Because he won't advertise

I know that I have blog stalkers here that know Evan, the center of my Universe.
But I bet you didn't know he had a blog.
Because he won't tell you and he doesn't repost on Facebook or anything.
If you haven't read his blog, you are missing out.
Because it's like reading a devotional written by a person that is not afraid to tell you how he feels.
And I want him to continue to write, because I like reading it and because he needs to keep showing others that you can beat cancer and you should love Jesus.
So go read his latest post and ask him a question or two. Because he has a giveaway going on.
You will be amazed at what he has to say.
And I love him.

Noticeable

So far this whole weight loss journey has been pretty painless.
Weight Watchers allows you to eat what you want (within reason), so I haven't really been missing too much food wise.
And my appetite seems to be less and food doesn't seem as important to me any more.
All good things.
But I'm waiting for one thing to happen.
I want a noticeable change in the way I look.
Or I want something to happen that makes me go "Damn girl! You're doing great!"
And it hasn't happened yet.
But it will I'm sure.
It's just me being impatient and wanting results fast.
What I need to focus on is the fact that losing 5% of my weight will improve my health, and I'm almost there. (please don't do the math a try and figure out my weight- it's scary!)
I need to keep telling myself that I'm in for big changes, it will just take a while.
So here's to the future. And I hope you will all still be here when I can say that I was able to go down a size in jeans- because that's what I really want.

Weight Watchers Week #2- A late update

Team Bryant weighed in last Thursday, our 2nd official weigh in.
We all did pretty well.
I lost 1.6 pounds and Evan lost 1.4.
Pretty cool considering 1-1.5 pounds a week is a healthy weight loss for Weight Watchers.
That brings Evan's total to a big ole 12 pounds lost!
And I'm at 6.6 pounds lost.
Not too shabby!

But I'm a little concerned about this week. It's not for lack of effort on our part.
We both have been eating right and writing every thing down.
But we did have a few celebrations last weekend that might have undone some of our healthy habits.
Nothing major, we did AWESOME considering it was our anniversary AND we were celebrating a good report from the cancer doctor.
But we did eat at Fogo de Chao- and that's just bad for you!
But we made wise decisions and ate probably 1/4th of what we normally would have.
So that's a victory in and of itself.

We'll see what our friend the scale has to say this Thursday.
I'm really hoping for a loss of around a pound. That's my goal for every week.
Now if I could just make myself exercise!!

Cats and Dogs for a cause

I found this really cute material and turned it into another creation for Giggle Gowns.

I'm hoping that this will be the perfect hospital gown for a pre-teen or teenage girl that is currently being treated at the Aflac Cancer Center.

I hoping it will make her smile.

And I hope she knows that even though we have never met, I prayed for her while I made this gown.

Because I can't imagine the pain she feels.

But I hope I can help make a difference.

And I hope that the ruffle isn't itchy! I hope it just adds style to some sweet little soul that didn't ask for cancer, but is having to fight it anyway.

Let me know if you are interested in sewing a hospital gown for a girl or boy fighting cancer.

It's so easy but so rewarding.

12 years

True Love, Happiness and Joy.

On this our 12th year together, we are as strong as ever.

