Team up to help make a difference.....

So.......we know Patti and Mike are about to travel down a tough road....together.   

Mike has been working 6-7 days a week to keep up with the basic bills and is doing a fantastic job of managing this task (Thank You Mike!!!!). However, its still not enough to keep them going, as owning your own business can be a tough road...even without an illness in your life.  Also, what we all may tend to forget in this progress is that Mike is also affected by Patti's illness but in a different way, and that his life has forever changed as well.  He has been there for her more now than ever, and I know she appreciates the time she and Mike spend together.  She actually gets excited when Mike gets home, as she looks forward to sharing the latest news and anxious to see how work went for him, and of course, checking up on her work and customers she can no longer tend to as well. 

Isn't it amazing how God works?  Patti's illness has brought the two of them closer together .......yes, he ALWAYS has a plan....

Patti will not be able to work for quite a while in the paperhanging business and will spend the next 6 months traveling back and forth to doctors and treatments of some sort, along with the most important thing - eating well and keeping a good diet plan in place.  Patti will have many times where she will not want to eat (apparently, this is a well known fact in this sort of treatment....staying away from the "C" word).  We (ALL of US) have to help her along to ensure she maintains weight as she goes through this process.  Cheering is allowed :-)

Like I said, they are on this journey together............we are there to help them along the way because we love and care for them so much.

With that said, I am reaching out to all who have so kindly followed her progress and ask for you to help where they really will need it. 

You can offer any of the following:
Gas - Gas cards are helpful with the travels to Menomonee Falls and east Mequon for doctor visits and treatment, and to ensure Mike can go to work to keep up with his job, as well as Patti's work that he is now taking on.

Food - These gift cards are more valuable than anything else, as Patti will need to keep her food intake up in order to get through this!  VERY IMPORTANT for her recovery.   Now some may be thinking......."I will bring Patti some nice things that she may like to eat, or make a special dish".......not so much with Patti. 

Side Note:  What you may not know about Patti is that she is a VERY FINICKY eater :-/  Believe me when I say this, as both Dale and I got to watch her grow up not liking a lot of food that both he and I ate (like most kids).  With that said, a gift card to Pick and Save or Piggly Wiggly (two of her favorite places to shop for her favorite foods) would be the best gift you can give.  She really is a picky eater.

While all the wonderful gifts that she has received from all of you wonderful people looking out for her and trying to help keep her mind busy, she just doesn't have that desire to entertain this for now.  Maybe down the road it will change but for now, the suggestions above are best (she has a cute, but small house and not much in the way of storage or space)

You can also donate to her web page that I set up a few months back, as those funds would be used for bills and other necessities that may be needed on her road to recovery:

Donate to Patti's Road to Recovery

Thanks again to all for your ongoing support.  This is a scary time for us and we know she will win this fight......just gotta keep the faith, keep the strength, and continue on with all of the wonderful, ongoing support from all of you!

Overcomer!

 Today, Patti met with the doctor who had to talk about the "C" word, and we are not talking Cancer. This was a tough visit for Patti, as she was hoping to avoid treatment such as this. 

God has a plan - we are human - you are entitled to be mad today -it's okay.  Just remember you have to fight and keep the faith Patti.  We are ALL here for you and YOU WILL GET THOUGH THIS!

Here is a link to remind you (and everyone reading this note):
Patti you ARE an overcomer

To all:
Please keep it positive - doctors orders!!  Patti needs ALL the virtual hugs she can get :-)

Just say NO.......

......to cancer in the NODES!

Hallelujah!  The doctor called today to confirm the results of the surgery on Monday 10/21.  He says he's got nothing!  In simple terms.....the second surgery shows that the cancer did not go beyond the sentinel nodes and this is a VERY GOOD thing.  The cancer stops here - time for Patti to get on with it and get well! 

Patti was not having a good week, as the surgeries and cancer talk has worn on her (I hear you on that sista!).  She really needed to hear good news and we are happy to report that the cancer did not spread beyond the first line of node defense - YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next steps:
-Follow up visit with the surgeon tomorrow to check on things.
-Next week - meet with more doctors to get the recovery plan in place

Time to get on with her life.....you got this one Patti!  Anyone who can rock hair like you did in this picture (thought you could use a smile right about now - circa 1991), can fight better than a girl! 

