First Week in Arkansas "Wooooo Pig Sooie Razorbacks!"

It's hard to believe we've already been here for one whole week!

The house is beginning to feel like our home as we have been putting things in place. I still have a lot to do, but it's coming together. We started the week, last Sunday, with a visit from my parents. They traveled  from north Louisiana to visit us here in Bentonville and to give us a hand with the unpacking. They were a lot of help. Daddy broke down all of the empty boxes and bagged up all of the paper and then drug it all out to the street to be picked up, and mother helped me inside with putting things away and decorating. It was great to have them here to keep me company too since Fletcher had to leave for the whole week!

On Monday I had the MRI at The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville and met Dr. Harms, the Radiologist. The MRI went well, not as bad as I thought it might be thanks to a couple of very caring nurses. Dr. Harms met with me afterward to discuss the results. He said there were no new spots, and the lymph nodes look good. But he thinks the MRI shows that there could be a possibility of some invasion. The diagnosis is still the same: DCIS in the right side only, with possible invasion. They won't know for sure until surgery. Dr. Harms also suggested the genetic testing for BRAC1 and BRAC2. Then, on Tuesday, I met Dr. Cross, the breast oncology surgeon. He was also very nice and spent about an hour with me explaining my options. He suggested that I wait and see about the outcome of the genetic testing before I make a final decision. I agreed, and I don't mind waiting a few weeks. This will give me time to get used to the idea and to get used to living here, and to get unpacked a little more before surgery.

Thanks to my Houston doctors: Dr. Todd Youngblood, a great Family Physician who encouraged me to have the mammogram in the first place, Dr. Rose, an excellent Radiologist at Tops Comprehensive Breast Center in Houston, and Dr. Philip Sutton, the Oncology Breast Surgeon Specialist, for setting up the appointments with the doctors here and for making phone calls on my behalf. I really do appreciate their help because it helped to make the transition from Houston to Fayetteville a little easier. They were able to get me in with the best doctors in this area, and Dr. Harms,a nationally renowned Radiologist, is probably the best in the country, and he knows Dr. Rose since they both worked together in Texas at MD Anderson. And, the icing on the cake is that Dr. Harms and Dr. Cross are both very caring doctors and just regular nice people too. On Thursday, I went to a counseling session for the genetic testing with a nurse at The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas, and then I went over to the lab at the Diagnostic Clinic across the street to have blood drawn, and to get a baseline chest x-ray for Dr. Cross. I'm beginning to know my way around here, at least to all of the Dr. Offices! Ha!

Fletcher had a good week in Baton Rouge and came home on Friday all excited about getting started with his new position here in Bentonville with Community Coffee.

So far we really like it here, and I hope things continue to go well!
Thanks to all of our friends and family who have been praying for us through all of these changes. We really appreciate it and we are missing our Tomball friends. Thanks for all of the phone calls! We love you all!

We Moved!

We're busy unpacking and getting settled in our new home in Arkansas!

So far we really like it here. The weather is very nice this time of year.

The Diagnosis

As a follow up to my fiftieth birthday, I felt compelled to get a regular "check-up" at the doctor. I have a wonderful doctor, and every time I've seen him for any ailment he always asks if I've had a mammogram recently. This July, when he asked me I hesitated once again, but decided it would be a good idea to get one shceduled before we move to Arkansas. So, on July 19 I had a routine mammogram. About 3 weeks later, I got a call to come back for a second mammogram. This did cause me some concern since they asked me to go to a different place this time, but I still just thought it was a follow-up because I hadn't had one in five years. On this visit after the mammogram, I was asked to go to another room where a technician wanted to do an ultra sound. Well, now I was sure they had found something to look at, but I still didn't think it would be anything significant. After the technician did the ultra sound, then entered the Radiologist (they send a "separate" bill) and he spent about 45 min. with the ultra sound. Finally he said there were a couple of places he thought should be biopsied. As I left, an appointment was made for the biopsies. I asked Fletcher to go with me to the biopsy, and I'm so glad he did. The results of the biopsy showed one tumor was positive for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). Since we are moving, I will still need an MRI and then some type of surgery will follow. I'll be continuing this story in Arkansas...

Dinner at Dan's

Dan invited us to a Labor Day Cookout at his new house. He has recently rented a home in Houston that he and Kim will live in together after they are married in February. Dan and Kim cooked fajitas on the grill and it was delicious!

Thanks Dan! It was fun to have dinner with you at your house!

Jennifer starts Pharmacy School!

We are so proud of Jennifer!
She has started on a path to become a Pharmacist. She is now a student at The University of Texas Pharmacy School working toward a Pharm D. in Pharmacy.

Whoop!