It’s been a few days since the surgery…a few days to absorb all of the details of that day…a few days to rest…now I am ready to write. The lymph nodes were cancerous, so they were removed…my doctor was very thorough taking the time to make sure I didn’t have any nerve damage in my arm or hand…time to make sure he got all that his eye could see…the surgery took 4 hours…this was the end of a very long day so they kept me overnight to rest and monitor my pain. When I woke in recovery, I was chatting with the nurse who told me her daughter had cancer and to keep a positive attitude and it would be fine, then the doctor came in and told me that I was stuck with him for a while and hoped I didn’t mind…now this may seem a little strange, but that was the nicest thing he could have said…I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with doctors who wouldn’t listen and just wanted to give me a pill and send me on, so his saying he’s staying to see me through really meant a lot…he says he’s pretty certain he got all of the cancer and if anything had moved on to my body, the chemo would get it.  I go back for the re-check and drain removal on the 14th, then hopefully will have an appointment scheduled with the oncologist so we can get started on the treatments, which now will probably be chemo, radiation, chemo…still looking forward to my birthday, even more now that my oldest niece told me she is expecting her first child around that time! I am so blessed…my husband is by far the most loving supportive man I’ve ever met…both he & my son were there when I came to my room and though they were worried, they made jokes to make me smile…he’s showing my son what it truly means when you make a vow to someone “for better or worse”…he has set up a “princess bed” in our living room, cooked meals, brought me coffee, water or anything else I could need or want…he watches me when he thinks I don’t see and the love in his eyes fills my heart to overflowing…I did not appreciate him the way I should have before this happened and I will not take him for granted again. I’ve realized that the past does not matter for the first time in my life I am forced to live in the present…forced to let go of petty things…forced to really take care of myself and to truly love those around me…maybe cancer is my wake up call to appreciate the life I’ve been given and the people who are a part of it…I’m stilling absorbing all the information…still reassuring my sisters and parents that it will be fine…afterall, I’m still breathing and everyday I have breath is a day cancer is beat!!