Keep the faith Patti and don't give up!

Surgery update

The surgery is done and the doctor says it was successful.  He also stated that the nodes removed did not surprise him.  In other words, they looked perfectly fine however..............we will hold off on the celebration until the lab has done their work to determine the final results.

Patti is in recovery and is expected to be released this evening to go home.  YEA!!! We know that will make her VERY happy, as she does not care for sleep-over at the hospital.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

On another note.....Mike and I are sitting here anxious to be done with all the sitting, waiting, and hearing those same words come from other doctors to the loved ones waiting in this very same area we are in. 

We also starting to think about food!  Now that Patti's surgery is done and we have another 1.5 hours to go before we can see her..........do we hit the café, do we just eat snacks (wait, we already did that!), or do we wait until we get back home? 

Looks like we are going to wait, as the café just closed:-/   Although Mark offered to bring us food, we decided to hold off.  We are close to being done with both this wait and the hospital events in general.

Ready for Patti to hit the RECOVERY road!!!! 

Happy Birthday Patti!

                                                 
Patti's Birthday weekend!

Friday night, Patti, Mark and I went to the MFHS Championship Football game where Austin had the honor of singing the national anthem.  Patti asked that I share the video with you (he did a beautiful job), but it will have to wait for Austin to set it up, as the video appears to be too big for this site.

Saturday, we started Patti's day with the craft fair but had to stop, as Patti had a nasty migraine :-/    Since the weather is ugly and rainy, it seems fitting to take a rain check (pun intended) for another time when she feels better :-) 

Sunday - Happy Birthday Patti! 
Many good things about Patti's day.  Patti was finally free of that evil migraine that took her down for the past 1.5 days, she was feeling pretty good and I must say, she continues to look great as you can see by the photos!

We had a great afternoon with a Packer win (YEA!!!!!!!!), followed by a delicious Lasagna dinner, cake, gifts,  and fun family time :-)  It was a great day overall and nice to see Patti smiling so BIG!



 
The best gift Patti for her birthday?  Time together with FAMILY!  The best gift of all :-) 

 

Happy Birthday Sis!

 

 



The birthday week continues with well wishes, gifts and Patti feeling her best lately!

Good afternoon to all!
Patti is having a good week leading up to her next two big events....birthday (yea!) and surgery (boo :-/ )

On Friday, Patti and Mike received a package in the mail that surprised them - Tamales and LOTS of them!  These were sent all the way from Texas, compliments of Mike's Aunt Peggy ( Judy's sister from Texas)  her husband Ron & kids Amy & Tim, and Patti requests to add in "Tater tot" and "Puppy Mutt" - their furry kids :-)  They own the company where these are made - how neat.  They look like a tasty treat! "Feed" back to follow - hee hee.

In addition to the BIG box of tamales, Patti received a few lovely gifts from Aunt Peggy and family for her birthday (see attached picture of Patti sporting her fighter arm).  We will beat this thing so I am glad to see her showing her strong side!  Okay, she was really intending to show off the bracelet, but I thought I would make it a bit more dramatic with the pose she presented!

She also received a nice gift package from Mark's sister Linda with lovely gifts and a few nice reads to help keep Patti's mind on other stuff! (see picture below). 

In addition to these gifts, a shout out goes to The Taylor Family, The Davidoski Family, and Mike's Dad and wife (Pete and Karen) for their generosity and thoughts as well!

For those who are thinking, "what could I give Patti for her birthday?"  Here is a list that she would love to have and please, make it a belated gift (after 10/22/13):

• Help with dusting the house.
• Vacuuming (especially the sun room where the dogs love to lay around :-)
• Dusting the blinds (BIG job and BIG thanks to anyone who can help with this!)
• An occasional stroll to the bathroom - to scrub it :-)
• Outdoors - raking (if needed) and trimming of plants as they begin to hibernate for winter.
• Wash (wait, I got that one - just add it in with ours:-)
• Kitchen floor washing (Patti's dogs love to drool over her and we can't blame them....did you see the picture?  Looking good sista!)
• Even the kitchen sink!  (Scrubbing, that is :-)

These are wonderful gifts that Patti would enjoy after Monday, as she will not be able to do work again for a few weeks.  If interested in assisting with her "wish" list, please contact her or myself (if after Monday) to plan from there. 

