I'm Scarf/Hat FREE!

Well, I did it. I took off my scarf this morning at school to show a friend how I tie it around my head and the few people in the room strongly encouraged me to leave it off. I have a little bit of hair - but not much. The hair is no more than the shape of my head which, I guess, is the weirdest thing, but I listened to my friends and left it off for the whole day. It was quite liberating! :-)

Okay, so how do I use this nearly bald head of mine to my advantage at the annual Halloween party I usually go to? Do I go as something/someone bald? or wear a dreadlocks wig a friend of mine has and said I could borrow... ?? suggestions? anyone?

:-)

sj

Winding down...

Well, it's been too long since I have posted!! The last chemo treatment was so monumental to me, and it has all seemed downhill, sort of, since then, but at the strong urging of my mother (and she's always right) I thought I'd get off my duff and post! I am doing well and have been back at school since the first teacher workday. I, thankfully, haven't had to take any time off due to fatigue or anything other than doctors' appointments.

I recently had follow-up surgery to finish the reconstruction. The surgery (outpatient) was last Wednesday and I've been out of school since then. I return tomorrow and am more than ready to do so! The surgery went well, and I've had little to no pain or discomfort. My mom came to take me to the surgery and then stayed with me until Saturday. Then my dear friend from Alabama, Becky, arrived Saturday evening and stayed through this morning. I've had a relaxing week and feel well restored! :-)

My hair is growing back in and is all fuzzy and soft and white! Well, some of it is brown, too, but there is so much more white than there was before! The white hairs are acting like they just might be curly! which, if it does turn out to be curly, will be pretty wild because I have ALWAYS had stick straight hair! I still wear a hat or scarf to school and anywhere else out in public, but I'm hoping by Thanksgiving I will be ready to bare my head of hair! I'll let you know...

Let's Celebrate!!!

Well, today was my LAST CHEMO TREATMENT (I find it hard to type those words and NOT put them in all caps!) and what a great feeling! The room where I have received each treatment has a plaque on the wall with a bell attached. The plaque also has a short poem engraved on it. When someone has a last treatment, he or she reads the poem and then gets to ring the bell. After I finished my treatment, the nurses told me to go read the poem and ring the bell. It was all I could do to read the poem and not fall apart! And how I loved ringing that bell!!! :-)

Teacher work days begin this Thursday (8am - 3pm), and I'll be there! Brice and I will be there some tomorrow and Wednesday as well. I'm hoping to get a lot done before Thursday even arrives. So, if you can stop by my classroom Thursday or Friday to say hello, I'd love it!

hope to see many of you soon!
xosj

Just checking in...

I am doing well with this third chemo treatment ~ pretty much the same situation as before with most foods lacking any kind of taste. Next week should be better - the third week usually is!

I have spent several hours in my classroom the past two days with lots of help (Susan and Mary Stewart Barnes one day and my niece, Elizabeth, who is a new teacher in Montgomery County on another day). I'm heading to Galax today to the Old Fiddler's Convention where most of my extended family is already camped out and enjoying the hot weather and music. Lyn and I will head back to Stone Harbor on Sunday, and we can't wait!!! We'll be back in time for my last treatment on the 18th.

I hope everyone is squeezing as much they can into their summer as it winds down and school draws near!

love, sj

ONLY ONE MORE, WOO HOO! (certainly not to be confused with Wa Hoo!)

I had my third chemo treatment this morning. All went well, and I even felt well enough afterward to run several errands including getting by the school to check on things and say hey to Mr. Merritt and Mrs. Collis! I am so excited and anxious to get back to school! I feel like I've been away tooooooo long!

I appreciate the comments I've received so far on my last post and am thinking seriously about skipping the wig thing altogether! (yes, even on two posts! I am easily swayed!) :-) I have so many pretty scarves and hats... Mrs. Simmons even suggested having the students make a bar graph showing the number of days I wear scarves and the number of days I wear hats! Now, isn't SHE the smartest thing?! Love those SOLs!

Another month or so before school starts, and one more week at the beach for us! Can't wait...

take care, sj

This post is primarily to the students (and their parents) I taught this past year...

Hello, my sweet children (especially my guinea pigs) and moms and dads!

I am taking a class on technology this summer and am supposed to create a personal blog! Well, isn't that handy? I already have! BUT, I am supposed to post a photo which I have NOT done, so I will now (see above)! I was at a family gathering this past weekend and someone took a photo of me wearing a scarf which shows (fairly obviously, to me anyway!) that I have no hair. What I would like from you is your thoughts on how you (students, in particular) would feel if your teacher pretty obviously didn't have hair. Try to imagine, if you can, it's the beginning of the year, and you don't know me yet. Would it matter to you that your teacher didn't have hair under that scarf or hat? Would it distract you, causing you to think about that instead of important things like what is 6 x 7!?!?!! :-) Would it distract you at first, but you'd get over it pretty quickly? Would you wish she would please just wear a wig!?!? :-) You don't have to answer these questions, specifically, just tell me what you think. You may post anonymously if you prefer! I promise, you WON'T hurt my feelings whatever you say!