There's no title to do this story justice

I figured since you all have followed this story for months now, I should tell you about the appointment that gave us life back.
Yesterday at 8:45 we were at Emory. We were there to see a doctor who holds a title which I can't even pronounce. And on top of that, he teaches others about cancers of the neck So he's a pretty smart guy.
Normally when we go to see him, we wait. And wait. And wait.
But yesterday was different. We only waited about 15 minutes for Dr.W.
And for 10 of those minutes we talked to the funniest nurse I've ever met. She asked us questions about our kids, told us stories and we really enjoyed her company. She also had pink hair which was interesting.
And I got into my own head and convinced myself that this lady was being nice to us because God had placed her there to create a "calm before the storm". She made us at peace and we almost forgot that we were there to find out how cancer was going to change our lives again.
And so our pink haired nurse left and Dr.W came in almost immediately.
The only way I can describe him is grumpy.
I'm sure there is a better word, I just can't find it.
He really just a no frills type guy with little that makes him change his expression.
That's ok, he's smart. He can be grumpy.
And the first thing he says is that he had not received any paperwork from Evan's endocrinologist. Luckily for all of us, we brought a copy with us of his latest results as this is not the first time this has happened.
He scanned over the first page. "You didn't have a stimulated thyroid test?".
"No I did." Evan said.
"No you didn't." the doctor said.
And basically he explained to us that something must have went wrong with Evan's bloodwork after his last scan because his numbers for TSH were not where they should be. So that test was void.
Fabulous I thought. We have wasted time, money and effort.
Nope. As it turns out, the important number on Evan's bloodwork was his thyroglobulin level.
The other test could be repeated in a few months and dealt with.
But the thyroglobulin level is zero. And really that's all that matters.
As long as the thyroglobulin is zero, there is no active cancer growth.
He had no concerns because of that.
And he looked at Evan's worrisome ultrasound and scan and said "So you have lymph nodes!"
"Everyone has lymph nodes."
"If you have a 2cm. cancerous lymph node like this scan implies, I can feel it."
So he went around to Evan's neck, mushed around all over it and said, "I can't feel anything. And you have a skinny neck that's easy to feel stuff in. There's nothing unusual there. You have lymph nodes."
And he proceeded to tell us that if the scan showed lymph nodes and Evan's thyroglobulin was up, we would talk surgery. But that's not the case.
And at that point, he told us to stop worrying and move on with feeling good about Evan's health.
He did want us to understand that Evan will always be followed and always be monitored. He said we have 20 more years of this every 6 month business.
But who cares.
He told us to go celebrate.
He told us he'd see us in 6 months.
And I'm fairly certain that for a few minutes I was floating. The weight of the world had been lifted.
It was surreal. 10 months of pain and hurt was taken away in a 10 minute visit.
And we are new people.
Refined because of a struggle that no couple should have to go through.
But hopeful, wishful and thankful for the opportunity to use our story to share our faith and belief in prayer.
We are new.
Evan is healthy again.
Our love is solid.
Our faith is strong.
Our God is good.

Take a Depth Breath

The last few days have been stressful.
Nothing major. Just a bunch of little things that have added up to stress.
Not exactly the kind of week I was hoping for leading up to Evan's appointment on Friday.
But that's alright. All of this too shall pass.

Mainly I've just felt like crap. Went to the doctor and got medicine, so hopefully that will go away. Well except for the fact that the medicine makes me feel like crap too. But it will be ok.

And our first born Star Student brought home a less than stellar grade in English that has thrown us into a tailspin. We were not expecting it at all. She has never EVER had anything less than a 92 in any subject. So her grade being less than a B even completely flipped us out.
I blame it on myself for not prying about her grades more with her. I've tried really hard not to be an overbearing mother this year, and some how this is what I ended up with.
So I'll be teaching an English lesson every afternoon from 4:05 to 4:45 if you'd like to join us.
Because as you know, my chils WILL learn English, even if I have to teach her myself.

Oh yeah, we also have Weight Watchers weigh in tomorrow. And I'm scared. I know I have done fine. I have written down everything and always been within points. But I just don't feel too much smaller this week. So we'll see. Hopefully we'll have something to be happy about tomorrow night.

Finally, don't forget to pray for Friday's appointment. We go to Emory at 9:00 AM.

Hypochondria

I have always been a little bit of a hypochondriac.
Not terrible, just a little.
And it has been increased a little this year by the fact that I sent Evan to the doctor with a cough and he came out with cancer.
Makes sense right? I'm paranoid.
But I have to keep reminding myself that small medical issues are possible.
And that every time I feel a little off, I'm not going to end up on Mystery Diagnosis.

Just call me Martha

As many of you know, we have friends that have an 8 year old daughter who had a cancerous tumor removed back in July. Needless to say, that is every parents nightmare. But our little friend is doing really well with her chemo right now, so we are thankful for that.

I am also thankful for her mom, my sweet friend Tami, who has taken what is an awful situation and made it into an opportunity for showing the love of Jesus.

Even through chemo treatments and a million doctors appointments, Tami has started a non-profit. She is now providing bright colored, cheerful hospital gowns to the children at Scottish Rite- Aflac Cancer Center through her group called Giggle Gown. She has recruited friends and family and the gowns are being hand made as quickly as they can be.

So now enter me- Rookie Sewer, but willing volunteer.

I started my first gown on Saturday afternoon about 1:00.
The hardest part of the project was remembering how to thread my machine!

Because my mom always just did it for me.