Today, Mark and I will be taking Patti to the fair....A Country Affair, that is!  This is a huge event at Menomonee Falls High School where they have lots of crafty things and unique stuff for the home (mostly focused on Patti's décor style:-).  Patti used to take Austin to this event when he was little and they always had a blast.  As part of our gift to her, we are treating her to the event so she can select a few things that will brighten her home and her spirit!

So, on to the weekend!  We are getting geared up to watch our Packers on Sunday, along with a feast of lasagna for Patti's official birthday.  Gotta fill Patti up on Sunday night, as she will have to refrain from eating on Monday in preparation for surgery. 

Enjoy your day, your weekend, and stay warm!

Pathology reports, bandages and a birthday week!

Good evening to all!

After Friday's news on the HER2 status and the great day Patti had afterwards, we just did not want to trump that moment or the weekend.

We met with her surgeon today and I think we actually entertain him with my barrage of questions and Patti's list of "can I please do stuff again!?"  He sat with us for quite some time and walked through the results of Patti's surgery.  He was very pleased with Patti's progress (yes, pun intended!) and thought that she was healing very well.  He discussed next steps and what to expect with the upcoming surgery on 10/21.  Some stuff sounded scary - some information was familiar - and some was a relief, such as the ace bandage that she hated and finally got permission to remove!.  She had to wear it tightly around her chest for compression and to keep the fluid from pooling.  I think he was just having fun by preparing Patti for her Halloween costume....wrapping her up like a mummy! 

We also received the pathology results.  This document has a lot of information - some we understand - some we did not.  The end result?  We will see this through and Patti WILL get well and carry on :-)  We are anxious to get through this next surgery and get to the recovery plan.  Enough already!  Another doctor visit this Friday and then on to the birthday girl's weekend! 

Patti will be celebrating her BIG  26th, wait, that would be her 31st, ah, who cares how old she is!  Let's just celebrate Patti!

With the news last Friday, the bandages off today, and the ability to move her arm like us, she is a very happy girl today.  She was given permission to increase her activity and finally have a bit of a routine life (until her next surgery).  She needed this freedom to feel some normality in her life again - YEA for Patti!

Patti celebrates her birthday on Sunday.  The best gift for Patti?  Positive emails, FB chats, and lots of smiles!  Remember, a positive attitude is the best recovery medicine and doctors orders!  Oh, and please keep the prayers coming our way too!

With her surgery on Monday, we plan to celebrate her day with a Packer win lots of lasagna!
I attached a photo of Patti showing off her ability to carry her purse on her "right" shoulder (see above)  A happy moment for sure!  Let's keep it happy and positive!

HER2 Status = NEGATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This test tells us that the cancer is NOT aggressive, and exactly what Patti had been worried about and praying for.

Patti is having a great day and it's only 10am.  Good news will do that to you!

Thank you GOD!

Enough said :-)

Save the date AGAIN! Surgery has been moved up!

Yep!  We worked the medical team over and were successful in getting Patti's surgery date moved up!  The new date will be October 21st - 4:30pm.  This surgery will be no where near as invasive as the first. 

Patti had a great day today, as the tubes were taken out - can I get a BIG YAY!!?!!
She feels so much better.  She is now wrapped in big ace bandages as the continue to work though the process of reducing the fluids and preparing her for the next steps.

Here is what Patti's agenda will look like in the next few weeks to come:

• 10/16 - See the surgeon and verify all is going well with the recovery and ensure no fluid build up.
• 10/18 - Radiologist - General visit to discuss what may be next, just in case radiation is considered.
• 10/21 - Surgery!  Remove more nodes and PRAY PRAY PRAY for no additional cancer cells. If they do find more, we got this anyway.....but less is better!
• 10/31 - Follow up with the reconstructive surgeon and plan the next steps.