I miss allllll of you horribly!!! :-)

love, Mrs. Jordan

Doing well...

Unbelievably, the days after the second treatment went even more smoothly than the first! I haven't had ANY bad days and haven't even felt as tired as the last time. The biggest thing I notice is the lack of taste most foods have. Everything kind of tastes "flat", for lack of a better word. Salty things have the most flavor and I even noticed a difference yesterday in several things I ate, so maybe I'll be able to taste more before the next treatment on the 28th! :-)

My intent is to start school on time ~ Mr. Merritt (my principal) offered to get me a sub for the first two weeks, and I replied with "NO WAY! I'm going to be HERE!" :-) My last treatment is August 18th which is a full two weeks prior to the kids starting school on the Tuesday after Labor Day. I expect to feel fine!

...until next time...

Two down, two to go

My second chemo treatment was Monday and, so far, all is well. A little tired, but that's to be expected. The hair is definitely gone. I had Lyn shave my head last night - more for comfort than anything. :-) It felt funny to have whiskers!!! I have several beautiful scarves and hats - many are gifts from friends and family - so I will stylishly keep my head covered when I leave the house! I stopped by school yesterday and saw all those wonderful SOL scores of my sweet children! Woo Hoo!!! They did GREAT! I am so proud of all of them. :-)

Attitude

Here is a poem I thought quite appropriate... :-) My dear friend and fellow Bunko Queen, Teryn, sent it to me.

 Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today!'
So she did
and
she
had
a
wonderful
day. 


The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'Hmmm,' she said,
'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!'
So she did
and
she
had
a
grand
day.


The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

'Well,' she said,
'today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail.'
So she did
and
she
had
a
fun,
fun
day.


The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her
head.

'YEA!' she exclaimed,
'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything.

At the beach

We have had a great week (plus a little) at the beach. We leave tomorrow, and I don't want to!!! :-) The weather has been gorgeous. The fireworks last night were incredible! (We sit on the beach to watch them!) We've eaten well (maybe too well!), and I've read lots of good books.

My hair started falling out earlier this week...just several strands here and there, and then it progressed to lots of hair in my comb after showering, so I gave in to it. Lyn cut it all off for me this morning....and I'm here to tell you, it ain't purty!!! :-) At least it won't be so messy falling out. I'll be wearing scarves and hats until school starts and will probably move on to wigs at that point. My next treatment is Monday, and I'm hoping for as little reaction as the first time (even less would suit me! ha!).

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! love, sj

Good start to the week

The first few days after my chemo treatment were rather uneventful. I then had a couple of crummy days - just felt bad...nothing specific - but things have turned around since Sunday. I am feeling much better!! We leave for the beach this week, and, although I am anxious about the long drive, I am excited about going. It will be great to "get away"... for both of us! Brice will join us next week.

My next treatment is Monday, July 7.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!! xosj

First one down, three more to go!

I had my first chemo treatment this morning. It was rather uneventful! (thank goodness!) I was there a little over four hours, but I met with Dr. Merten first, and there was quite a bit of education involved the first time, so the next appointments probably won't take nearly as long. I really don't expect much in the way of side effects this week, but time will tell! My track record hasn't been that great so far, now has it?!?! :-) We leave for the beach (Stone Harbor NJ) next Thursday, and we're looking forward to that! My next treatment will be the Monday after we return ~ July 7.

It was sooooooooo wonderful seeing all my precious children at school last week on their last day during the award ceremony. It really did my heart good! Mrs. Barnes did an exceptional job, I do believe, of filling in for me the last seven weeks. She had my classroom packed up better than I could have EVER done, and for that I will be eternally grateful! She is awesome!

I'll keep in touch... sj

Having a good week!

