A Long Weekend

This weekend has been a long weekend.  I had my surgery on Friday. When I went into surgery the nurse asked me how I was and I said "physically okay,  emotionally not so good." She brought me a teddy bear:) The surgery went well and the doctor said he "got good margins", I am not quite sure what margins he means, lymph nodes, chest, or breast, but it sounds like a good thing, I will find out more about he surgery when I meet with him on monday.  The surgeon did find cancer in one of my lymph nodes so they took them all out and we are waiting for the pathology report which should be back at the end of this week.  Friday I hardly remember, I was very groogy, and slept most of the day.  Saturday I was a lot more awake and feeling okay and ready to come home.  I spent most of day just sitting on the couch and sleeping. Mike was wonderful! What a way to spend your valentines day, he is amazing! The kids have been so fun to be around they are my joy and light on those sad dark days.  I love my family and give thanks for them everyday but now my prayers tend to a bit little more sincere.   Today is Sunday and I am home while the family is at church.  I appreciate this time for some thinking, pondering, and praying.  I appreciate all that my kids do for me including distracting me from what is happening, but every once in awhile I appreciate these moments of quiet. Today at breakfast prayers Nathan thanked Heavenly Father "for Mommy almost being all better".  I love his "half-cup full" attitude.  I need to apply that more often I think through this process.  

Thank you for all your love and support, it has been tangible, and really helped on those hard days.  One day I was running and I was feeling a little sorry for myself and the thought hit me that if so many people could be praying for me and fasting for me then I can have the will to get through this.  Your prayers are being felt and I can't express how much we love you and appreciate your thoughts on our behalf. 

True Love

Yesterday we had a primary activity were all the children at church went to a assisted living center and handed out valentines cookies and sang songs.  It was awesome to watch the kids feel the spirit of love and service as they shared their cookies and valentines cards. Nathan was so cute, he went and visited a lady-Helen- in her room and after that he was hooked on visiting and giving. It was warming to me to see the children's smiles.  I saw a couple of things yesterday that caught my eye:

  One was a couple that looked very worn for years and definitely had their health problems.  I saw as we were singing that the husband reach over his sleeping wife and held her hand.  It was such a manifest of true love.   I was thinking to myself that I am in love with Mike as much as I could be and wonder what else there could possibly be.  With this trial our family is going through, and seeing such a manifest of love as this couple has for each other, I have learned that I have so much more to learn about love.    

The other thing that made an impression on me is a song the children sang.  We have been learning about the importance of families in primary this year.  The chorus to one of the songs goes...   God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be- This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God.  

I am so grateful for my family, both my immediate and extended family, that God has given me, my little piece of heaven on earth.  What a comfort and joy familys are.  I believe god gave us families to become what he wants us to be-I know that this is how He shares his love.  I Thank God for families! 

 

Sunday Family Update

Well this past week was interesting.  I did not go into surgery because it turned out that we needed more information before we proceeded.  The next day we can get all the hospital, doctors, pathology, and surgery prep supplies together is on Friday of this week.  We have been learning a lot this past week by visiting more doctors, taking x rays, and giving blood for testing.  I am so grateful that Mike has been able help.  He is amazing, I always knew that but I such a renewed appreciation and love for him.  

So Friday is the big day, I will be having a single mastectomy with a sentinel node biopsy (where they take just a few lymph nodes to see if they have cancer). From there we will see what the next steps are.   

Thank you so much for all your love and concern, prayers, and fasting.  Your support really gave me power to keep going on those days that I am feeling sorry for myself.  

Love you all! 

A Day of Overwhelming Love

Today was a special day for our family. We had people from all over take part in fasting and prayer for my family and I .  The feeling we have gotten today has been an overwhelming sense of love and peace.  We are so grateful to have felt Him so near today.  We are so grateful to family who have reached out and expressed their love and concern, we love you all and are so grateful that Heavenly Father has sent such wonderful angels to be apart of our lives. 

We love you! 

Mike, Jeni and Family 

One Hard Week at the Whitesides

Since this is the news-good and bad- of the Whitesides fam, I wanted to tell of a hard experience this past week.  I found a lump in my breast and  it was removed last friday.  I found out on this past monday that it was cancerous.  It was a small lump-1.2mm or 1/2 in. The reports also show that it has estrogen hormone receptors.  The size of the lump and that is has estrogen receptors are good news and all that I know for now.  I will know more next week after surgery to either remove more of the lump area and some lymph nodes or a mastectomy, it is really up to me which I chose.  If I go with a lumpectomy then I have an automatic 6 weeks of radiation if I have a mastectomy then no radiation.  I will only have Chemo if it has metastasized. As you can imagine the first couple of days were extremely hard, but now I am optimistic and feeling good. I don't have any pain and have good energy. I have learned that cancer is not an event it is a process and all I can do is deal with what I know now and put the rest in the Lord's hands. I have seen his His hands working miracles already, for example, I found the lump, and as far as I know there is no others.  If the lump would have been anywhere else, like any place deeper, then I may not have found it becuase the recommended age for mammograms is 40+.  If I would have waited 5-10 more years to find the lump I think I would be in a lot bigger trouble.  I am grateful for Mike's job which allows him to be very helpful and supportive with hours off in the middle of the day to come home and help when I need it.  Before I knew about all of this I started babysitting a little boy which will help to cover some of the cost of medical treatment.  I know that the Lord knows us and loves us, He is mindful of our needs and wants.  I have felt him near me throughout my life and I know this will be no different.  I would love for you to include my family and myself in your prayers and even your fast this next sunday.  I am praying for a full recovery, and what direction on what surgical path to take.  I know this sounds kinda silly but I am looking forward to the strength and unity that this will bring my family and the strengthening of our testimonies.  If it helps strengthen any of these areas for my family, then whatever I go through is well with it. 

The Mike and the kids are doing well.  Mike and I didn't like leaving each other's sides for a couple of days, but we are feeling more optimistic now, but still not going too far away.  The kids are doing great they are our joy and strength in times like these.   

I will keep you informed as much as I know.  I am really sorry to worry anybody.  We love you all and feel your love from a distance.   

Jeni and Family

Monday NRD Skiing

Yesturday was National Rights Day and the kids had no school, so our family thought we could give the best thought to equal rights by going skiing :) It was a totally amazing day, the temperatures were 45-50 degrees! We were skiing without our coats on the top of the mountain! Here is a summary of a great time: Cami's skied for the first time! She had a smile on her face the whole time! I wish I had a picture- next time for sure. She felt so big, and had so many stories to tell us of her trip down the mountian. Cami even got to go on the ski lift with the big kids, she was in heaven. Nathan took a pretty nasty spill and Brittany can get on and off the lift all by her self. Brittany has now been on the big people ski lift , Dreamcatcher, 6 times (but Brittany isn't counting) and almost beats everybody down the mountain. she is an amazing skier. Kayla is the beautiful pro-skier in our family, she makes it look so easy, and well Mom is still working on the making it down the hill without her legs feeling like rubber from "pizza-ing" all the way down the hill. It was nice to get outside in the SUNSHINE and see the absolutly beautiful world we live in.

Kayla's Young Women Recognition Award

Kayla was very excited to received her Young Women Recognition award today at church. This is a program set up through our church that the young women ages 12-18 can earn. Kayla had to accomplish goals and projects in each area of faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works and integrity. This takes a lot of time and is equivalent to an eagle scout for boys. Today was her special day, Dad bought her flowers and we made her favorite dinner-chicken alfredo, and peanut butter brownies. We are very excited for her and excited to see the wonderful young women she is becoming, she is amazing! We love you Kayla!