as anyone in my family can tell you, for some reason when it comes to hospitals/surgeries, I seem to like to stick around a few extra days, so I am hoping that is not the case with this one! Regardless, whatever recovery may entail, my goal is to be recovered and well enough to see all of you at the Team Meghan benefit on the 31st.

I hope all is well with all of you. As always, thank you for all of your continued love, support, and prayers- keep them coming!! We could not do any of this without all of you..

Just wanted to share this- It's a scripture that has been really helpful for me to remember during this trial, and really it can apply to all of us with the many things life throws at us. :)

Team Meghan Benefit

Just a quick update on some more information we have on the Team Meghan benefit we are having on March 31st. I apologize for those of you that have Facebook, and have already seen this, just trying to do my best to keep everyone up to date. There are several people selling tickets at this point. If you would like to purchase a ticket, please feel free to contact me, my dad, or my brother, Jamie Cobaugh. Most likely we will be able to point you in the best direction. :) Tickets are selling for $10/ea. and enter you for the chance to win some really great prizes! In addition to the prizes listed on the tickets, there are also going to be door prizes given away that day. Just today Tammy E. Photography donated a photography session. Awesome!! Posted below are the pictures I have so far of the prizes listed on the ticket. Please let me know if any of you have any additional questions, and as always, thank you for your support! Hope to see you all there.

Team Meghan mugs handcrafted by Geno Boni, with some amazing penmanship by Samatha Carson!

$250 gift certificate for Summt Motel. Yum!

$500 Gift Certificate donated by Paint My World Designs by Nancy Tomaski. Her work is breathtaking!

Thank you, Tammy! :)

Stainless Steel Muzzle Loader Rifle generously donated by Ralph Dussia

Vera Bradley travel set donated by South Street Botanical Designs

Who couldn't use a good mani/pedi? "Pampering Package" donated by the wonderful ladies at Hello Beautiful.

Happy New Years! :)

I hope everyone had a very happy New Years! Here's hoping 2013 brings a year full of health, happiness and peace to us all. Our New Years was bittersweet. Matt and I managed to make it back from our holiday travels in time for treatment #10, unfortunately my white blood count didn't want to cooperate and was a tad low, so treatment was delayed until next week. :(  Similar to the last delay I had, I was pretty bummed out, but in all honesty it was most likely a blessing in disguise because between getting in so late Sunday night and all the traveling we did leading up to Monday, I was exhausted, so I can only imagine how tired I would have been had we done the treatment. So we are spending this week seeing how much my body will raise the white blood count on it's own, and we will try again for treatment #10 next Monday. Any thoughts and prayers you can send our way would be greatly appreciated! That was our negative side of the holiday, but on a positive note, my cousin Katrina and her boyfriend came down for a surprise visit. That was awesome news!! :) I love that girly, and her visit was long overdue...hadn't had a chance to catch up with her in person since June, and since that was in the hospital and I don't remember most conversations, it doesn't count. lol. On top of that, we all went over to Lisa's and spent the night eating lots of yummy food and hanging out with most of the Kelly crew! :)

Before I get into the rambling about the events of our Christmas travels, I need to take a minute to dote on my loving husband for a minute. As I mentioned earlier, this was the first Christmas Matt and I have spent together and we were both looking forward to it quite a bit. A few days before we left for our travels, Matt surprised me with having my favorite flower, lilies, delivered to the house! :) I don't care how old you are, or how much you want to "claim" to not like flowers...getting a surprise flower delivery puts a smile on anyone's face! He also surprised me with a beautiful bracelet for a Christmas present..all the while putting up with my frantic, crazy, tactics I had while rushing all around the past week or so. lol .. It truly still amazes me that I am lucky enough to be married to such a thoughtful, patient, and understanding man. I can't say enough about how much his love and support helps me.

