[McheleM]

As some of you know, I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer that may have spread to my lungs. This is my second time, and we have opted for a bilateral mastectomy followed with radiation and chemotherapy. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, July 6th. They will do a lung biopsy at the same time.

For the last week or so my Hgb has been low, so we did some iron transfusions to try and get it raised. It's still too low, and they are talking about postponing surgery because of it. Monday I will check into the hospital for a blood transfusion and then go from there.

As you can imagine, this is a lot to take in and quite honestly, I am scared out of my mind. The next months are going to be hard for me, my family and my dogs. We already made the decision to send Darby to stay with my daughter for now because he is very high strung and needs a lot of one on one attention that we don't feel we can give him with hospital stays, daily radiation and biweekly chemo, and I feel like a horrible mommy for sending him, but I know he needs someone there more than I can be.

If you have some extra prayers and thoughts to send our way, please do. They would be much appreciated. I probably wont be on much in the coming weeks, but my daughter has promised to update when I am in recovery and to keep you updated along the way.

Thank you so much to those who have sent me emails, private messages and notes of encouragement. You have no idea how touched I am from the kindness of people I once thought of as strangers and now see as friends. May God bless your lives tenfold.