Blessed!

That's the main way I'm feeling right now!! So blessed!! After everything my family has been through...starting last year when my dad was diagnosed with cancer...we are definitely blessed with the wonderful outcomes we have received.
My mom is home and well on her way to a healthy recovery...if we could just get her to totally kick her smoking habit. I understand this is a hard habit to kick but she MUST do it if she never wants to return to Methodist hospital again! Please pray for her to find the strength to fully kick it. She spent 3 nights in Neuro ICU and 5 nights in a regular room. She had her staples removed, all 42 of them!!! Can you believe she had 42 staples in her head? Ouch! She is returning to Louisiana on Saturday...much to our dismay. She's ready to be home...in her own bed...own house...own things! She's been in Texas almost a month and we all know...theres no place like home. She will have a follow up CT Scan on July 8 to make sure the clips are still in place and that everything looks good.
My dad had his surgery yesterday...Yay God...they only found two small spots in his bladder and were able to cauterize them...and he'll do one more round of bio therapy. His doctor said everything looks great...and we expect him to begin his new life...cancer free!! He too needs your prayers to help him stop smoking completely. Smoking is affecting my family in so many ways...and I am just so thankful that I don't have to struggle with that habit. I pray that one day my parents won't have to struggle with it either. I am also so thankful that my sister was able to quit smoking. I know how hard that was for her. I always just associated smoking with lung cancer...for whatever reason...I guess because that's what you hear about the most...but smoking causes so many other things!! Like my dad's bladder cancer and my mom's stroke and aneurysm! All of those health issues could take our parents away from us in a heartbeat...and I'm just begging God that he can help my parents see that...and help them stop!! So when you're praying tonight...pray for anyone you know who smokes...pray for yourself if you smoke...and pray that you can quit...It's just not worth it in the long run.
And just remember....

On our way...

to recovery!! Mom's aneurysm clipping was a success!! She was in surgery for about 5.5 hours and the dr placed 4 clips on the aneurysm...he said she did wonderful throughout the whole procedure and she's doing well now. Our last update from the ICU nurse at 7am was 'she's doing good, a bit drowsy and nauseous but to be expected' All of her vitals are stable. God is so good! Thank you for the continued prayers and support!! I will keep everyone updated as we learn more!!

Things that make me smile...

Bridal Shower

Candace's Bridal shower on Saturday was a success! Yay! We had a good time and she got a lot of great gifts!! Of course I forgot my camera so Erin took lots of pictures and so did Candace. Here are a few from Erin...

50/50

Mom just left her appt with the internal radiologist...which she liked, luckily...and he says there's a "50/50 chance he can coil the aneurysm." I was hoping for more like 80/20 but I'll take 50/50 and know that God will make it happen!! I'm not gonna lie...my heart dropped when my sister told me the chances but I just need to remember I'm not in charge here...someone with much more power is. She's now in an apt with the neuro surgeon to hear about the clipping, if needed...but she's not gonna need that, right?! The coiling will be a success....I know it.

"If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it"

Pisces

Hmmm...

Today's Pisces Horoscope: May 07, 2008
It may seem like neither side of the bed is the right side to wake up on, dear Pisces. The only solution you may be able to come up with today is to just go back to bed. Focus on your heart, because it is trying to tell you that it needs some attention. Emotions may be running quite high, so be extra careful of how you treat yourself and others.

My nerves...

are SHOT! Have you ever felt like you could just feel your skin crawling...and when you hear people talk you wanna bitch slap them...and when they look at you like you're crazy you really wanna just kick them, or better yet...when a car on the freeway cuts you off...you just have this huge urge to smack into the back of their car? I guess this is what you would call...Stress. To say I'm stressed is probably the understatment of the YEAR. I haven't felt this much stress in quite some time...on top of the feeling of stress...I am so anxious...which is yet another weird emotion. If I think about my moms pending surgery tomorrow too much...I feel like I can't catch my breath...I start sweating...and its just not good. I know tomorrow will be successful but I guess sometimes you just can't help but think "what if?" I really hate that "what if?" question and I try to avoid it when possible. Does anyone else battle that question??

On the brighter side...I'm finished with finals. I'm thinking I did pretty well on all of them. We shall see soon. Saturday is Candace's bridal shower. That should be fun.

I hope everyone is doing well. Please send up some prayers for my mom tomorrow morning and also for an old friend who lost a family member this week.