Hey, everybody! Man, it feels so good to feel so good! This is the best week I've had! (barring, of course, the rash I got from being allergic to the first antibiotic they had me on... itch, itch, itch! If it isn't one thing, it's another!) Anyway, I feel great, I've been up so much more and out of the recliner, and no ill side effects! :-) I get to go to school tomorrow to see all my wonderful kids and be at the awards ceremony for them, and I can't wait! I had another drs appt with Dr. Thomas yesterday and all continues to go well. I will see him probably two more times ~ stretched out over the next several weeks. I will begin my chemotherapy treatments this coming Monday, bright and early in the morning. I will have a total of four treatments with the last one being right before school starts in September. I am so thankful I only have to have four! Thanks to everybody for keeping in touch... have a great start to your summer! :-) love you all, sj

Recent doctor's appointment

My weekly appointment with Dr. Thomas yesterday went well. He removed the last of the drains!!! PAR-TAY! (as Mr. Dallas would say!) What a relief! But, to tell you the truth, after last week, I can't believe I whined about them at all. I would have traded last week for six drains in a heartbeat! :-) I've been getting out a little more, so I hope to be at my school's PTA end-of-the-year party Friday night. I miss everyone so badly! I also hope to see my kids before school is out... Thanks to all of you who have called, e-mailed, posted, sent cards, and most of all prayed. love you all...sj

Home at last....

Hello all! Thank you for your posts, phone calls, visits, and e-mails! I appreciate each and every one. I am thankful to report that I was discharged today and am home and back in the ol' faithful recliner. The last five days were pretty rough, but I am feeling so much better and pretty much back to where I was. That's a good thing! :-) Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers... love you all! sj

Friday, May 30th

Horray! Susan will be going to a step-down unit today and leaving ICU. She has spent 2 days in ICU and is beginning to actually feel bad, which is actually a good thing. Before she was very sick and not really feeling anything! She may be up for visitors tomorrow, at least someone to go and sit and help feed her drinks, answer the phone, etc. She is still feeling very weak and needs assistance with that. They are good with food this week. If I find out anything else that they need I will let you know.

Another Setback!

This is Keri, posting for Susan.  I just got off the phone with her.  She is in the ICU at Roanoke Memorial.  Evidently, she has developed an infection, possibly a Kidney Infection which has caused her to be very sick.  She  had a very bad night last night so she called the doctor who saw her right away and put her into the hospital.  She is on fluids and antibiotics and should be feeling better soon.  Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Stay tuned for more postings to hear how she is progressing.  

...a bit of a setback AND great news!

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. I've had a bit of a setback the last few days. I woke up early Tuesday morning with a nasty virus and haven't felt up to doing much until now. It really took it out of me! Mom was here with me both Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterday I managed pretty well on my own for a while and then my dear friend, Kitty, stopped to see me. Due to being sick, I missed my doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so still have the four drains. Hopefully ALL of them will be removed this coming Tuesday! Dr. Davenport (my breast surgeon) called this morning with news from my operative pathology report (the path report from all the tissue sent off after surgery) and the news was even better than she thought it would be! There was no sign of any malignancies in the left breast, they confirmed there were no malignancies in the lymph nodes, AND even the tumors in the right breast were not nearly as invasive as she first thought! She "demoted" this nasty cancer from Stage II to Stage I which is awesome! Whatever it is, at least it's no longer in ME! :-) Dr. Davenport will go ahead and set up an appointment with Dr. Merten for me. I'll continue to post about any further info on that.

A HUGE thank you to those who have brought food for us and for all the cards and emails I continue to receive. It all keeps me going! :-)

I have heard that my kids felt like they did well on the Math SOL test on Wednesday which pleases me immensely. I can't wait to see them all again and should be able to get to the school again before school is out.

I wish all of you a wonderful long weekend ~ I believe the weather is going to be gorgeous!!
love, sj

Another doctor's appointment

I received another good report from Dr. Thomas today. He is very pleased with how things are looking and said he couldn't believe it had only been two weeks since my surgery! (Two weeks!? it feels like forever! :-)) Unfortunately, he was unable to remove any more drains. He said they all had an attitude! Hopefully, next week... He urged me to continue resting and taking it easy. Mom took me to Nawabs down on the market for lunch afterward and we ate too much. :o) (Thanks for footin' the bill, Dad!) I also plan to venture out Thursday evening to hear John Anderson speak. He is the husband of Sharon Rapoport, a friend of mine who is a breast cancer survivor. I am anxious to hear him (and for Lyn to hear him, too) talk about being the male caregiver in a breast cancer situation. I enjoy all the cards, e-mails and phone calls I continue to receive! and all my visitors ~ so give me a call and come see me!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers out there! I am enjoying mine piled up in the recliner...where I spend most of each day. I'm still dealing with a lot of muscle soreness (both from the surgery and from using up-until-now-unused-lazy muscles) but the Vicodin helps with that. I am still receiving so many wonderful messages through e-mails and cards, and I'm so appreciative! We are still being supplied with meals and enjoying all the wonderful food! My next doctor's appointment is Tuesday. Hopefully, he will remove at least two more drains. I would really like to make at least one of Brice's last three lacrosse games this week, but we'll have to see. I am also very anxious to get by the school and see my sweet children!!! :-)

