The last 11 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I moved to Austin in 2001. I met Sean in 2001. Time does fly - doesn't it? Here I am thinking about all the people that lost their lives and loved ones in a matter of seconds. What a tragedy. There are people that got to say their goodbyes, there are some that are still hoping to see the ones gone missing...This tragic day has forever changed most of us. I know it changed me. I thought this country was inpenetrable, invincible and safe against any kind of terrorist threats. Boy was I wrong. I felt that we were so vulnerable and exposed in so many ways after this day. September 11, 2001 is a day that will forever be remembered. I think about the wars that are still being faught. These wars that have our soldiers still away from home. There have been many more casualties since we are out there trying to protect our country from more potential threats. I have a person dear to my heart in Afghanistan right now. I always pray for him and every single person in the military. I believe that our soldiers are doing this for the rest of us and I am forever in their debt. There is one thing I try to do when I see a serviceman/woman in uniform: I thank them for their service. I always get a smile and a: "thank you; it's my pleasure, Ma'am" Today as we sit here and remember the events that happened this day, eleven years ago, we should count our blessings and thank those whom sacrificed and continue to do so.

Just Respect Others. Seriously.

Ok, I think I hit my limit on the whole Chik-Fil-A thing. Yes, we all have freedom of speech. YES it is encouraged and KUDOS to those that are actually practicing this right. I believe that we are entitled to voice our opinions and speak our minds as long as we don’t insult others in our wake. I respect people based on just one principal: you are a human. There are so many versions of us as human beings that it would be impossible to try to sit there and pick and choose person’s characteristics and base our friendships and relationships solely on those that match our criteria. All that just sounds pretty ridiculous to me….almost as ridiculous as judging someone just by their hair color or color of skin. I was raised with very strong Catholic beliefs and they are the core of who I am. This does not mean that things have to be exactly as the church dictates. I believe that we all have to change in order to grow. I know that if we don’t change; things will always remain the same. I have values and these values are the ones that allow me to accept people and their choices. I don’t have to agree with everyone – but I do respect everyone. When it comes to simple things like tattoos, piercings, body art and whatever else is popular these days… I chose not to do that to my body – but I can certainly appreciate them on someone else. The stories and meaning of the body art is very fascinating and gets someone to open a door to their soul. I really enjoy hearing the stories behind tattoos; there is always more there than you expect! Now back to my point. This is taken from their FB page for Chick fil-A Appreciation day: “We are for the freedom of Americans to speak their mind and practice their faith.” If this statement were true, why is it that there is so much against people that choose a different sexual preference? I understand that not everyone is giddy about people being openly gay. I get it – it IS different and we are not used to it. That does not mean it is wrong. I am not gay, but that does not mean I get to judge those who are. I truly believe that people that are gay are that way biologically. They didn’t CHOOSE to be attracted to the same sex. Why would anyone want to be in a controversial relationship just for kicks? Rebelliousness in some cases, maybe. I think you are born with it or grow up and realize you just are. I happen to have close friends that are gay in both sexes and they are amazing human beings. I am not saying they are better or worse – come on, they are JUST people! There is nothing different - just who they choose to spend their lives with. I cannot understand why it is not just something that can be accepted. It is beyond my comprehension. I want to add that I am very dissapointed in those that claim to be Christians and sit there and judge people that don't follow "the Biblical view of marriage". Shame on you for making negative comments. I am the person I am because of the people around me. I have my core upbringing – but I am constantly growing as a person, Mom, spouse, sibling, daughter, friend and all the other hats that I wear. I accept challenges and change with open arms. I have learned that life is too short to harbor hate or ill feelings towards anyone. I have learned to forgive. Hate kills. Love heals. Life is sweeter when you learn to breathe and stop to see what is passing you by. Elda

Take that!

So I got the call and the results from the I-131 scan done on 12/12/11 and guess what....I AM CANCER FREE! Yes, I kicked that cancer out of my body. This is a TRUE reason to be joyous and to truly celebrate life! I am unbelievably relieved and happy. The heavy feeling on my shoulders is gone. My family is completely HAPPY. My body was confused when it decided to welcome the bad cells but just as easily we kicked them the heck out. :)

One thing I cannot help but think of is all the people that don't get the good news. I truly do continue to pray for the ones that have lost the battle and the ones that fight for their lives everyday. I am thankful for my fortune and have decided to do more for those that cannot live a normal life because of cancer - especially the children. I know that one little thing may seems senseless or silly but for a cancer patient it can mean the world.

I am blessed beyond words. I have the best Doctors, family, friends and coworkers. Life is good and I am glad it chose me. I now know the value of MY life.

XO

Elda

Yes, I am rocking a super short do. :) Merry Christmas!

Spidey Senses?

From December 7, 2011
I got my dose today. 100 picocuries of radioiodine - picocuries is a measurement used in the field. The dose was administered via a capsule, which was a blue capsule a bit bigger than a regular tylenol.

I have been going to the Radiation center (ARA) since Monday 12/05/2011 preparing for the dose. I received on shot of Thyrogen on Monday and a second dose on Tuesday. Today the pill was ordered as soon as I checked in. When it got there, the delivery guy showed up with a weird box with RADIOACTIVE stickers and warning signs all over it. :-/ He was escorted by some other guy and took it to the room where the radioactive materials are delivered.... the Nuclear Medicine guy (Dave) had to sign for it. I sat and signed papers before it was delivered and even had to check out before I was given the dose; this would lessen the chances of contaminating anyone there. The pill itself was in two other containers inside that big gray box, the Radiologist handed it to me in a cylinder (like a prescription bottle) wearing gloves and holding it with tongs. I had to put it in my mouth and put the cylinder in the red bin. He said it was radioactive and he could not touch the container. HA.
So I did that and had to wait 20 minutes to allow for any crazy symptoms or allergic reactions to show - if they were going to.... So can I say that I went to the restroom and turned the lights out... I needed to see if I was glowing, I know - don't judge me! Just so you know, I was NOT glowing (bummer). AND to answer all the questions from my smartie pants friends: I am not growing and extra set of arms, can't fly, not turning green and I can't climb walls - yet. I will keep you posted if that changes.... I am going to enjoy my 5 days of isolation and have me a no chocolate-one-person party. Woot.


