Happy 12th Birthday, Kora!

This just can't be right! Our oldest granddaughter is 12 years old today! Kora Brianne was the first of our 8 grandchildren. Now lovingly known as "Little Mama" to me & David, she is quite the young lady and such a good big sister and helper to her family. Twice this year we've gotten to attend piano recitals she played in. She donated her long hair to Locks of Love so another little girl who didn't have any hair could have a wig from Kora's hair. Happy birthday, Kora! We love you!

Left Breast Update

Dr Laidley, my breast surgeon, called me on my way home from work to ask how my Christmas was yesterday. Really, she did. But she had ulterior motives. She then told me that she had the results of the pathology report that was ran after my reconstruction surgery on December 8. She said that it showed that the tissue removed from my left breast had some "atypical" cells in it, that they were incidental, that she wasn't worried over it and didn't want me to be. Dr Laidley said that these "not normal" cells are just an indicator that I am at a higher risk for breast cancer. I said, "Well, we already knew that, didn't we?" To which she said, "Exactly." She said that this is just something to watch and be aware of, that she would start having me get MRIs on that breast as well as the mammogram on it. She told me to watch it and if I see any changes, to let her know. I already had an appt set in May for her and she didn't reschedule it.

All that said, you know how something can happen and you see the proverbial life pass before your eyes? That's kind of how it was yesterday when Dr Laidley called me. I thought, "Oh no, here we go again and I didn't even make it 2 years before it came back." All this bad stuff floods your mind. I hung up from her and called David to tell him. Just to hear his voice was my stabilizer, my kite twine pulling me back down to earth. We decided to take our mile walk with Sandy first and then eat supper so we could talk.

When I got home, Sandy met me with his usual love and excitement----and this strange thing happened. Everything was OK. His spark was infectious and I felt better instantly. Then I got to David and the hug was there to hold me. We walked and talked. By the time we got home, I was much better.

Today was a great day. I don't want the cancer back, but if it comes, it comes, and we can deal with it. But the important thing right now is: the cancer isn't back. We've been given a warning sign to watch for and watch we will. But I don't want to waste any time worrying on something that may never happen. God will carry us again through whatever comes my way. He's just good like that.

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

Mr. Sandman VIII is now 1 year old! It's hard to believe that we've had him for 10 months. He was just a little baby when we brought him home. Little did we know how he would wrap us around his little paws. Kelly & Tony say he is the favored son, but that's just not true. He has been a joy to have and he loves you regardless of what's going on. Here he is with some balloons I brought home from work earlier this month. He loves helium-filled balloons. He got the big silver mylar balloon loose and it is still up in the ceiling of our second story. We can't reach it, so it'll just be there until it drops.

Re-surgery Update

We saw Dr. Hodges Tuesday morning. He is very pleased with the surgery outcome, as am I. I'm going to have virtually no scars left when this is all healed up. The two breasts are more nearly the same size, not the same shape exactly, but he instructed me to begin massaging the top of the right breast for one minute in the a.m. & p.m. to get that implant to shape like the left one.

I'm still wearing the support bra, he wants it for 4-6 weeks so it secures the internal stitches he placed in the right breast. Still using the aloe vera gel on the incisions and now eucerin cream on the right breast skin to massage it with.

I'm feeling great and am go excited to be going into 2009 with surgeries behind me!

How To Have Fun

This guy, Bailey, has it all figured out! Watch him frolic in the snow. There would be a lot less stress in the world if we could all enjoy the simple things like Bailey.

http://www.maniacworld.com/dog-having-a-blast-in-the-snow.html

Kids Driving Under Age

I have figured out what the problem is with heavy traffic in Dallas when public school is in session:

All those kids are driving themselves to school!!! It has to be the answer because when they're out on vacation, the streets are wonderful. I only had to stop at 2 red lights the whole way to work this morning. It was unbelievable! Here, I've always blamed this on the mothers driving kids to school, but it has to be the kids driving themselves around. Thankful for these 2 weeks of nice streets!

Our 2008 Family Photo

Here's the whole gang outside the church where Kora & Aubrey's piano recital was held on 12-6-08. Back row: Tami, Kelly holding Ashlynn, Vickie, David, Elena, Tony. Front row: Lauryn, Aubrey, Nikita, Kora, Brynna, Ana, Hailey. Merry Christmas to all from all of the Smith's!

A True Legend Leaves the Field

Sammy Baugh died today in Rotan, Texas. One of the greatest football players to ever set foot on the field, he was the guy who earned the name "Slingin' Sammy" because he threw the baseball so hard, but a nickname that followed him into football as well. My kind of guy. Enough of all this defense. Let's put some passes into the game and Sammy Baugh did it. But wait. Passing wasn't the only thing he did. Here are some facts on his career:

As a rookie in 1937, Baugh completed a record 81 passes (about seven a game) and led the league with 1,127 yards. At the time, only six passers averaged three completions a game that year. He went on to lead the league in passing six times. Baugh still holds Redskins records for career touchdown passes (187) and completion percentage in a season (70.3). His 31 interceptions on defense are third on the team's career list. He still owns the league mark for single-season punting average (51.4). Baugh guided the Redskins to five title games and two championships, playing his entire career without a face mask. His No. 33 is the only jersey Washington has retired.