So there's quite a bit to update about our holiday travels...I will try not to make it too confusing, but no promises. haha. We made it to Pennsylvania without running into any snow storms, and fortunately for me, I was able to see quite a few people in just a few short days! I made a stop down at Hello Beautiful, where the amazing ladies took the day to pamper me..I got a kick ass pedicure and a new hair do finally! Matt and I were able to meet up with Brandy Raubenstrach, her adorable girls, and a surprise visit from her mom,. Moe as well!! Nothing like a day of pedicures and Godfather sandwhich from Aiello's to make a girl feel good. :) We stopped over to catch up with our friends at Fox Township, and were lucky enough to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and good Christmas stories with our first grade friends over there. (Awesome to see everyone, but really made me remember how much I miss teaching/being in the schools. :(...I'm determined to make it back someday.) Finally, Katie Burkhouse, Brittany Roof, and Cyndi Burkett all took time out of their day to stop by for a visit. It was great just to spend a few hours chatting and catching up with them! I'm pretty sure this was the first time I was able to see friends AND family white I was home, and it was so nice. Thank you all!

Aside from all those visits, we were also blessed to spend some quality time with our families. We had a wonderful Christmas at both my mom's and my dad's, spending lots of time catching up with my brothers and their families, as well as many cousins and my aunt and uncle (also a long overdue visit!)...all the while, surviving the snow that decided to come while we were there. It was so much fun seeing the little ones really enjoying Christmas this year!

Next we made our trip out to Indiana. A whole other bunch of good times! I'd say this visit was the most overdue. It really had been quite awhile since we were in Indiana, and we were both happy to be able to make it out there to see everyone. We were able to spend time catching up with Matt's parents, his brothers and their families, cousins, aunts and uncles. I even had the chance to meet one of his aunts I hadn't met yet! We both enjoyed playing with our niece and nephew out there that are growing up way too fast!! Matt and his brothers enjoyed a night at the IU basketball game and had a blast, while us girls went to get our nails done. (I know....not my favorite sport by any means, but it made him happy so that's what matters...BTW- I also want to note I was able to keep my mouth shut for over a month and keep this a surprise..that's a huge feat for me. lol) ..He also managed to hurt his ankle while playing basketball with his brother *turns out he can't keep up with the young bucks quite as well as he thought..haha*. I'm attaching a picture of the phenomenal cake that Matt's cousins Mallery and Macy let me help them with. These girls are seriously like the next up and coming cake bosses! They made a 4 layer cake for our Christmas dinner, and included all the bells and whistles you could imagine. The cake was delicious, but I think the process of making it was the most fun! :)

Although the holidays can be hectic, it really is truly worth it all when everyone is able to take time to slow down and really enjoy all the wonderful people we have in our lives, and enjoy how blessed we all are. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!

Aside from all the Christmas happenings, we were also able to work on and iron out some details for our upcoming fundraiser. After devoting much of their time and effort to this, my dad and brothers have created a fundraiser event that will take place in March. If any of you are interested, I am going to list some basic information about the event, as well as attaching a picture of the tickets we will be using. If you have any additional questions, or would like to help in anyway, please feel free to contact me, my dad, or my brother Jamie. Before I get any further, I also want to thank everyone who has already helped with this; South Street Botanical Designs, River Valley Surplus, Hello Beautiful, Paint My World, Gene Boni with Appalachian Arts, and all of you that are already helping us by selling tickets on our behalf.

 So here's the basic info in a nutshell. We are having a raffle fundraiser, as well as giving away some door prizes on March 31st, at the Summit Motel. Tickets are being sold for $10/ea, and you have the chance to win some really amazing prizes. If you live out of town, or will not be able to attend that day, do not worry. Prizes won will be able to be shipped. I think that covers almost everything, but as I mentioned earlier, feel free to ask if you have any questions!

As always, thank you all for your love and support! Hope you all are doing well, and we are wishing you all a very happy and blessed New Year!

"The Storms of Our Life Prove the Strength of Our Anchor"