One thing that I did notice today, is that today, I chose to drive slow. I took in EVERY image in front of me on my drive home. I drove down a back road from Round Rock to Cedar Park down Brushy Creek Road. I took time to watch the leaves falling from the trees (the ones that do change with the seasons in Austin). I saw a few deer at the end of the woods. I saw a couple of birds taking off from the creek. I also saw an old couple walking and the two of them enjoying the sun shining on them.

Things changed for me and I refuse to take anything for granted. I am lucky to have what I do and I am thankful for all good, bad and indiffererent in my life. I am who I am because of the obstacles, lessons, blessings, and all things that have been in my path. My friends are amazing and are in my life for good reasons. Friends new and old have a place in my heart and I am so thankful for each and everyone of you. My family is the greatest. Morgan, Carla, Sean, Alan, Meche and my parents are my pilars. I don't think I would have the strength to face THIS without their encouragement and support.

Ah, I am going to be alright. I think that this is just a little bump in the road, a reminder that we are all so fragile.

See y'all later!

XO - Elda

On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:36 AM, I wrote:

Rocking it. It is healing well and shrinking. I hope the end result is fabulous!

Here is an update as promised:

I have the pathology report back. It is three pages of stuff that we already knew and more information. On the 6th of September, 2011, Dr. Fyfe did a thyroidectomy and central neck dissection to remove all the cancer. This means he removed my whole thyroid and the lymph nodes in the center of my neck that were attached to the thyroid. The pathology report does confirm that I did have a nodule with papillary cancer. It also states that I had two more areas with cancer in the deep tissue of my central lymph nodes that were also removed. The cancer found there is metastatic cancer – this means that the tumor was able to arise and has spread from surrounding tissue. Yes, it was removed, but this means it was already spreading. It also means I do have to go through the radiation treatment. I knew there was a big chance of this anyway, just confirmed for sure with the results. I will see Dr. Shaw on the 28th to start talking about the next steps.
Let’s do this! I think what gets me the most is to see all this on paper.

It was not a nightmare.
It is real.
I have to keep going.
I have to deal with it.
I will be ok.
What is next?
I will be strong.
I am allowed to be scared.
It’s ok to cry.
I have amazing support.
I am blessed regardless of the cancer.
This too shall pass.

I appreciate all the prayers and good vibes. :)


Elda

Email to my girls

Hi ladies,

So here is something that I have to share.

OK, so before my FL trip in July, I went to a regular Dr. check up with all the fun stuff included (pap. blood work, etc.) My new Dr. (old one sucked and you'll see why a couple of lines down) I had my pressure checked - good. I had a breast exam - good too. Then she put her fingers on my throat and asked me to swallow (I had forgotten about this test, my most recent Doctor had not done it in 3-4 years) and she made a face and said "huh, do that again", so I did and she said: " that seems tight, you'll need an ultrasound to check your thyroid for nodules" my heart skipped a few beats and I started my confusion on what was going on in my neck. I was sent to the place where they do that kind of testing and sure enough I have two nodules. I immediately asked the tech doing the ultrasound to tell me what she saw. The one in the center part of the thyroid (remember that the thyroid looks like a bow tie) is 1.7 cm and the one on the right (left is your are looking at me) is 1.1 cm. :-( I go back to my Dr a few days later and she tells me that I need to go to an Endocrinologist. This is where I find Dr. Shaw http://www.texasdiabetes.com/staff/ss.html. She is amazing, she explained all the possibilities and consoled me with my minor breakdown in her office. She told me that the odds where in my favor - 5% of all nodules in the thyroid are cancerous. So we set a date to do my biopsy because my nodule was hypoechoic (means that it is less dense than the tissue around it) and this is one of the things that can be a tell-tell of malignancy. My biopsy was scheduled on the 15th of August - cancelled with option to go to another Dr, but I refused; got rescheduled for the 19th. She told me that there was nothing to worry about - just ruling out any possibilities. I get a call on the 26th and she leaves a message to call her as soon as possible. **this is where I know I need to panic** I call her back and get her VM; I realize I have her cell phone number **more panic** She calls me back around 6pm on Friday the 26th (Alan has a big game a 7:30 and I just helped feed all the HS kids and am almost home) she tells me that I have thyroid cancer. I know we talked for about 20 minutes and honestly I do not remember most of it. I managed to write down some information about the ENT Cancer specialists and the website that is going to educate me on my condition http://www.thyca.org/ . I don't know any details on what stage it is or if is is anywhere else in my body. I am in the beginning stages of moving towards a solution. I am getting the nodule removed as soon as I get my appointment set. I just wanted to share this with you all. I know that if I called I would totally break down.

FYI: They do say that this is the "best kind of cancer" to have because it is very treatable. I will give updates when I have them. You are all welcome to comment, text or call or whatever your heart desires. I am not posting on FB anything about it and only my immediate family and coworkers and now you ladies know. Thanks for being amazing friends. I love you all: Wanda, Cyn, Sarah, Laura, Marissa and June. <3

XO