Last week of radiation starts tomorrow!

This is it. My last week of radiation starts tomorrow! Am so looking forward to spending time not being concerned about a daily appointment. I am so delighted to call it almost over.

Today was such an awesome day at Mimi and Happy's! We cooked a great Sunday meal, complete with blackberry/peach cobbler cake and blue bell ice cream. The grandbabies were here and as you can see they get VERY LITTLE attention when they are here!!! The weather was perfect, we swam and I got to lay on a raft and just float (my very favorite thing to do) It was the best day I've had in a very long time. I felt like Madelene Boudreaux (with a very short haircut)! Audrey went for her very first swim!

I think Audrey is gonna like the pool alot, but she won't get as good a tan as Evie!! The sunshine wore them out and they both zonked! 

Thank you Jesus for a lovely day! You are an awesome God. 

Okay, let's start over!

So now I have seven treatments left! If any one is keeping count, it probably seems as though we are adding treatments instead if subtracting.  Well you are right. I met with a new doctor this week that felt like my radiation treatment has not been aggressive enough! So he added 4 additional treatments to my original plan and increased the dose. At this point, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd actually rather be finished and soaking up some real sun rays on the beach. Doesn't look like that'll happen any time soon! When the end got so close I was feeling so glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now I just want OUT of the FRICKIN tunnel!
One of the gifts of my cancer is that it has taught me to slow my pace. Life is not rushing by as quickly as it used to. I guess this very last challenge during my treatment has more lessons in store for me. Meanwhile school is out tomorrow!
Summer time, YEAH!!!

It's taking a long time to get to the end!

For reasons that I don't feel like discussing right now, I am still not finished with radiation and I don't know when I will be finished!!! I am trying to be patient, yet it is getting difficult. I just know that in the very near future my life won't be revolving around my ongoing treatments!! Am still experiencing lots of fatigue in the afternoon, always feel like I need a good nap. TIRED!!! Was planning to try to go on a family beach trip, yet that may not happen or may be delayed. Can't predict when the radiation will be complete! Our family is lost now that American Idol is over. We were such avid fans!! Maddie and Haley are at the beach this week with a friend, Layni finishes school this week on Thursday, so it has been very quiet here lately.
Am feeling a small bit of emotional YUK again! I know it will pass! Patience, patience, Madelene!

YEAH!!! BEN GRADUATED!!!

This was such a great day to see Ben graduate. He was so proud and so happy, as were we!!! Following his ceremony we had a lunch in his honor with family  and then in the evening we boiled crawfish! It was a great day. Ben doesn't have a life plan yet. (not surprising cuz he's only 17), but his first move in his first day of the real world was to buy a boat. He got a really good deal on a used bass tracker and used some of his graduation $ from Momo (and Popo)  Popo would surely understand his "need" for a boat! 

Haley and Maddie's Graduation

On Saturday night Maddie came down with a yukky stomach virus and slept most of the day on Sunday, running a little fever and feeling achy. Then on Monday she was still down but managed to get out of bed only long enough for me to hilite her hair in time for graduation on Tuesday. Yesterday morning came and she still felt bad. She couldn't even get up to go to her 7th/ 8th grade passing of the candle and her kindergarten BUDDY GOOD BYE program. She was really sad about that because she didn't want Emma, her little buddy to be sad! She stayed home in bed in hopes of resting up enough to go the graduation. She stayed in bed until it was her turn  for Blair to style her hair, she dressed and made it in time to take a picture with her fellow classmates. As they lined up to proceed into church she said she was okay and I took my seat with the rest of the family. As Haley walked in, smile shining, I sighed a sigh of relief that all was going well, then realized that Maddie was not behind her. I went to the sitting room in the back of church and there she was pale again, asking to please go home and go back to bed. Now as a mother of twins, I have beat myself up many a time, realizing that I can never split myself in two, always sharing time with two totally individual people. There again, they both needed me to show up for them and I did me best to suffice each of them. So Maddie ended up going home to bed while the rest of us stayed at the graduation. I know Maddie has a big heart and understands why we needed to be there for Haley! They both looked stunningly beautiful and all grown up. That 8th grade graduation always strikes an emotional cord with me. It is such a milestone. Yesterday was double the emotion looking at these two beautiful children who are growing up faster than I can believe! They have, in particular, this past year done more than their fair share of growing up emotionally and I thank them for all of their love and support through my less than great year. I hope I was there for them, even if in the smallest ways. 

Please pray!

The very first time I had chemo, I met up with Stephen Prevost in the treatment room. Although it was my first, I am certain it was God knows what  # for Stephen. His encounter with cancer and chemo began long before my diagnosis. I recall that day like it was yesterday. I walked right passed Stephen to pick a chemo chair and as I passed him he was sleeping, I recall him being thin and I remember my heart aching thinking about how this young man had cancer, then as he awakened and opened his eyes Ricky said, "Hi Stephen".  I was very taken back by what the cancer and treatments had done to Stephen's physical appearance. Here was a STRONG, feisty young man with a spirit and heart so big, day after day, giving everything he had to overcome his cancer. The treatments challenged him physically and his determination carried him through some grueling times. Stephen passed away yesterday! I have to believe  that he leaves behind a shining example of courage, faith, strength, hope, and a willingness to live and love in the days God had numbered for him. 

Whenever our grand baby, Elle, passed away, I remember our daughter in law saying to me that she took comfort in her belief that no matter what our purpose or connection to our loved ones was, no matter what we did or didn't do, it was truly God and only God who has numbered our days from the very beginning. I can take comfort in that for my own family. I have always said during my treatments that I was so glad that it was me that was sick  and not one of my children. My prayers for Aileen and Jim, Stephen's parents, are on my heart every minute of each day! They, too have shown strength beyond belief, never outwardly giving up! Words cannot describe our deep sorrow at his passing. Please keep them in your prayers. Thank you all! 

Who does Audrey look like?

For a while we all thought that Audrey looked just like her Papa, Glen, but as she changes more and more, she is starting to look more like the girls in our family. I kept thinking there was a picture of me as a baby that reminded me so much of Audrey. Today I found it and did a side by side comparison and I think she's starting to look just like her Mimi!!! Especially in the eyes...