Many people say everything happens for a reason, and while I would not neccesarily say there is a "reason" this trial has happened to me, there have certainly been many blessings. For example, personal relationships for both myself and Matt have been strengthened through all of this. I know I have had a chance to get back in contact with many people I may have not talked to in years, as well as meeting many wonderful new people along the way. Beyond this, however, what sticks out to me the most is all of the acts of kindness you all have bestowed upon us along the way. Be it a card in the mail to say you are thinking of us, an unexpected, but very welcome donation, help with fundraisers, support through fundraisers, support to our families, or even just a phone call to say hi and that you are keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.. each time it blows me away, and truly warms my heart. Which brings me to my next point. I apologize in advance to those of you that have facebook and have already seen this post, however, I didn't feel right not sharing it with the people that do not have facebook. This week, I returned home to find an absolutely wonderful surprise! I came home one evening to find a package on my porch from Jill Croker (friend who is nothing short of amazing)... I opened it up to find a bracelet that I had found one day while purusing the internet, and hadn't really mentioned it to anyone. But a group of my friends from highschool; Christa Buck, Megan Buehler, Brittany Roof, Cyndi Burkett, Jill Croker and Katie Burkhouse, had all chipped together and sent this to me. I won't lie, it definitely brought tears to my eyes! Don't get me wrong, I have always known we had a special group of friends, since highschool. Granted we have always had our ups and downs, but our class has had an ability to really stand behind and support each other in times of need, and that is exactly what this amazing group of ladies did. Thank you all for putting so much thought into this gift for me. Now everyday when I am wearing it, each time I look down I get a reminder that I am not alone in this fight, I am loved, supported and thought of often by all of you, which continues to give me the strength and courage I need for this. (Just as a side note..Jill had mentioned this bracelet could "tide me over" until I get my tattoo...I had to quickly correct her, this bracelet is a whole lot less painful, and doesn't involve all the needles a tattoo does..the tattoo can wait. I have had my fill of needles for now!) Check out the picture of the bracelet below..it's so unique! I believe they are still on etsy if anybody is interested in one. :)

 So tomorrow is treatment #9! YAY! ....3 more. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am for this countdown. If all goes as planned, we should be done with treatment #12 on January 28th. So far, everything is going as well as can be expected..although the hair is still thinning quite a bit :-/ ...Ugh. Call me vain, but it is certainly not an easy thing for a girl to take. However, if that is the worse that I get in getting rid of this nasty stuff, I'll suck it up and take it. If you all could, please keep us in prayer tomorrow, and the rest of the week. Lately, it has seemed to be a trend that Matt and I end up in the ER over the weekend. We have had two scares lately, but thanks to the power of prayer, both times it has turned out to be nothing, and we have been able to come home the same night without being admitted. (Always a plus!) BUT, I am sure there has to be better things to do on the weekend than hang out at the ER, so if you could say a prayer that we don't end up there again, we would greatly appreciate it. :) Another big thing coming up is meeting with the genetics counselor in January. Yikes. I'm really not sure how I feel about that yet, but I figure the positive is that at least after that we will have a much better idea with what we are exactly dealing with, and in turn be able to develop an even better plan of prevention for the years to follow. Also, we have a fundraiser in the works that I believe is going to take place on March 31st. It is a raffle fundraiser, with some pretty awesome prizes! I am hoping to get a post on here soon explaining it more in detail. If you would like to know anything more about it, please feel free to ask me, my brother Jamie, or my dad.

So Christmas...snuck up pretty quick, right? Or was that just me? haha. We did manage to get a tree up in the house though! This is the first year Matt and I will be spending a Christmas together, so it is pretty exciting! We are leaving this week to make our cross country trek (or so I like to call it. haha.) We are going to spend a few days in PA, a few days in Indiana, then make our trek back to Annapolis just in time to do treatment #10 on New Years Eve. I am always like a little kid on Christmas, but even more so this year! We both can't wait to see all of our families and spend some long overdue time catching up with everyone. :) Do any of you have any exciting plans for Christmas? Maybe we will get the chance to see some of you!


Before starting this post, I was mainly going to update you all on the bracelet, the progress of where we are at in journey, and wish you all happy holidays. However, given the recent events happening in our country, I have a heavy heart tonight and I need to address that as well. The recent shooting in Connecticut breaks my heart. All opinions of anti guns/gun control/2nd Ammendment aside, we as a society have to acknowledge what a terribly said situation we are in. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that it is now acceptable in the minds of some to take aggression out on the youngest, most innocent of victims. I can not even begin to fathom what the families of these victims are going through right now, and my heart continues to break for them and the road they must travel, especially during this time of the year. It was after all this that I realized how much my "strength statement" applies to them as well. How true is it that the storms of their lives will truly prove the strength of their anchor. There are no answers, no words of comfort that can be offered to soothe the hurt for them at this time, but we can all continue to keep them in prayer, that God will show them the strength of their anchor  comfort them in the way that only he can, and see them through this cruel storm.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God bless you all..

