Check it out...The Team Evil Lumps and Woozles Tshirt

As promised, I am pleased to share our Team Evil Lumps and Woozles TShirt design for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure on October 25, 2014. What do you think?

We are needing to place an order early next week and would like to get a count of who would like to order a shirt.  As of now, we are expecting the cost to be between $11-$15 for sizes S-XL and slightly higher for plus sizes.  Basically, the more shirts we order, the cheaper the cost.  The shirts are available in youth, women and men sizes.  If you are interested in ordering and have not already let Amanda know via facebook, please leave a comment here with your size needed.  Even if you are unable to walk with us, you can still order.  After we get a final count of shirts, we will let you know the cost.

A big thank you to Lauren Rosenbaum, Lisa Turney Strawn, and Christopher Hoover for designing these awesome shirts.  They did an amazing job!

I appreciate your continued love and support.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Team Evil Lumps and Woozles: Will you join us?

Earlier this month, my oldest daughter, Amanda, took the initiative to create a team for the upcoming Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Nashville on October 25.  In case you missed it, here was her original message:

​Hello Family and Friends, 

First of all, as I was adding people to this email list, I was overcome with how much I miss each one of you.  Living in Italy has been one of the best experiences of my life thus far, but wow, I sure do miss you all!​

Now, down to what's really important! As you all know, my mom has started her journey to beat cancer.  And she is ROCKING it so far. :) Her positive attitude amazes me, but even more listening to her continue to give glory to God in this difficult time inspires me.  She is truly a beautiful woman, as you all know! 

This October is the annual Susan G. Komen Greater Nashville Race for the Cure which I hope you will all join our team, Evil Lumps and Woozles, and walk to continue to support our Wonder Woman! I can tell you there may just be some awesome "Team Christina" swag for those of you that walk...

Please check out the link and join our team!! If you are unable to walk (like me :((( ) you can still help us reach our fundraising goal by donating! 

http://nashville.info-komen.org/goto/evillumpsandwoozles

And please, every time you see my mom, hug her from me. :)

Thank you all very much! Sending all my love! 

God Bless, 

Amanda Spanoudis

More information about ordering team shirts will be coming soon both here and on facebook!  I hope you will be able to walk with us.  

A Nothing Sort of Thing

I feel like there is so much I want to share.  First, let's start with the big news...the DRAIN.  Much to my surprise, Dr. Dunbar removed my drain last Thursday.  I couldn't believe it!  I wanted to jump off the exam table and hug her when she said we could take it out.  Let me tell you, having the drain gone is wonderful.  I actually feel somewhat normal...I can wear shirts without buttons, drive a car and simply move more freely.  It's been totally amazing.

During this visit Dr. Dunbar, she also gave us some initial information on the staging and marking of my cancer.  She said that while this is not her area of expertise, she believes the stage to be IIIa with the markings of T2 N2.  It was frightening to hear stage 3.  However, believe it or not this is still early stage breast cancer...the last phase of early stage breast cancer but nevertheless still viewed as curable.

People keep asking me what I do being home all day.   I have to say NOTHING.  Christopher Robin once explained doing nothing to Pooh in this manner:

"This is a nothing sort of thing that we're doing right now.  It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear and not bothering." "Oh!" said Pooh.   

While NOTHING has served me well throughout my recovery to this point, I have been eager to return enjoy some simple things happening in the lives of my children.

My mom and I kicked things off with a short road trip this past weekend as we traveled with Angela to Knoxville for her first gymnastics meet of the season.  Her team did an awesome job and I was so proud of Angela.  She had a great meet competing her new routines for the first time.  I was so glad I was able to be there, knowing there will be meets this season I will have to miss.    But one of the best parts was seeing her team unveil their symbols of support for me and our family.  The girls sported pink wrist bands during their bar routines and breast cancer awareness hair bows. They plan to wear them throughout the entire season.  Can't begin to tell you how much that means.

Last night we attended Joshua's induction into the Junior BETA Club.  Joshua was selected by his teachers to be part of this club based on fulfilling the mission of BETA which is to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, service and leadership. It's an amazing honor and I couldn't be prouder of him!

So for the next few weeks I plan to continue doing the routine NOTHING of my life and enjoying every moment of it!








 

Happy Winds-day

In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Pooh awoke from dreaming about Heffalumps and Woozles to find that is was raining all over the Hundred Acre Wood.  Raining so much that the water rose out of the river bed and flooded his house and Piglet's.  Like most of the Disney versions of the Winnie the Pooh story, a catchy little song was involved.  It went like this:

"The rain, rain, rain
Came down, down, down
In rushing, rising riv'lets
'Til the river crept out of its bed
And crept right into piglet's

Poor piglet, he was frightened
With quite a rightful fright
And so in desperation, a message he did write
He placed it in a bottle and it floated out of sight."

This tune has now become my theme song or anthem.  Except there is no rain involved, only one lone DRAIN...a drain that will not stop rising.  The plan was to have the drain removed tomorrow during my post op appointment but as of right now that looks like a long shot. The goal is to collect 20cc or less of fluid daily for three consecutive days before it is removed.  Not only am I not at 20cc, my numbers have not been below 20 since before the second surgery and have climbed into the 30s on some days. 

Honestly there is no medical concern about the amount of fluid being released into the drain, it varies from person to person.  It's also not uncommon to have the drains for as long as I have or longer.  I am just personally ready to have this last drain removed so I can start being "normal" again. 

Am I frustrated?  Of course I am!  But in his typical fashion, my husband came to the rescue bringing humor into the situation and making me smile when I just wanted to cry. While changing my bandages he kindly told me that the drain probably wasn't going to be removed and started singing, "And the drain, drain, drain came down down down".   We both couldn't help but laugh!

Today, like Piglet, I will send out a message in desperation when he found himself in rising waters...a message that will hopefully allow the drain be removed: 

          HELP!

      C-C-C-hristina                   (ME)

So there you have it!  Rehab (AKA, being lazy) continues as I wait for the drain to be removed.  Thankfully I am able to do more and still have my mom here to help.  I am getting more energy and on the bright side  now have a catchy little tune in my head to pass the time..."The Drain Drain Drain came down down down"  

Come on drain numbers...please come down!!! 

  

The initial hunt is over!

As I was preparing to provide an update on yesterday's surgery I received a phone call to share the final pathology results from the procedure.  I am pleased to share the final margins of the lumpectomy are now free of cancer!!!!  Seriously? I just couldn't believe my ears.

I am so grateful for the medical team who has overseen this process thus far.  My surgeon, Dr. Laura Dunbar, is amazing.  I couldn't have picked a better doctor.  It's funny because you deal initially with your diagnosis by selecting doctors, doctors that you really don't know anything about.  Then you meet with them and decide if they are right for you.

Pooh once said, "Before beginning a hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it."

After our first meeting with Dr. Dunbar, Christopher and I knew immediately that she was right for us...she was very wise, knew exactly what she was dealing with and the best way to go about removing it.  We know without a shadow of a doubt that she has had my best interest all along and we placed our trust in her. Today we celebrate this decision.

Now for that update I was planning to give.  Yesterday's outpatient procedure went well and was so much easier than the first.   Dr. Dunbar did a re-excision of the original lumpectomy site to remove some additional tissue and also removed one of my drains.  I had a short recovery in the hospital and was home by late afternoon.  The site is slightly tender but overall not  too bad.  I am continuing to rest and  take it easy and am hopeful to have the second drain removed next week.

Surgery was the fist part of becoming cancer free and today we can happily say that with clean pathology results, the initial hunt is over. Now we get ready for the second phase, chemotherapy, and place our trust in a new medical team of oncologists.