But I managed to get it threaded, the pattern all cut out and everything pinned together.

It took me a while since I had never actually put a sleeve on a garment before- remember I am a rookie.

But I think all in all, it turned out great!

I did have one mishap where I missed actually sewing the bias to the neck of the gown-Oops.

But I managed to totally fix that on my own and I finished the gown some time that evening.

It really didn't take that long to make. I took several breaks and watched some football.

But I finished and that's a HUGE accomplishment for me!

And the greatest part is, it's actually wearable!

I put it on to prove it.

And yes, I know what you're thinking.

Wow! That must be one big gown if Lori can wear it.

But I was specifically tasked with making a gown for a teenager.

Now that teenager might have to be a short teenager since I was about an inch short on fabric at the bottom.

But it's a teenager sized gown none the less.

And I am super proud of it. And I'm ready to make 2 more as soon as I get some notions I need from Hobby Lobby.

If you are interested in making a gown of your own to donate, please let me know!

I'd love to have friends join in the effort.

I think it's a really great cause, and it's pretty fun too.

Run Daddy Run!

Here are our resident runners training in the neighborhood.
They finished the KP 5K last night and did great!

Killin' It (Week #1)

Team Bryant lost a combined total of 19 lbs. this week for the three of us!!
Not bad I must say.
Of course we were helped by Evan and his awesome 10.6 pound loss.
I'm so proud of him for doing such a great job this first week.
And he also ran a 5K so he really is my hero right now.

I managed to lose 5 pounds myself. I'm sure a lot of it was water weight, but I'll take it.
And my not drinking Coke is making a big difference I think.
I'm pretty proud of myself, and I really want to keep it up. I now that I won't lose nearly 5 lbs. every week, but a pound here and a pound there and I'll be good to go!

A few things I learned this week that I want to keep a record of:
-16 weeks into this journey will be December 30th and 16 weeks on Weight Watchers is a big milestone, so I look forward to celebrating the end of the year healthier.
-If I can lose an average of 1 lb. a week, it should take me about 6 months to reach my goal- I think that is realistic, right?
-I have a pair of jeans that I am going to use as my measure of success. Hopefully I'll get a picture up here of me in them this week so that I can compare later. They are size 14s which is not the biggest size I have worn. And I'm embarrassed to even tell you that size, but I hope that it will help me keep myself motivated. Ultimately, I want to wear a size 8 comfortably.
-My wedding rings are getting loose on my hand- LOVE IT! I won't mind paying to have them sized if I have to, but I'm not going to until I'm done. So I will put them in the ole jewelry box when they are just too big and if I wanted them back, I'll have to keep it up!
-I'm having a problem with my bras fitting. (I know my men readers don't want to hear this)
Oh, and before Evan starts to panic, it has nothing to do with cup size, it's only length around me that is decreasing. Which is cause my bras to want to move around. A COMPLETE PAIN!!
So I might have to buy some new bras (yea for me!).
-Oh and the Fresco menu at Taco Bell is good.

There you have it, a week #1 recap. I'm really excited. Looking forward to being a smaller version of myself. And maybe I can talk Evan into the Cadillac?

Daddy-Daughter Date

Tonight Evan and Haley (our 10 yo.) are going out on a date.
They're going to run/walk the Kaiser Permanenta 5K together.
Something that I think they both will enjoy since they have the same knack for fitness.
I'm glad Evan has at least one child that enjoys running with him.
I'm fairly certain Britton did not get that gene.
So we'll be hanging out while those 2 are being fit and fabulous.
If you happen to be near Turner Field at 7 tonight, go cheer on #7443 and his side kick!
I'm very proud of them - they are quite the pair.

Not Meth- Just Coke

I have a Coke habit.

As in a Coca-Cola habit.

It's bad. Like a 6 pack a day type habit.

But I gave it up last week on Thursday.

Cold turkey.

I gave it up for Weight Watchers.

Because I know that I will lose more weight if I stay away from the Coke.

And I have tried in the past to "allot" myself calories and points for Coke.

But really, I'm just healthier without it.

So I gave it up.

And man is it killing me.

I don't know why, but I am really irritable.

Like really. I have just had it with the world lately.

And I think it's all because of Coke withdrawal.

But I am bound to keep going in hopes that my weight loss will be increased by a little because of it.

