Catching Up

Telling My Class...

I guess this is what happens when you don't blog for awhile. I have a bunch of random things to catch you up on. First of all, I told my students on Tuesday that I have cancer. I really think it was a great experience for all of us. I sat them down on the carpet and started a PowerPoint presentation I made. I talked about everything: my history with knee pain, my funny looking x-rays, what treatment would look like, and finally that I can no longer be their teacher. It was a good thing I had a PowerPoint because when I got to the slide about me not being able to be their teacher anymore, the tears came and I couldn't speak. As they read the slide, I saw most of my class start to cry. We passed tissues around and I told them how much I love them and want the best for them. I gave them time to ask questions and make comments and it was one of those discussions that none of us will probably ever forget. We also had some good laughs about how my hair will probably come back a little bit different, and I let them believe that maybe it will come back green. Those kids are so precious.

Thanksgiving...

A few days ago my aunt called and asked what Michael and I were going to do for Thanksgiving. We told her we were going to Michael's house and she told me she had been hoping I would tell her we were going away together for the break. When she said that I realized how good of an idea that would be. This would be our last chance to go away together with me still feeling good for a long time. I went online that night and decided to book a hotel for one night in Park City. Best. Decision. Ever. We had so much fun! The hotel was cheap, had an awesome hot tub, and a hot breakfast buffet in the morning. After enjoying the luxuries the hotel offered, we took off to the outlets. The main attraction: J Crew. I have always loved J Crew, but never bought anything there because it is too stinkin' expensive. However, the outlet (which is already way cheap) was having a 50% off the whole store sale. Woo hoo!!! Let's just say Michael finished up his Christmas shopping for me. We then went back to Provo, I tried on all my new clothes again (What can I say? I'm a girl.), went to Costco to pick up some pies, and then went up to Draper to spend Thanksgiving with the Christensens. What a blast! There were 36 people there and it was just fun.

Oh, and Michael's mom cuts hair. I figure since I'm going to lose all my hair anyway, I might as well cut it now so it's less messy when I start losing it. So I got my hair cut. No big deal, just 14 inches.

*Note: I am not posing with a phone on purpose. I was talking to my mom and she wanted a picture.

Medicine Fiasco

I was told that chemotherapy would give me a 50% chance of infertility. So before I start chemo, I am going through fertility treatment and Michael and I are freezing embryos to use after treatment is over. It is crucial that I start chemo as soon as possible because osteosarcoma can easily spread into the bloodstream and other parts of the body, and I can't start chemo until the fertility treatment is over, so we have been in a mad rush trying to get all of this taken care of. 

The fertility people hurried to get this medicine shipped to me by Friday; I was told it would for sure be there and I had to take it that night because of where I was at in my cycle. So when I got a message from UPS saying they had an incorrect address for us and were unable to deliver the package (They didn't have the wrong address. They must have just gone to the wrong house.) I had a freak-out moment. I called UPS and told them the situation. The lady told me there was nothing she could do and she could get it to me by Monday. Um, what? That would not work. So I talked to her supervisor who called the store where the package was being held. He said the store was closed and there was nothing he, or I, or anyone could do and they could maybe get the medicine to me by Saturday. No. No. No. NO. So Michael and I got in the car and drove over to the UPS place ourselves (me in hysterics the whole way there). We got to the store and there were people unloading their trucks, but the Pick-Up place was closed. Luckily, we found Carl. A saint. He assured us everything would be okay. He took the time, looked for our package, had us sign for it, and we were saved. If I hadn't been able to take the medicine that night, I likely would have had to decide whether to put off chemotherapy for another month until I was at that point in my cycle again, or to settle for a 50% chance of infertility. Thanks to Carl, I did not have to make that decision. 

Here are some pics of Michael and I preparing to inject me with the medicine we were so anxious to get. Yeah. Injecting myself. Am I the only one majorly freaked out by this?