Weekend Visit and lots of other pics

Hello Hello! I'm sorry I've been slacking lately- haven't had much news to update with lately. (I'll take that though- it's definitely better than updating with bad news!) Last weekend, I had my first outing with friends! :) My roommates from college, Katie and Jen, made the trip down to visit us. It couldn't have been timed better because I was really having a hard time with the whole situation  (all those FUN side effects were taking a toll..hair thinning more, fatigue, etc. yay) , and getting out of the house to get my mind off it all was just what I needed. Thanks ladies! We went to Baltimore for the day, and I finally made it to the Inner Harbor. If you are ever in the area, you have to check it out! After having an amazing dinner and some kick-ass cheesecake, they called it a night. We had a great time, and I'm hoping it's not too long before we can do it again. *I think even Matt enjoyed it, either that or he just liked having me out of his hair for a day. lol* I'm posting some pics for y'all to enjoy too.

Other than that there's not a whole lot happening this way. Matt started back to work this week, and all seems to be going well there. We both survived the week, and I survived just fine being home by myself all week. haha. Treatment #7 is creeping up and will be here on Monday, then after that we will busy getting ready for Thanksgiving.. Anybody have any exciting plans for the holiday?

Almost forgot! Recently a few people have asked for me to post our updated address on the blog. We are currently at
686 Genessee Street
Annapolis, MD 21401

Hope all is well with everyone! Please keep the prayers and good thoughts coming.

Lots of love..

Nice day at Sandy Point State Park

He's going to kill me for posting this one- but I think it looks like one of those Sasquatch commercials..lol makes me giggle.

Random Rambling

So this week's post is going to be exactly what the title claims. A bunch of random rambling. All the updates I have for this week are so all over the place, that random was the best title for them. :) Haha. Matt and I survived our trip to PA, and managed to make it back JUST in time for Sandy to hit! Luckily, we were very fortunate that the storm itself didn't do much damage, just a bit of water in our basement. Considering how bad other people were hit by this storm, I'd say it's safe to say we were blessed! However, I was scheduled to have my 6th treatment on Monday, but due to the extreme weather conditions, it was rescheduled to tomorrow. Initially, I was a bit bummed about missing a treatment again, but I quickly realized it was just an additional week for my body to get stronger, and even more time for me to feel "normal" for a bit longer. (it's hard to explain how amazing it is to feel "normal" and feel much more like your old self during all this mess.) So off to Baltimore we go again bright and early tomorrow.

I'm not sure how many of you caught that tomorrow is my 6th treatment...I have 12 treatments total. That's right- tomorrow is 50% done with this stuff- Half way through!! You better bet I will be playing some Living on a Prayer on the way to and from the hospital. haha

On a side note, I gave acupuncture a try for the first time Friday. One of my doctors had recommended it as a way to treat the neuropathy I have been experiencing (and possibly prevent further damage), as well as tackling any fertility issues I may encounter from this, and the most exciting part- if chemopause occurs, it may be able to reverse it! (I know everyone isn't quite as versed in all these wonderful terms associated with the "C", so the quick explanation is chemopause is an early onset of menopause that can occur as a result of my treatments..hotflashes at 26? fantastic.) So needless to say, I was curious as I want to look into every possible way I have to treat and defeat this stuff. I have to be honest, the needles seriously do not hurt! I am a HUGE baby about needles (I still have to look away when they draw my blood), and it didn't bother me a bit. Of course everyone that has experienced acupuncture told me going into it that they don't hurt, but I figured that was the usual BS everyone gives you when you are going to do something. Low and behold, they were right! Honestly it was pretty relaxing, once you get past the needle part, 30 minutes in a calm room, where you have nothing to think about but laying there and relaxing. I'd think all of us could use that, even if the needles weren't involved. lol I'm pretty hopeful about it all, although I am a pretty firm believer in the power of the mind and thinking, and I think what you "believe" will work holds a lot of weight. I will keep you all updated on it as my treatments progress.

All of the Elk County crew will appreciate this next part... Team Meghan made it all the way to the Turkey Trot! Brandy was sporting her Team Meghan shirt, along with some other awesome apparel I might add..lol, and was nice enough to allow me to post her pic on here. Plus she said she had counted 5 other Team Meghan shirts there today. Can I just tell you all again how much I love you all for this support? It's amazing to see that it keeps coming with no end.

