Aloha! We're Celebrating!

Not wanting to get our hopes up, we hadn't got around to planning a ParTay for my last day of treatment. But since it turned out that we are officially DONE today, we decided to take our little family out for dinner to celebrate our success!
Recently, Brett and I had gone to Texas Roadhouse with our good friends, the Cooks for a double date. We loved the sweet potatoes and rolls and well.... everything, so it was the perfect opportunity to go again and not feel guilty. LOL
Our waiter was from Hawaii and he was awesome! Every time he came to or left our table, he said "Aloha!" And of course, Brett (and eventually all of us) would respond back rather loudly. He had a fun, tease-y personality just like us and we had a blast! And the food was just as good as last time.

{SIDE NOTE: One of my favorite parts of blogging for me is coming up with fun titles to use. I knew for this one that "Aloha!" would be part of it. But I wanted to know exactly what it meant. I did a little searching and guess what I found..... Using Hawaiian language grammatical rules, aloha translates literally as "The joyful sharing of life energy in the present" or simply "Joyfully sharing life" or "To consciously manifest life joyously in the present." Oh my heavens!!!! How perfect is that????? I love coincidences like that! AWESOME!!}

Of course we didn't want the night to end without documenting our new friend and our little ParTay so we asked for a picture. He was a little nervous because he didn't want it to end up on facebook. (See once again a perfect coincidence since we are not face-bookers. LOL BUT he must have jinked it because every picture we took with him in it- the flash wouldn't work. Too funny! The last one, he ended up taking and it worked perfectly. Go figure!)
Once he had agreed to allow us to photograph him, he ran to grab someone to take the picture. He came back with not one but two people. One to take the picture and the other to be in it. She was way fun and bubbly but we were confused why he had brought her until... we found out she was the Owner. How fun is that? She had stopped in to pick up dinner for her family and since he was excited for our celebration he invited her to be a part of it. After the picture, she stayed and visited with us for a bit. Then she told the kids she was going to go get them a gift. She came back with some fun Texas Roadhouse toys. They were so excited! She also brought back a gift certificate for a free Dinner for Two so that Brett and I to come back for a date night. How extremely generous! Thank you so much! Fargo has such amazing people. What a great Celebrate my Last Cancer Treatment ParTay! Wahoo!

FM Breast Cancer Walk

Even with my "little" bit of Cancer, I wanted to figure out how to be part of the Breast Cancer Survivor Family. Well, it just so happened that up at the YMCA, they recently started promoting the  

http://fmbreastcancerwalk.org/

"Walkers will unite to raise awareness and funds for those affected by breast cancer, whether as a survivor or supporter. This three-mile walk will begin and end at West Acres Shopping Center." The proceeds from the Walk benefit LiveSTRONG at the YMCA and the Breast cancer Research Foundation. 

I am so grateful for the opportunity of participating in the LiveSTRONG program that I decided I wanted my family to be a part of the Walk. So we signed us up!

Of course, our family is always up for "Festive" dressing. Today was no different! We got PINK shirts as part of the Walker's fee but we also wore pink hats, pink shoelaces, Breast Cancer earrings, a pink Beauty Queen sash, pink boas and pink ribbon face tattoos  How cute are we??? We were told by one of the photographers that we were the best dressed family there! Modesty aside... I know! ;)

As soon as we signed in, found the Stephens (thanks guys for doing this with us!) and got our T-shirts, the kids ran to find Katelyn. They adore her! We took the chance to snap a picture with her. Oh my heavens- we are a good-lookin' crew!

Along with taking of our own pictures, there were a few Radio Stations at the Event. A couple of them took pictures of our group or family. We even made it onto the Popster 104.7fm website. Fun! Check us out here under "Loving Dad's Pink Hat" and "Mother's Day Crafts": 

http://www.1047popsterfm.com/powergallery/galleries/grid_lightbox/index.php?gallery=49;theme=light

We got to the Event a little early so we could "enjoy a variety of activities including games, stroller decorating, frame and button making, posing with your friend and family at our photo booth", and getting treats! The kids had a blast!

