Hey Girls!! I am here, I am here!!

I’m so, so, sorry I have not placed a comment yet!  My little helpers have set this website up and I’ve been overwhelmed by all of the words from my “girlfriends”.  You girls must be talking about someone else because I’m not that nice…just ask my family!I want to thank all of you for all of your prayers, thoughts, food, (Will really wants to thank you for all of the food!), and just being there for me and my family.  It’s been a hard few months.  As most of you know, we began this journey in early November when the doctor found a lump in my right breast (that’s right…the doctor…not me).  It really took the wind out of my wings, along with my family, since we just lost my sister, Connie, to lung cancer in October.  But, there’s no “good timing” for cancer so we took it on like we do everything in our family….straight forward….as you all know, we are proud Mountaineers and we don’t let much get us down!  So….the fight began.My goal was to get through Christmas without changing anything for my boys.  As all of you know, they are my life and so I didn’t want them to have a sad Christmas and sure enough, they didn’t (bless his heart Frank gave me an “unlimited budget” for Christmas and I’m still finding presents!!)  But as soon as the New Year rang in, we got working on this thing called Breast Cancer.A little background history is that my Mom had breast cancer in both breast but was a survivor and lived a happy, healthy life.   So…my sisters and I have always known that breast cancer could happen to us…I’m just wondering what I get to have all the fun!  Just kidding!So here’s how things are so far.  I had my first chemo treatment last Friday at Magee. Everything went well and I ended up sleeping most of the weekend while my sister, Deb and my niece, Angie,  took down my Christmas decorations.  On Monday, I woke up really sick and was as sick as a dog all day Monday and Tuesday.  Just thinking that it was the chemotherapy making me sick, I didn’t call the doctor’s office but when I did Tuesday afternoon, they said I needed to get to the ER.  Sure enough, I was dehydrated and had the flu.  Now I think it should be an unwritten rule somewhere that if you are having chemo, you shouldn’t be allowed to have the flu but who am I to say???  So, after a bag of fluids and a few good nausea drugs, I was sent home.  Wednesday through today has been just trying to rest since my white cell count is at it lowest now and through the weekend because of the chemo.  I will have treatment again on Friday, January 25 if my white cell count is OK…which I’m sure it will be.  I will have treatments every three weeks for 6 treatments (somewhere in April or May), then I will have a double mastectomy with breast reconstruction (yes, girls, “new boobies”) and then radiation.  It will be a long year but then it will be over….and that means a big celebration when it is over!!I cannot tell all of you how much your friendship means to me.  Every card, every phone call, every prayer and every kind word has gotten me through this week…oh yeah, and Will said the food helped too!  You all are the best friends anyone could ask for.  I feel blessed to have each and every one of you in my life!I will be keeping close home the next few months but don’t make yourself a stranger. I’ll try to keep everyone updated as much as I can.  It does help so much knowing all of you care so much.  Love you all!!  Terry PS…I have my wig all ready for when the time comes.  Kim, Sharon and Liz went with me to get the wig (in Shadyside).  So, she has a name…Lynette (Desperate Housewives) and if you happen to see any of these girls with blonde hair, please have them return it to me ASAP.  They were almost too excited about me getting it!!!