Thanks to those who came before us.

7490 Brompton, Apt. 442
Houston, TX 77025
713-660-7816
donshnell@sbcglobal.net

The picture on the blog today is one Don took right after the last drains were removed. I wanted to show you the apartments. This is the entrance where the gate is. We have a card to swipe to open the gates (or wait until someone else comes in and we follow them in). Our apartment is on the ground level. Soon I will put a picture of our specific apartment on the blog. I just want you to have a good idea of our circumstances.

I was explaining to a friend today that my purpose with the blog is to let anyone who cares know about my progress. I want to be very honest because I know that someday someone of you or someone else you know will face breast cancer because it is so common. It is such a help to me to have lived through it with my mom. If you live through it with me, then you will be better prepared, too. Breast cancer is not a kiss of death; it’s a diagnosis. When I first got my diagnosis with the biopsy results in Houston my doctor told me, "You have cancer, but cancer is not your life. You live your life and we’ll treat the cancer." I appreciated her attitude so much and it gave me a good outlook from the beginning.

I thank God for you who care to read and keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I thank Him for the good care I get. I thank Him for His care.

I look back at the picture that is on the blog today and I thought I felt good that day. I was so thrilled to be loosed from the drains! I know that I feel so much better today, just a little more than a week later. I really get around so well. If I could just get to see my chiropractor at home to fix my knees, I’d be in great shape! My range of motion with my shoulders and arms is so good. I’m very pleased! My exercises still hurt to do, but I do them easily.

I still can’t sleep on my side; mostly because it’s uncomfortable to my arms. It’s so odd to me that my arms seem to be suffering the most from all this surgery. Someone who was in this apartment before us left a huge triangular, hard, foam, cushion. It was still in plastic, having never been used. It’s been wonderful for me. I put it up against my back and lean against it to sleep tilted to my side and not completely on my side. It’s a refreshing break from sleeping flat on my back. I can also put it under my knees when I sleep on my back, and that relieves the knees.

This apartment concept is amazing. Besides that huge triangle of foam is a wheel chair, a potty chair, a walker, two air mattresses, a shower chair, and numerous gauze pads, etc. It’s amazing and could be very helpful. I’ve used the shower chair (although we brought one, but just left it in the car) and the foam triangle. Thank God for the sharing of those who came before us.