Testing Blogger Application from my iphone

This is fun!

Emery's 1st Grade School Photo

So, I've been neglecting my blog these last few months... but Emery's new school pictures came in last week, and they once again sent a digital copy of it...so I just had to post it somewhere!

Emery is six years old and missing quite a few teeth. She recently learned to ride her bicycle. Riding up and down the street with her friends has hugely increased her sense of independence. She is rapidly learning to read this fall, and easily recognizes somewhere around 50 words. Last week she earned a special trip to the principal's office for a prize because she has read 100 books since the start of First grade. She is a Daisy Scout with dozens of patches on her Daisy Tunic--but she is super excited to go on her first Scout Camping trip this coming weekend. Her favorite color is light blue (or pink or purple or rainbow.) Her favorite person is her mom :-) Her favorite thing to do in her spare time is watching "kid" movies with her big sister. She likes playing board games with her dad, too. She misses her big brother who is away at college. She likes learning about presidents and American History, mermaids and fantasy, and anything about the weather. Emery is very confident and still very much prefers to "do her own thing" as opposed to anything that resembles listening to someone else explain their point of view. She is also rather introspective for her age and, when in doubt, she will make up plausible stories to explain the way the world works (often presenting it as fact.) Our conversations frequently end with her dad or me saying, "...that's an interesting theory, how about if we go look that up?" Emery is truly a remarkable child, and I just can't wait to see what she does next!

Bronze Quill Awards

Measurement Award Terry, Karen (Mark not pictured)



Terry, Sally, Susan, Karen, Justin... posing for our awards :-)

BSSHS Prom 2009

(click image to see bigger pictures)

McEmployee

Abbey got all her stuff turned in to become an official McDonalds employee today! She starts orientation next Monday. Her current goal is to earn $1300 to pay for the second half of her drama camp in Oklahoma City in July. Way to go, Abbey!

No, I'm NOT having Surgery Today!

So I have this defiant song from Avenue Q running through my head... "No I'm NOT wearing Underwear Today! No I'm NOT wearing UNDERWEAR TOday!...."

But of course, I really do have on underwear. I'm just not having surgery today ;-)

The oncologist does not feel like any kind of surgery is indicated at this time. She said, "Karen, you don't have cancer. Lets watch and see what happens."

It was a really difficult message for me to comprehend there in the office. My OB/GYN told me she would send me to see the oncologist, but that I would just be hearing the same thing that she already told me. I believed her. I believed it so deeply that it was hard to make myself even go to get the second opinion. I believed it so deeply that I was aggressively working to prepare myself for this terrible surgery...or some kind of surgery anyway. All the questions I had prepared in advance were written from the perspective of someone planning to have some kind of surgery. Everything I read pointed that direction. Everything I heard pointed that direction. And then I had all these opinions from many different folks...all well intended, and all rooted in personal experiences, beliefs, perceptions, etc. Some were staunch surgery believers. Some were staunch surgery opposers. Most fell somewhere in-between.

Tomorrow I will go do a follow-up ultrasound to check on the ovarian cyst, and also to check on the current status of the fibroid and to see what or how much remnant of the tumor still exists, if any. Most likely that will simply be compared with the ultrasound done last December, prior to the tumor resection. Then we'll look at it again in 4-6 months and again another 4-6 months after that. If it grows then she may change her mind...she doesn't like it when things grow. But for now, all is good.

So happy ;-)

Lessons learned:

• Always get a 2nd opinion, no matter what
• Sometimes little sisters know what they are talking about
• It pays to be informed when you go talk to a specialist
• Be weary of doctors who burn your butt
• Preparing for the worst is a challenge--preparing for anything is harder