I'm an old pro at this

Disclaimer: Spell check isn't working again and I'm too tired to re-read my post. That's been the case with most of posts actually.

Well, I got a small break from surgeries, if not cancer altogether. My supposed seroma seems to be melanoma. The lump has grown from almond size to, wait, let me feel it....small plum size, in 3 weeks. It grew from nothing (my sugery Oct 3rd cleared out that area) to small plum size in 2 months. My melanoma grows fast. Too fast for my liking, but I have no control over it. There is also a smaller lump, let's call it peanut size since we're on a food theme, right underneath it, hiding beneath my drain scar from one of my Oct surgeries. Derek and I went on a lump hunt--not quite as fun as an Easter egg hunt--last night and found nothing else so I'm happy about that. The other thing to be happy for is that my surgery is this Tuesday! Man, the service just gets faster and faster at the my cancer centre. I was in the right place at the right time, they had a hole to fill in the OR schedule so they stuck me in. I'll be hunky dory for the Christmas party we're hosting at home for friends on the 22nd as well as Christmas and New Years unless something crazy happens so all is well.

Got my path report back from the Nov.2nd surgery. There were 6 lumps taken out. One was not melanoma but plain old fatty tissue. To my surprise, the small lump in my breast was melanoma. Not the most common place for mm (malignant melanoma) to spread, but it does happen. Now I can say I have had the exact same procedures as most early stage breast cancer patients: lumpectomy, lymphnode dissection, radiation with commonly resulting lymphedema, just the procedures aren't in the same order! So, including the 2 masses that will be removed on Tuesday, that is 14 tumours removed in 2 months. Shitacular! Ok, Sarah, focus on the positive. If you were in a third world country you would be dead by now and none of them would have been removed. My body has kept this disease out of my organs for over 11 years. I know it can continue to do it for many many more! I have too much to live for and I love this life too much to move on just yet. UNIVERSE, DO YOU GET THE MESSAGE?!!!!

In non-cancer news: I went back to the school and it was much better. The woman, lets call her Doris, seemed somewhat more together. I haven't decided if that's because she had a cold last week and it made her brain foggy (too many antihistamines?) or if it's because the kids were busy making Christmas cards for some elderly adults in the community so she didn't need to talk much or keep the kids' attention. I wasn't paying much attention either to what she was doing because I was occupied touring around checking on how everybody was coming along and helping out with spelling, so it could be that I just didn't notice if she was still out to lunch.

Anyway, it went well and I really enjoyed the time around all the kiddos, watching them be creative and work as team. It's so funny to watch the personalities come out, the bossy kid, the whiner, the tattle-tale, the peace-maker etc. I wondered on the way home why I didn't become an elementary school teacher.Then I remembered-- I only got a 3 year degree instead of 4 year and I cornered myself by taking a major that I hated (english lit.) and a minor (psychology) that I liked but to turn it into a major and continue on with my 4th year, I would have had to take more science oriented psych classes and Sarah doesn't do science. I sucked at it all through elementary and highschool. I also had a fear that I would have to sing. Yup, like, la la la, sing. Don't all elementary teachers break out into song for class "fun"? At the very least around Christmas they make their classes sing carols. That' s what it was like when I went to school anyway and I used to think that I would be forced to sing with my class if I was a primary teacher. I'm not a great singer. That's why I became a tax auditor.



Well, it's Friday and I have a wild night of making some kind of yummy baked treat and watching What Not To Wear planned so I better get to it! Happy weekend to whoever is reading.