We tried to meet up with our LiveSTRONG buddies to get a group shot. Katelyn had to go out for the opening ceremony so we let her skip out. Caleb was M.I.A. as usual. LOL Nicole was at a Viking game with her boyfriend. Kiona was still sleeping. Jennifer never picked up her phone (good job, lady! LOL) but we did find Denise! Go Denise! So here's the group shot we got! I absolutely LOVE it! We are so funny!

http://www.memories-online.net/BreastCancerWalk2012 password: YMCA

Then it was time for the FM Breast Cancer Walk to begin! We went out for the end of the Opening Ceremony. They had a Survivor share her story and then we were off! Everyone walked through the archway decorated by Bras on Broadway and headed down the route. Our little group was the back of the pack. Partly because the boys were playing football in the Mall parking lot beforehand and mostly because we are very slow walkers! OR we could blame it on the 6 children. Whichever works for you! Joshua just said it was cuz we are "UNIQUE". LOL I love it! We did meet up with Denise somewhere along the trail so we got to cross the finish line with her and take a picture of all of us! Way to go, everyone! Awesome job!

Being the Walker caboose didn't have all disadvantages. Somehow we missed the sign directing us to the "shorter" version of the walk. Oops! So we decided to blaze our own trail aka "make up our own shortcuts" along the way. We cut across a couple fields and a playground. LOL It worked out good though cuz the little ones were dragging by the end and Robbie's feet were thanking us for shortening the trail!

Along the Walk route, we snapped a shot by a TEAM SHAY sign they had put up for the event! How fun! We even got to bring the sign home afterwards. Thanks again to the Stephens for participating with us! It was way fun to spend time with you! You guys are awesome friends!

Here's our cute PINK, Breast Cancer shoelaces! So fun!

Last but certainly NOT least, I had to share some pictures I got with my LiveSTRONG buddies! First, Robbie has been such an amazing Cancer Supporter for me. She has been there every step of the way. Thanks lady! Sure luv ya! You are awesome! Next, Denise walked in a Cancer Walk yesterday so she didn't think she'd make it to this one but at the last minute decided to come. I'm so glad she did! Robbie, Denise and I got to take a picture with BOB. So funny! Denise is such a great woman and a fellow Breast cancer Survivor! We got to chat quite a bit about our treatments while we walked. (She got to do part of her treatment in Hawaii!!! So fun for her but totally not fair! LOL) Then, just as we were leaving (in fact we were all in the van and I ran back in to get my TEAM SHAY sign), I ran into Jennifer and Denise. We decided to find Katelyn and grab a picture. AND get this--- Caleb was actually there! It's a miracle! So we got a fun group shot! The Cancer Survivors and our Trainers. How awesome is that????

What a fun day! I'm so glad we decided to participate! Thanks to Katelyn and all the YMCA staff that put in all the hard work to organized the Event. We loved it!
More of of Katelyn's Livestrong Pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/111503550070915712854/albums/5785086979850704113?banner=pwa

Boob Shopping 101

This post is dedicated to all you never knew you would someday know about boob shopping.

FIRST 1st, you have to have one or both of your real breasts removed by a certified medical Boob Remover aka Breast Surgeon. In my opinion, a clean slate is the best way to start!

SECOND 2nd- You will need a prescription written by your doctor if you wish anyone (insurance) to help you with the cost. Yes, that's right. Someone will have to say it is OK for you to have breasts. Because looking at your completely flat chest will NOT be enough evidence. LOL (Trust me- you will want their help! On average each form costs between $185 and $300. Like $360-$600 a set. Ouch! Mastectomy bras are between $25-$60 each). 

NEXT 3rd, Isn't there a saying of  "The more you know..."  I had done lots of research online. There is lots of information. It's actually a bit overwhelming. One good source is the American Cancer Society's TLC store website. They have an article about things you should know about Breast Replacement Forms. Another was an article from the BreastFree Blog. Who knew there were so many different things you could choose from? Here's a Fake Boob 101 crash course. 

* There are 3 basic shapes you have to choose from- the Triangle, the Asymmetrical, and the Teardrop. The purpose behind that is that each fills in a different part of the bra. 

* There are different backs to boobs. Some adhere to your skin, others that help with climate control and still others that are concave, or flat backed for a custom fit. 