What happens after all of this stuff?  It depends.  Once we know ALL of the details of the original surgery (via pathology report), Patti can begin her "get well" journey.  Also, the results of the second surgery will dictate the plan as well.  Lots to digest in the next few weeks......buckets of prayers are always welcome!

What will help Patti (besides all of the love and support of friends and family) will be what they call "Cancer Rehab".  This is a program designed specifically to help patients get back to their normal routine and life.  Some of the activities include:

• Exercise program
• Scar massage
• Dietitian care - they will help her stay well as she goes through Chemo
• Counseling when needed
• and more (Hey, I'm over 50 and cannot remember everything - hee hee)

All good stuff to help Patti feel well while undergoing treatment and get her mind thinking "recovery".  It will also keep her busy while she cannot work and if I were a betting person, she will meet new friends who will be in the same (or similar) position, who can only help her, as we know she will be eager to help them!

That's our Patti!

Have a great day - Patti did :-)

Zip it up, lovely home-made pins, a mouse, a gift box and a better day for Patti

Good afternoon to all,
Sorry for the delay in blogging for Patti, as it's been a long weekend for all.  After receiving the news on Friday, Patti had a tough weekend.  We spent hours on the phone just talking until I could hear her smile again, but it's a moment and there are so many in a day........

It's very difficult for her at this time, and the waiting doesn't help.  Did I mention that she's not the most patient patient :-)  Seriously, we have the ability to come and go as we please......we can go to work (although some days we wish we didn't have to), socialize with others, drive where we want, and engage in life.  Not being able to do what she was used to makes for long days.................

Next time you are chatting with Patti, whether it be on FB, email, or on the phone, please do it with the BIGGEST SMILE you can give.  It's nice to hear good things and a cheery voice.  She needs all the positive she can get right now to keep her in "fighting" mode!

Another field trip!  Patti was able to take her second field trip - to church on Sunday!  It was nice to see her out and sitting up, versus stuck in bed.  She lasted most of the service, but had to leave early.  Glad she got out and a great place to go on a field trip - God's house!  She's still recovering, and her body is telling her to take it easy for a little longer.

Goodies sent her way in the past few days:
As you can see, she continues to be showered with surprises each day.  On Friday, she said she was struggling with finding a jacket that zippered when heading out to the doctor, as it would be easier with the current situation (she's a hoodie girl - no zipper required). Not anymore!  We got her all sported up in a warm, fluffy pink casual fleece, and a very nice, thick sweater-coat that screamed "Take me home, I belong to Patti!" at Boston Store :-)  It's perfect in both Patti's style and color.  Patti also received a lovely note and 2 home-made pins from her long-time friend April.  That was very thoughtful and talented too!  On Saturday, Larry (Austin's dad) stopped by and set Patti up with a wireless mouse, as the laptop mouse can be difficult to work.  Also, it's nice to have other company than us routine family folk (hee hee).  Today, Patti received a box of goodies from Linda (Mark's sister).  It was packed with puzzles, socks, books, and more!  A wonderful surprise to add into the good day Patti was finally having. 

She would like to say "Thank You" to all who continue to pray for her and send little reminders that she is thought of............she feels VERY blessed.

Patti's first field trip after surgery, a visit to the doctor, and news we wish we could lose :-/

Hello to all,
Patti finally got to get out and take in some of this nice weather!  Mike took Patti on a field trip was to the grocery store (see photo with the new sweatpants Mike got her for her adventure!) 

Patti said that it was a tiring experience for her.  Of course Mike did all of the shopping and pushing of the cart, but Patti says that the actual walk through the store exhausted her!  I guess that will happen after a 3 hour surgery of tearing up muscles and all that yucky stuff.   

Doesn't she look proud in those new duds?  Mike has been so supportive through all of this.....makes me think, what could we do for the guy who is dealing with all of the tough stuff that we are not there for, or know about?  thank you Mike!  Not only for being there, but for really taking care of Patti during one of the most difficult struggles she will EVER face in her life.  We love you!