Who knows, maybe I won't notice it's gone after a week or two.

And hopefully Evan can tolerate me being a little bitchy. We'll see.

1st weigh in is Thursday!

What do you think?

My sweet husband wrote a blog post last night that pretty much sums up how much this whole cancer thing has sucked.
It makes me sad and frustrated to know that we let it get the best of us, but sometimes it does.
Go over and read what he has to say at Gemini Not Cancer and tell him you love him.

Pooped

Good grief I'm tired!
This weekend was awesome but we were non-stop and I must admit it got the best of me.
I'm wiped out!
And as a result, I've got no brain cells left. What few I had I think are gone.
Which means I can't seem to conjure up a blog post.
Can you help me?
One of my favorite things to do is answer questions from readers.
So if you have something to ask or something you are wondering about, how about leaving me a comment and I'll get right to it!
Anything is game.

Like Jennifer Hudson

We went to our first Weight Watchers meeting tonight.
We being me, Evan and his mom.
We are taking the leap to better healthy and smaller waistlines.
I'm excited.
Mainly because I love a group project.
And I can't wait to shed some pounds.
And I know it will be hard.
But I want to do it.
For my health mostly.
I want to get off of blood pressure meds and I want a better BMI.
So- here goes.
I'll keep you updated here and any encouragement you want to give me would be great.
Because I tend to stress eat, and I've had plenty of stress this year.
But I can do this. We can do this.

September 24th

We have an appointment at Emory to visit the head and neck surgeon.
It's Sept. 24th at 9:00 in the morning.
And that's only 2 weeks away.
I was certain we wouldn't get in before Christmas!
But the appointment hasn't happened yet, and the last 2 times Evan was supposed to go to Emory, the office called to cancel. So it is your job to pray that the appointment is kept.
And also of course pray we can leave there with a clear plan for the future.

Raisin' the Roof

Not really.

We are actually talking about lowering it!

If you haven't visited our house, let me give you a little background.

We have one of those houses that was built when 2 story family rooms were all the rave. (You can see a picture of it at Christmas above)

And I have to admit, when I first walked into the model house that had our floor plan I loved it!

What a nice open family room.

And flash forward to now, my opinion has changed a little about that room.

Basically, it's cold in the winter, hot in the summer.

The walls are not painted because we can't get to them to paint 24' in the air.

There is limited decorating because the walls are so big that most artwork is too small.

And I can't stand looking up and seeing cobwebs in the corners that I can't get to.

So I am not super thrilled about our family room.

That's where Evan comes in.

He decided that we should just make the family room into a one story room and add a media/bonus type room above it.

Oh good grief- that to me sounds like building a new house.

Why not just build a new house?

I know, I know. You all agree with Evan. Now's not the time to try and sell a house.

I understand.

I'm just scared of the possibility of having real live major construction going on around us.

Like windows being taken out and new walls and floors being built and construction dust.

Yikes- construction dust!

But for some reason, this is a dream of Evan's. And he doesn't really ever get that fixed on projects and he's fixed on this one.
So I guess we'll see what comes of this dream.

Right now we are still in the design/ costing phase with a builder.

It's taking a lot longer than we expected, so I'm thinking the cost will be insane.

But we'll see and of course I will keep you up to date.

And in the event that we decide not to remodel, I am going to present Evan with two alternatives.

1. We use the remodel money to buy the Cadillac I have wanted for so long and we'll jusy drive around and cuss our two story family room -OR-

2. We put the house on the market, sell it whenever and we're moving to a farm house in South Coweta County where I will finally have the cows I've always wanted.

A girl can dream can't she?

Before and After

Master Bedroom Before
Gold everywhere!


Master Bedroom After
Nice and Tranquil

More Love

I figured out why this whole cancer saga has decided to continue.
It's because I have not reached the maximum amount of love I can have for one man.
Because with every day that goes by, I love Evan more.
And I'm sure you're tired of hearing about it.
But I'm not in therapy, I choose to blog instead.
And what I like to blog about most is how much I adore my sweet husband.
And how much he makes my life so wonderful.
He truly is my very best friend.
So you might want to change blogs if you don't want to read about how cancer can make two people grow in love with each day that goes by.
That's not to say I'm not ready to be done with cancer.
But I am thankful for it's ability to show me that I am with my perfect match.
And life is so good, even when doctors don't say so.