I remember my daddy talking about Sammy Baugh when I was a kid and was just getting hooked on this game of football. Daddy said he was the best football player he ever saw. He could do it all. And he was a crusty old cowboy from West Texas who would sprinkle in a zinger on you if you weren't careful. My best to his family.

The 8 Grandkids

After Kora & Aubrey's piano recital on December 6, I gently persuaded everyone to line up for some family photos. The church courtyard had a beautiful backdrop up. Here's the one of the 8 grandkids. Thanks go to the background stunt coordinators, Kelly R & Tony L Smith, who kept them in stitches. This picture is truly one of a kind!

The Meddling Minister

Our pastor seems to read mine or somebody else's in our house's mail each week lately. It's always so nice to be able to gratefully and loudly say, "Amen" when he steps on the other person's toes. But the "Ouch" this morning was not even whispered aloud. We go to FBC Rockwall and our pastor is Steve Swofford. Two things endeared us to this church: His forthright preaching of God's Word and the music worship service. This morning the Meddling Minister (M&M) told us how to reduce stress in our lives. Here are the steps:

1. Don't worry about anything. WOW. Now that was a barn-burner of new news. He equated it to sitting in a rocking chair but never going anywhere. His insight: Live one day at a time.

2. Pray about everything. Now, he connected this back to #1, that instead of worrying about something, we should just pray about it and let it go. Dump it all on God. Pray specific prayers about all the stuff of your needs. If it's big enough to worry about, it's big enough to pray about. His insight: There is no problem too big for God's power or too small for God's concern. So I guess if you're sitting in that rocking chair, it's OK to pray. . . .

3. Thank God in all things. Develop an attitude of gratitude. I tend to notice the trash in one yard rather than the rose bush in the next yard. When I was going through chemo and felt like yuck and had 14 doctor visits a week, it was always humbling to go to Medical City Dallas and ride the elevator with a child whose legs have always been a wheelchair whose little body had gone through much worse than mine had with 2 perfectly good legs. His insight: There is always something to be thankful for.

4. Think about the right things. True, honorable, pure, lovely, commendable---think about these things. His insight: Whatever I think about, is what I am becoming.

M&M closed his 4 points of torture with this: "The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." It's a good thing my heart was being guarded cause my mind was tired of his meddling. AMEN!

Happy Birthday, Anastasiya

Anastasiya Antonovna Smith is 5 years old today! She was born in San Antonio, Texas. Ana loves to dance, to sing, to play the piano, to talk on the phone and to entertain in general. If music is going , her hips, shoulders and hands are going to the beat. She is so cute when she laughs because she puts her hands up in front of her mouth. Hope your birthday is a big one and you have a lot of fun, Ana!!!

We love you, Granny & Grandad

p.s. I was corrected---Ana was born in AUSTIN, not San Antonio!

Getting My Headlights Aligned

Monday, the 8th, we had to be a Presbyterian Hospital at 7:30 to prepare for surgery at 9;30. Mostly it was a bunch of waiting around for nothing, as usual. We could have easily gotten there at 8:30 and been fine. Dr. Hodges came in and drew on me so we could remember what we were doing once he got into surgery and I was lying down. I was released about 2 and home we went. Given our druthers, we would both have preferred Medical City Dallas, but this is where my doctor already had other surgeries scheduled. There's just a different feel to the whole hospital.

The surgery went fine. He removed the right implant which was too large for my skin now that I've lost weight, he inserted some internal stitches in the right side so the implant can't shift around again, and he did my tattoo!!! I now have a aerola again on the right breast. On the left breast he did not exchange the old implant, but rather took up some skin so that the breast was lifted more closely to the shape of the right breast. Right now they are both swelled a good bit, so I can't tell what they're going to look right.

But I do have some wonder drugs to take while I'm healing. I have Valium for muscle spasms. I have Vicodim for pain. Let me tell you that taking those two on an empty stomach will make you do and say some pretty funny & strange things. We had an appointment Tuesday to check up with Dr. Hodges. I remember going into the little room and taking my blouse off, but after that it's all gone. David says Dr. Hodges was asking me questions and I wasn't answering, so David had to answer for me. He told David that everything looked fine and that I could take a shower in the morning. I go see him again next Tuesday. Still no lifting, no stretching. Which is good because the only thing I've done is sleep.

Sandy doesn't quite know what to think about me. He has been really, really good to not jump on me. He just wants to know why Mama doesn't play with him. He'll come lay beside me in my recliner, like he knows something is wrong and wants to help.

This morning was the first time I got to actually see the scars. They look good. He got rid of the large rope feeling scars I had from prior surgeries. I'll be in support/sports bras for a while now until the internal stitches are healed up.

And the tattoo is just too cute! David was told that it will crust over and that will scab off and then you'll see the real tattoo. Just amazing what they do. Hopefully I'll be able to go to church Sunday and then to work on Monday. That's the plan right now. I'm so glad to have this over. Hopefully this is the LAST operation I'll have to have for this round.

Thank you for your prayers for me & Dr. Hodges. I appreciate that! Love you all, Vickie

Happy Birtihday, Peggy!

Happy Birthday to my Older Sister-in-law, Peggy Jane Day Swaringen! Peggy & my brother Tommy have long since passed up with the number of grandkids at 9, and now they have another one on the way. Peggy has been a true friend and source of strength as we have both travelled the past 2 years of breast cancer together. What a blessing that we're both here to celebrate birthdays! Love you, Peggy Jane!