School's Out For Summer!

Well, my cart is packed away, grades are turned in, and I've hugged so many people my shoulders hurt from the pats. I've been in schools so long, I truly feel the year really starts in August, and when everybody celebrates their new year is just the midway point. I even buy calendars that start in August. I just have to explain that so when I describe things that have happened this year. This year has been eventful. I bought my first house, moved to a new town and started a job in a new school, my DH started a new job and career, seen God working in so many places in my life, became a parent to a 16-year-old, found and fought cancer, and found out I could handle more than I ever thought possible. Not bad, huh?

Medical wise, I hope I can explain what has been going on in the last week. Twice in the last week, I felt a pain in my hip area that was strong enough to make me cry. It just hurts like heck the rest of the time. It happened once in front of my students, and that bothers me more than the pain that they had to see me like that. Anyway, when I asked my oncologist if that was a normal side effect to the new chemo, he became pretty concerned. The reason is that I had a tumor in the bone in that area, and when you kill the tumor it leaves a hole where the cancer cells once were. The hole will eventually fill in with calcium, but there is also an increased chance of fracture if the tumor was in the wrong place. He's concerned I have a fracture, so I have to have an MRI to see why I'm feeling this pain. (big sigh)

On a sad note, a sweet woman who was active on a message board that has helped save my sanity has died from breast cancer. I remembering reading her post announcing she was entering hospice in February, and said a prayer for her. It doesn't make me fear my own death, but just get ticked off that there still isn't a cure and more and more people have to deal with this disease. I haven't even had surgery yet, and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I'm sad for the families who have to watch loved ones deal with it, and frusterated that there are still doctors who believe that some women are too young to have breast cancer. THERE'S AN 18-YEAR-OLD ON MY MESSAGE BOARD. Ladies, remember to do your self check.