In Single Digit Jeans!

First, I can't believe I am posting these pictures.

Second, I know they are out of focus. I got a pile of things together to drop off at Salvation Army on my lunch hour and realized the pants and sweater in the pile were what I wore on Christmas last year. At.My.Highest.Weight.

Yes, even counting delivery weight for both kids.

I took the shots this morning.

Total loss to date: 35 pounds. Yippie-Yi-Yo-Ki-Yea!

I have size 8 jeans on today.

Me, Christmas 2006

This morning in same pants and sweater

I Stole This Post ...

... and you should too.

It has popped up here and there over the past few weeks. I hope more bloggers "steal" it.

Why Mommy has been diagnosed with IBC, until I read this, I had know idea what it was.

You pass on links to "cool" blogger sites, e-mail jokes, and waste spend plenty of time sitting on the computer. Take the time to pass this information along. Print it out and post it in the women's restroom where you work.

We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?

I didn't. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.

Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn't worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn't clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.

Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.

Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.

You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

Crossing Fingers

Monday morning, so far so good!

After last weeks posts this week has got to be better.

Let's see: I got a call from Dr.Va-Jay-Jay's office, everything is fine. Huh???? So last week, they "needed another look" and now everything is fine? I think that translates to lab tech dropped the slide, sneezed on it, or it got lost.

I unplugged the refrigerator, called a repair guy, just because it would be cheaper than buying a new one right now. I moved it out to do the pre-repair-man-vacuuming, plugged it back in, set the controls for both freezer and refrigerator on the highest setting and va-walla, it went on! It is so loud you can't hear the TV, but it is running cool enough for the refrigerator part, not the freezer. He'll be out later today.

Quinn is doing much better. He hasn't adjusted to the cone-head thingy, but I think if I play a few SNL conehead episodes for him, he won't feel so self conscious.


He got his voice back and is determined to bite the staples out. He actually has taken a few steps on the repaired leg. His leg looks like a chicken drumstick.

Quinn's Leg or chicken leg?


Bryan started his physical therapy last week. He has been so bummed being off work during the busy construction season. He will be going three times a week for three weeks. He is in an ankle air cast that fits into his shoe as long as they aren't laced up. He's been able to move it to walk, but it won't go side to side yet. I am sure the therapy will have that moving soon.

And finally, Caitlin. Since she started working at her salon, she has had five different highlights, colors, shades and cuts ... and this is her latest. Actually I like the color, on her, and I may have her cut mine like that.

Quinn, Post-Op

The operation went well. She said he had a really bad tear. It would not have healed, but scarred over and arthritis would set in. He'd never use that leg and the other rear leg, taking all the weight, would eventually give out too.

Here he is, a shaved left front leg where the IV went in. A shaved patch on his left shoulder where a pain patch has been STAPLED to him. Ouch. They said that med is stronger than morphine. His whole left hind quarter and leg is shaved, and she said she stapled the incision shut. I am so glad he hadn't been recently "groomed" ... all that shaving would have ruined his "do."

As long as he doesn't bite at anything, I can keep the "neck cone" off him.



He hasn't bitten a thing, not even food. He is so stoned, he has barely moved. I am thinking of going in for a ruptured cruciate ligament surgery, just for the drugs!


I had to go to work today, the boss is on vacation, so I can't take a day off.

So here is Quinn, at work, stoned and wondering "what did you do to me?"


I brought his meds, food, and water ... but he just turns his head to it all. Maybe he's afraid if he takes anything, it will kill his buzz.