* They are made of different materials. The most common is silicone because it has the most lifelike feel and most are waterproof. You have the choice between regular and lightweight silicone forms. But then you also have ones that even weigh less that are made of fabric, plastic and are filled foam, memory foam, or micro beads. And finally, they make Swim forms. They are usually clear and have a concave back to let the water flow easier.

* And for further information you may never need to know- prosthetic boobs come in numbers not letters. Guess they don't want you to forget that they are fake so they distinguish them differently. LOL

Cup	Band
AA	30	32	34	36	38	40	42
A		30	32	34	36	38	40	42	46	48
B			30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
C					32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50
D						32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
DD							32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
DDD									34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
G										32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
H											32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46
FakeBoob Size	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17

Finally 4th, Time to go shopping! Believe it or not, there ARE Boob shops around. Here in Fargo, I visited two. The first was the American Cancer Society. The other was the Just for Women shop ran by Sanford Health. Both have their perks. Here's a little about my Boob Shopping experiences:

Shopping Day #1: 

A couple of weeks ago, KBro went with me to the American Cancer Society for my first Boob Shopping experience. After a mastectomy, the ACS will give you a free bra and breast form. [I'll take whatever free, I can get!] They have a closet full of fake boobs that they have had donated to them to give away (not necessarily sets but just random stuff). According to Kristen's professional boob-size opinion, we decided to start out small. The lady helping us got out several bras and a few different small sizes. In the picture I think I am modeling a 2 (on my left) and a 4 (on my right). We thought we were SO funny! Then the "professional opinion" changed directions and I quote, KBro said- "If you are going to get that size you might as well not wear any." LOL! Well, OK... then. So we asked for a couple larger sizes. And then... a size above that. Maybe one size larger? And... do you have these in a set? ;) Perhaps we were there a little too long and a little too picky because finally, the lady just gave us free range of the boob closet and went back to work. Wahoo! We searched the closet and finally found a set of size 6 Asymmetrical forms and a set of size 6 swim boobs that we liked. We also found 2 bras that fit them well. Look at us- We are awesome! We were trying to make a decision on which one to take and then decided to just ask if we could have both. [They were the only swim set in the closet] No harm in asking, right? The lady said we could take them all and off we went. Two sets of boobs and two bras, $0 paid-- I'm so excited!!!! A very successful day indeed. Thanks Kristen for coming with me! You are awesome!

Shopping Day #2:
Then this week, Brett went with me over to the Just for Women store run by Sanford. A totally different experience but fun just the same. The Sanford ladies don't leave you, they actually dress you. [Right after my surgery I stopped by the shop to get a post-surgical, front-clasp bra. That first time I was a little self-conscience but I've discovered that a Mastectomy is like childbirth- at some point modesty is not part of the equation. LOL] Just for Women has lots of different shapes and sizes. We tried on teardrop ones, asymmetrical ones, triangle ones, sticky back ones, small ones and large ones as well as several bras. With our insurance, Sanford will do 1 set of boobs and 4 bras every year. With the post surgery one, I had 3 bras left to choose. Brett liked the smooth look so we went with ones like that. Then the trick is that you have to match the bra cup size to the breast form you want. Believe me- a fake boob doesn't look good hanging out of the bra. ;) We finally decided on a triangular size 5 breast form with a cool comfort back. Yeah! Thanks Honey for helping me pick out the perfect chest! XOXO!

So after a couple very fun shopping experiences-- here's my many new boob looks. So fun!

All Natural- size 00, My Everyday Boobs- size 4,  My Swim Boobs- size 6 (more like size 5), My Date Boobs- size 6

Here's what my actual Prosthetic Boobs look like.

OK... Last thing. Because we ARE soooo funny, we had Jenise let us try on a size 12. She put me in an I bra. You know... like DoubleD, E, F, G, H, I. Holy Moly, big boobies, people!- They actually have some that go up to a 20. I can't even imagine! LOL My shirt obviously was NOT meant for that boob size (that is one attractive line across my chest!) but you get the idea! LOL For a "small, mature breasted" woman (at least that's what my doctors told me LOL)- these babies were gigantic. So funny!