Patti has been so positive through all of this, it simply amazes Mike and I when we talked about her positive spirit.  This is exactly what we need of Patti to get her well and keep moving forward.

Patti had a tough start to the day today.  She was very down this morning.  Then, she got crummy news.... ugh....we all have them, but not like this!  Unfortunately, the second results came back and the Sentinel nodes show cancer cells - BUMMER :-/

So, we are not done with this fight yet!  On November 5th, Patti will undergo yet another surgery to remove these nodes and test.  Our goal and prayer is that they come negative.  This would be the best possible outcome.  Thank goodness we have this blog to keep you posted as this information is just too much for her to repeat again....and again.....and again....you get it, right?

Patti will do her best to see the tree and not look at the whole forest, and we ask that you keep her in your prayers tonight.  No prayer too small!

More to follow tomorrow....see you then :-)

Tag! Patti's it!

 

 

 



 

Good evening to all!
I wanted to send this out last night, but simply ran out of steam.  Writing is actually a lot of work! 
Ah, I do it all for Patti - she loves this blog!  It keeps her entertained and keeps everyone up to date.  Good stuff!

The pictures above were from yesterday.  What we didn't tell you is a hint from yesterday's blog.  Yes, she actually did a load of wash.....3 DAYS AFTER SURGERY!  Mike was ready and willing, but Patti had to do it anyway (I think she waiting until he went to sleep......how sneaky).  I believe Mike said she did that wash at 3am? 

Again, it has nothing to do with the fact that she's German, right?  HA HA
Be sure to give her a hard time and remind her of the goal - recovery - recovery - recovery. 

The first picture you see with Patti feverishly typing away was taken to show off her new laptop table.....compliments of Mark (from his old apartment).  It sure is handy in both convenience with being in bed, and avoiding the potential of Patti moving or lifting the laptop (the weight factor). 

Doesn't she look smart?  As you can see, this photo has to be staged......as we all KNOW Patti needs her "cheater-readers" to see on that laptop (BIG smile right now - LOL!!!).  Lookin' good sista!

The second photo is the ID card for the newest member of her body!  Yes, she is officially tagged!  You can send her a note to ask more on this, as it becomes interesting and funny!  Something about the airport security going off when she goes through, and other fun facts :-)

If you know of people that do not have or use FB, please feel free to share this blog:-)

Good night to all - see you tomorrow.......as we know something will happen with Patti's Progress!

A few more lovely gifts and flowers for Patti and................we got ourselves a leaker here!

 

 

 

 

 



 Good evening to all!
I thought I would post a nice, quick note regarding the wonderful gifts and flowers Patti received today.  Mike, Kristin, and Mason sent a beautiful, bright bouquet of daisies (my favorite) with white roses (love white!), yellow carnations (Patti, is that your favorite?), and other nice foliage with a sweet card of well wishes. 

Patti also received a neat box filled with neat breast cancer items (see picture above).  Besides the beautiful photo of Mason, she received a book for her to read and another neat help guide for the husband!  Yea for Mike! 

My close and long time friend Jan sent a BIG, beautiful bouquet of flowers from her and the kids to let Patti know they are thinking of her.  How awesome!

A short note about today then off to bed for me, as I am under the weather and cannot help or visit Patti due to being sick with a cold  :-/  

Patti and Mike went to the doctor today as she sprung leak!  These crazy tubes she has attached to her were misbehaving and caused a bit of trouble throughout the night.  The doctor took one out completely, which made Patti smile, and they had to work through the other one as it was clogged with some debris (yuk).  All is well now and she is resting at home again.

Also, she was told to take it VERY EASY - no working around the house (including wash Patti), no lifting, no pushing, no shoving, no cheating to get something moved or dusted that bothers her.......no matter what!  The doctor was very clear about this on Friday to Mike and I, and had to tell Patti again to "knock it off!" (this has nothing to do with the German in her - LOL).   She is required to rest and  absolutely no lifting or reaching for anything. 

Okay, off my soap box and off to bed.  I have more to tell regarding tags and tables, but will save it for tomorrow!

Sleep well :-)