High Tea

Today mom and I met with Jessica, Lisa Gerhke, Shari, Tawnya, Jan and Virgie for High Tea in celebration that I am well and chemo and radiation is over with,  at this little place in Longview called The Britts at 2pm. They had our table all set up, beautiful little plates, cups and saucers, tea pots, glass creamers,  water glasses, Sterling silver napkin rings on fabric napkins, Sterling silver sugar bowls with little spoons  and a white table cloth. Our table was beautifully set for a tea party.
Then they brought out two trays and two stackable trays that had three plates on each  of little sandwiches like slice cucumber with cream cheese on a little round of bread and sprinkled with dill (my favorite!), small rounds of English muffins with chicken, cream cheese and chopped tomatoes, bread with egg salad sprinkled with cayenne, phylo dough wrapped little sausages, little quiches, turkey between rye bread and white bread. Once plate on each tray was dessert, that had marionberry scones, fruit and a chocolate lollipop. The table also had a divided bowl of lemon curd, lime jelly and coddled cream (like butter) to spread on the scones. These were really good.
We had several refills on the tea , visited and had a very very very very nice time. I so appreciate the sisters (and brothers) in our hall who have all be soo very supportive through all of this.

I think back to when a pioneer sister stopped by my house and encouraged  me after surgery, " Pray to Jehovah for the wisdom to make the right medical decision for me and my situation" This has played in my  mind ever since, and its been a year now. Thank you to her for the wise counsel.

Also had my second hair cut today. Today was more of a shaping than a cut , she blow dried it and used a very small flat iron on it. I have bangs!!! Oh how I have missed my bangs!  I feel like I can have a style now. I went and bought a small flat iron and will get up extra early tomorrow to try to do it my self. Today for probably the first time since going without a wig in November, I feel like I like my hair and I have style. The girl who waited on our table today at the Britts said to me, " I like your hair".

1 Year Check Up

Today Richard and I went to Vancouver to meet with Dr. Chung. She's the one who did my surgery. She works at the Mill Plain Kaiser in General Surgery.
She was excited and happy that my mammogram came back clean.
Did a breast exam, asked a few questions like am I having any night sweats (not hot flashes), any soreness in the breast or under arm area or weight  loss. She explained that if I had anything like this, they would then do a CAT scan or PET scan, that these are symptoms of it returning. I have none of these symptoms! She said everything was fine up to now and keep on doing what Dr. Richert-Boe suggested and would see me in a year for my two year anniversary. She also looked at my port and said it looks good on the outside, and when I am done with the Herceptin in June or after, I can have it taken out. The good news is that I can have it done in a Kaiser office and I don't have to go back to St. Johns same day surgery to have it taken out ( that saved me about $6,000). She explained that to put it in, it has to be done a hospital, but to take it out, its much easier and can she can do it in the office.That was a huge relief!
Dr. Chung is a very nice doctor and has been very upfront and open about everything with us. She told me in the beginning that it would be about a year of treatment. (turned out so far to be about 1 1/2 years by the time I am done with the Hercptin in June.)
I really cant believe its been one year ..... one year...... a year ago tomorrow, February 10th I was having my surgery to have the lump removed and start this whole process to heal myself of breast cancer.
They say five years without it coming back and then I can say I am cancer free.. I have one year behind me!