Final Treatment Completed!!!!

My 8th and final treatment was completed on Monday, July 13th! Of course it ended up being the longest day we had up there...Murphy's Law you know. The Chemo Nurses presented me with my "Graduation" certificate and sent me out the door about 6 PM that night. This week has been a little rough... same old pains and fatigue, but I swear Dr. Thomas beefed up the dose because my side effects have been a little more pronounced with this treatment....doesn't really matter because I'm finished with them! I have set up three consultation appointments with three different plastic surgeons. The appointments are at the end of July and during the first week of August. I'm hoping that I really like one of these guys so I can go ahead and get my surgery scheduled. If not, on to the next doc's on the list. I only want to have to have these next two surgeries just one time, so I'm approaching with caution.
I can't say enough good about how our treatment has been at the U of I. Dr. Alex Thomas has been fantastic as has her side kick and right hand woman, Natalie, RN. The chemo nurses have been great and we have literally no complaints. I shared with them my little "quip" that I use with our "parents group" and told them that they too are "some of the nicest people I wish I had never met!"
I go back to the U of I in 5 weeks, and then after that I see them approximately every 3 months for about 3 years. Then I should get to stretch it out to every 6 months. They will monitor me and the pro-active plan is that if anything does come up and appears suspicious, they will be right on top of it. No guarantees, as with anything.
Everyone has been terrific during this latest "life learning opportunity," but I have to give a great big thank you to 4 of my most faithful fans.... Pat Swanson, Cindy Donohue, Kelly F Gravett and Molly....when we arrived home on Monday night we were greeted with tons of pink flags all the way down both sides of the drive way and up and down both sides of Bladensburg Road, PLUS, pink ribbon down the fence, pink ribbon around the trees, mailbox,and porch lights AND posters with affectionate and encouraging words. Then on the inside of the house Mol and Kelly had placed and decorated with more ribbon, posters, ballons, and a pink rose. Needless to say it was very nice and I am once again humbled by the thoughtfuless. You will need to ask Cindy about doing the military crawl up to the house though...picture that!
I want to say that facing this latest "red sea" would not have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. Each time the Yates' have been asked to face a mountain, we have always had tons of people there to lift us up to help us peek over the huge barrier to get a glimpse of the other side. There are many, many people in life that never experience that. We are truly blessed and rich beyond measure. Thank you.
As usual, I have a little "poem" I want to leave you with. As all of you know, I have never been short on words, and the other day when one of Neal's business associates told me that the "chemo hasn't lessened my spunk" I responded that it has only exacerbated it because now I might have less time to say everything then I had before! So with that said, enjoy this little poem that I acquired before Zach was born and have read it almost every day.......

Lesson
They said, "you'll never make it,"
And they thought that they were right,
But I kept on plodding onward,
Because I hoped I might.
And they shook their heads in wonder,
That I lacked the sense to quit,
But I held my chin up higher,
And I didn't mind a bit.

They said, "you'll never make it,"
As the problems multiplied,
But I had to make an effort,
And to know at least I tried,
So I dug my heals in deeper
Though sometimes my spirits lagged,
And I shouldered what was lightest,
And the rest I sort of dragged.

And I found to my amazement,
At the ending of the day,
That what they said I couldn't,
I had managed anyway.
It only took three little words,
"LORD, HELP ME," and I rid
Myself of doubt, and all they said
I'd never do ..... I DID

Grace E. Easley