Update

My mom is here today. We just got back from a follow-up appointment with Dr. Thomas (the first of six weekly appts). He was very pleased with how things are progressing. He removed all the stitches so the incision places will no longer need bandages ~ which is a great thing! :-) He removed two of the six drains, and I wasn't sorry one little bit to see those two go! It felt good to get such a good report from him. I still rest comfortably most of the day - moving around every now and then. Sore muscles are probably the worst of it ~ using muscles I'm not used to using to get in and out of the recliner. We have been eating well with all the wonderful donations of dinners. I have enjoyed all the phone calls and many, many cards and e-mails I've received. Thank you all for staying in touch. I just know that my good progress is a direct result of all your prayers. :-) sj

Resting well...

Hey, everybody! It is great to be home. Lyn is taking great care of me (and Brice would be, too, if he were here!), and I am resting well. I only wake once through the night to take pain medication but then go right back to sleep. We decided to attempt a shower yesterday (I couldn't wait to stand in one!) but from the time we started removing the dressings to the time I got back in the recliner, it was nearly an hour and a half. I was wiped out! Slept for almost two hours after that. But it still felt great! :-) The pain isn't bad - I get more stiff than anything. I get up and walk every now and then (Lyn makes me!), and I have to do breathing exercises. I'm up for visitors anytime, so give me a call! :-)

Home at last!!!

It is so good to be home! Dr. Thomas came by my room this morning and said everything was good to go. Lyn came about 9:30 to get me, and now I'm home and settled in the recliner. I've received oodles of cards in the mail (thank you!) and can't wait to open them all. I have sooooooo enjoyed everyone's posts on the blog!!! Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes and fun comments! I'm glad so many of you have written. I'll keep posting my progress. I love you all! sj

Wednesday

Just got off the phone with Susan. She was not feeling too well this morning, but doing much better this afternoon, and had not had a chance to post. Dr. Thomas came in this morning to change her dressings, and was pleased with how everything was looking, and her drains are working well. She has been able to eat a little bit, and might be discharged tomorrow, but possibly not until Friday. The highlight of her day was having her hair washed, which she said was wonderful!! Her friend from school, Lissa, stayed with her today, and Lyn will be with her tomorrow. She appreciates all the comments.
(posted by Rebecca)

Greetings from Susan

Wow! How great it is to read all of your all's wonderful posts! My dear friend Keri (from school) came to the hospital to sit with me today and brought a laptop so I could read the posts and check my e-mail. I'm still feeling fine - only a little pain - not able to eat much, though. I slept good last night (at least in two or three hour chunks of time) and hope to tonight as well. I should be going home Thursday. I miss my children at school SO MUCH! I'll be in touch again soon... I love hearing from all of you!

Tuesday

Just spoke with Susan - said she had a good night (except for being woken up every two hours!) but slept pretty well. Dealing with some muscle soreness, but morphine is helping that right now. They want her to get up and move around a little today, but to take it slow.
She hopes to have a laptop in her room later today to read all of your comments, but I have printed them out and will get them to her if that doesn't work.

Recovery

Susan's surgery finished up about 4pm, and she is now resting comfortably in her room sucking on ice chips! Mom and Lyn are with her - they said she is pretty out of it, and probably will be until tomorrow. I'm sure she would want me to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
posted by Rebecca

Surgery Part II

Lyn has received several updates from the operating room that things are going well, and moving along as expected. I'll post once she is out of surgery and into recovery.
posted by Rebecca

Surgery Part I

The first part of Susan's surgery was successful, with no cancer found in her lymph nodes (yea!). She is now in the second part of the surgery - setting up for reconstruction - won't be in recovery until mid to late afternoon. Will post again then.
posted by Rebecca

Night before...

I'm ready to get in there and get the process started! I had a reeeeally strange dream last night about my surgery - won't even go there :-) but it was rather comical. I am glad everything gets started early in the morning. Mom will be getting updates periodically from Lyn throughout the day, and she'll let Rebecca know, and Rebecca will post what information she has. Thank you all for your e-mails, cards, posts, thoughts, and, most of all, prayers. love, Susan

Countdown to Surgery

My surgery is scheduled for Monday at 7:15 am! Ugh! I have to be at the hospital at 5. Lyn will take me and hopefully go on to work or at least home to work in the yard... ANYthing to keep him busy and NOT sitting in the waiting room all day! I do have Mom and Dad convinced to not come and sit all day. The surgery will take about 8 hours. I will ask Rebecca to post on this blog so you can check to see how things went.