That being said, I think the second order of t-shirts has been picked up and I believe they are in the process of delivering them to you all now. If you haven't received your t-shirt, I ask that you please be patient. My brother and sister-in-law, as well as my dad and Jenna have put a huge deal of time and effort into this, and there's quite a bit of leg work that goes into sorting all the shirts and getting them delivered to the right people- but they are on it! Thanks again to everyone who orchestrated this, and thanks to all of you for purchasing and supporting us!

I think that's all going on around these parts right now, hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and have a great week. Oh- and if you happen to be blasting some Bon Jovi tomorrow, I won't be offended. :) Feel free to celebrate with me!

Home sweet home :)

My apologies for not updating this in so long! However, as usual, things have been nothing short of crazy lately.  Let's see how I do catching this all up in a somewhat short nutshell. haha. Matt made it to Alaska, finally cleared out up there, and has made his way back home to Annapolis. Which means that starting next week he will officially begin work at Fort Meade (and I will be at home by myself all day...what to do..lol) Luckily for him, timing worked out that he was able to see a lot of his buddies return home from their deployment in Afgahnistan while he was up in Alaska. This was quite the blessing, not only to give him a break to re-charge, but it was also important to him to be able to see all of his guys home safely. Thank you again to Deidra and Burley for taking care of him for a few weeks. :)

While he was gone, of course I had to find something to do to entertain myself.  Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to have lots of family come visit. Mom spent two weeks at our house helping me clean, organize, and decorate for Fall. Our house actually looks like our "home" now, more than just a house we are in. It's funny how something so simple can be such a huge comfort. As if that was not enough fun; dad, Nancy, Luke and one of his friends made the trip down for the weekend and we took a short jaunt over to the Eastern Shore, made it downtown for a great seafood dinner, and even saw some of the awesome boats downtown during The Boat Show.

Now with all of that good news- there has to be a few set backs I suppose. Mom had initially came to MD so she could take me to my treatment on Monday while Matt was gone. Well we woke up bright and early Monday and went to Baltimore, but apparently life had different plans for me that day. Unfortunately my blood work came back that day showing my levels were too low to receive treatment, I would have to take some medicine for a week and come back again and try the following Monday. As if that wasn't bad enough, the low levels also earned me a first class ticket for giving myself a shot every Thursday after I had treatments. Yuck! I've said it a million times, and probably a million more, I hate shots and anything to do with them.

 So that day I was pretty bummed out. (I know, you would think not having to get nasty medicine pumped into ya for a week would be a good thing- but I'm an odd duck and being pushed back a week on my overall goal was hard to handle). However, after a bit of moping and complaining to anyone and everyone around (hah) I sucked it up, and low and behold it turned out to be a good thing. It's kind of funny how sometimes our body knows what we need a bit more than we do! The week off was great! I finally felt "normal" again, no fatigue, no headaches, I was able to galivant all around Annapolis with mom for a few days and welcome my husband back home, feeling good. It's the small things these days that count. :) So Matt and I went back to Baltimore Monday for treatment #5, and it all went well. Bloodwork looked great again, the infusion at the hospital went well, and my nurse even showed up on time at the hospital, AND at home to take me off of my pump! (For those of you that hear me vent on a regular basis, you know this is an accomplishment! hahah) Even more good news, our insurance company cooperated with providing us the shot that I need to take the day following treatment, so we were able to bring it home with us and administer it at home, rather than driving back to Baltimore Thursday morning just for a quick shot. Huge relief! However, that was about all that the shot was good for. lol. It was NO fun giving the shot Thursday- and believe it or not, I didn't get a pretty colored bandaid OR a lollipop for being good during it. I think I need to discuss this with my nurse. lol. Luckily, there were no side effects from the shot so far though- great news!

Since I was feeling well- Matt and I decided to pack up and head to PA for the weekend. We have a meeting with Dr. McLaughlin in Pittsburgh Monday afternoon, (he is an awesome guy- if anybody ever needs to see an oncologist, I highly recommend him!) so we decided to make a long weekend trip out of it and see some family and friends while we are home.  So far it has been a wonderful trip- perfect timing to be back in PA, it has been absolutely breathtaking seeing all of the leaves changing colors. We have also had a chance to see most of the family so far, Matt has been terrorized by our 3 nieces for an entire night, and we even took a trip to Benezette today so I could show Matt the famous Elk herd our area is famous for.  There were so many elk out today, and even more people! We tried our best to snap a few pictures for you all to see.

I hope you all are getting to enjoy the beautiful fall weather just as much as we are. Thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes- please know that they are certainly working, we see that each and everyday through different blessings. Please keep them coming! The love and support from all of you is exactly what we need to keep fighting the fight. God Bless! :)

Meghan and Matt

T-Shirts... continued

Wow! I'm pretty speechless after looking at all these again. It's nothing short of amazing to see all of the support from you all pouring in! I swear I am like a little kid on Christmas each time I get on Facebook and see a new picture. (Just ask Matt or my mom..lol). It's hard to explain just how much this means, and how much it helps me want to fight this nasty thing even more. I know Kalen had mentioned in his previous post that they are all on Facebook, but I figured I would put all of the ones that I have to date for you all to see as well. :) And the even better part? There is still more support coming! Some of out friends from Alaska are getting in on this next order (can't wait to see those pics!), friends from NC and SC, and even friends that I ,unfortunately, haven't talked to in years are joining in to support- Ania Terry you made my day the other day by ordering one!

I think that is an awesome idea that Team Bullers has to have a Team Meghan profile pic day if y'all are up for it, and having it as a celebration day once this chemo is over sounds fantastic! (Just a side note, I am 33.3% done with this nasty stuff... for those of you that know me, I'm terrible at math, I didn't do that calculation on my own, a fellow colon cancer fighter figured it out for me. haha) But none the less, 4 down, 8 more to go, and then I would love to see your profile pics supporting Team Meghan.

I also would like to thank all the faculty and staff at Francis S. Grandinetti Elementary School. Yesterday Matt and I received a heartwarming note with a very generous donation from their CARE days at the school. Thank you all so much for your help!

Now for a quick update- We are rounding the bend leading in to treatment #5 on Monday. I am hoping it will go as well as #1,#2, and #4....#3 was a little bit hairy and a pain in the ass. But I am going in positive! Side effects haven't been too bad this time, thank God, and I have been able to maintain my weight so far. Matt is in Alaska for a few weeks, which is somewhat of a double edged sword. It's great that we finally know he will be here with me in Annapolis for the next year, however, it is a real bummer that he is stuck up in Alaska for so long and will be missing the next treatment. I'll be missing him for sure, as this will be the first treatment without him. I don't think the nurses will know what to do without him sprawled out in the bed sleeping next to me. lol Luckily, Jim (my step dad) has been flexible enough that he is okay with me stealing mom for a few extra days, and she will take me to treatment and hang out for a few days after until Matt gets home. I will be wearing my Team Meghan T-shirt to this treatment to get some autographs from my nurse Joanne and my doctors.

On a note aside from all the medical bs- mom has been here "visiting" since Monday. I say it like that, because my mom doesn't really know how to visit or vacation...haha She has been working since she got here, which is a complete godsend for me! We now are no longer living out of totes and boxes, our house actually looks lived in, and we have a freezer stocked full of food for treatment days where we don't feel like cooking. Tomorrow, I am giving her the day off and we are getting out to at least do some "window-shopping". Also, Dad, Nancy, Jenna, and Luke are coming down Saturday morning. It will be great to see them again finally, and to show them around Annapolis! :)  I am one lucky girl to have such great family and friends willing to come visit and put up with me so I am not too lonely while the hubbs is away.

Please do take a minute to send some good thoughts and lots and lots of prayers Gary Gerber's way. This whole situation is such a nasty one to deal with, that I wouldn't wish upon anyone, and my case was even fairly straight forward. Some of the bumps and hurdles that I have heard he has had to overcome, he certainly deserves some love and support! Great news that he is home though, speaking from experience, hospitals are no place to recover, and there is nothing quite like the comfort of your own home when you're feeling down. Keep your chin up Coach, keep fightin' and it'll get better! Also, I know I mentioned this on Facebook and Kalen did as well, but if you can, please stop by Bill Mitchell's fundraiser on October 14th. He and his wife could really use your support, plus it is spaghetti- who doesn't like spaghetti!? Bill and Lara, you have all the support in the world coming from Matt and I, and we are keeping you in our prayers daily. Stay strong, and defy the verdict!

Thanks again for all of the love, support and prayers- can never have too much of that! Maybe someday, as the article from MD Anderson put it, dying from cancer will be as common as dying from pneumonia. We just have to keep searching.  Hope all is well with everyone and you all get to enjoy a wonderful weekend!