Saturday, October 31, 2009

Chase, Caeda, Bailey and Addie
trick-or-treating. Such cuties ...

Monday, October 26, 2009

Let me set the scene for you:
Nate and Chase are watching
Animal Planet. Various animals
are breeding. The show shows
2 birds breeding, the male
jumps on the back of the female.
Chase to Nate:
Dad did you do that to mom
when you got married?
Nate (eyes huge): Do what?
Chase: You know hump? Is that
how you got me?
Nate: Where'd you get that from?
Chase: Dad !!! the TV and Maggie
Nate relayed this to me a little bit after
the conversation took place.
Lately our little Maggie (mini dachshund)
has been having her way with a
stuffed animal. We think she may be getting
ready to come into heat.
It's amazing what kids can put together.
I died laughing, (more like roared)
and told Nate maybe
it's time for the "TALK".
P.S. Note to Chase
Please stay little just a little longer son,
your dad and I aren't quite ready for
you to grow up. We need a little more
time to prepare for the talk.

Friday, October 23, 2009

I am sooo excited my new
Dell Laptop is here and there's
no one here at home to share it
with. For months I searched
for a new laptop to replace
my HP Desktop. I got a
screamin' deal on the 17 inch
Dell with a 6 GB RAM and
600 GB Hard Drive.
Comes with PhotoShop/Elements 7
and the Windows 7 upgrade
as well as a full sized key board.
Can't wait to hook this baby up to
the internet and retire
the ol' Dinosaur. The ol' HP
still has some life, I
guess the boys can have it.


Monday, October 19, 2009

Ok, now that I have the Loan
Modification paper work in my
hot little hands I can finally tell
the details of our horrible experience
with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.
More than a year ago, I was
late on 2 payments. As a result
of this and our zip code being flagged
by Wells Fargo we found ourselves
in Foreclosure. Yes, that's what I
said. I personally know several
people who are always late or
who haven't made a payment in
more than 6 to 10 months. No foreclosure
for them for some reason.
I entered into a repayment plan which
kept being extended and also
sent them $3200.00 for their trouble
and attorneys fees as I was directed to
do. Well 9 months later when I thought
all was well I received an eviction
notice giving me 5 days to vacate my home.
We had been foreclosed on with no notice.
This was a complete and udder shock to me.
I can't begin to put into words the stress,
the worry and the shear terror this caused
me and my family.
I couldn't believe this was happening to us.
Especially the day before Chase's baptism.
I had made up the 2 payments, plus extra and
had paid the additional $3200 (which was
the money I was saving for a down on a
new Mini van)
How could this be happening??? Well let me
tell you we were truly blessed by our
Heavenly Father. My mom made a call and
hooked us up with an attorney who
used to work for the Attorney General's Office.
He specialized in Mortgage Fraud and now is
in private practice. For 4 days I tried to get
Wells Fargo and their pit bull attorneys to listen
to me. I repeatedly told them there was a mistake.
We then met with this attorney and he began to
tell us all the horror stories of the mortgage
industry and just what they get away with.
He then stepped in and some amazing things
began to happen .
I truly thought this Giant Bully is gonna take my
house because they can and because they
can tie us up in court for more than a year.
I prayed and prayed some more. I totally and
completely turned this one over to my
Heavenly Father and promised that whatever
the outcome I would live with it and make the
best of it. This process began on 8/21/09.
It is now 10/19/09 and we beat the Giant
Bully. Today, a package was overnighted to us
by Wells Fargo. In it contained the modification
that we were offered back in April. Yes, 6 months
ago. Since 8/21/09 I have placed 35 calls
to Wells Fargo, I have mailed a letter to a Federal
Judge begging for his interferrence in this matter.
With in 4 days of Wells Fargo receiving a copy
of the Certified Letter I mailed the Federal Judge,
we were granted the modification. Our interest
rate was already really good, well it got even better.
My credit report has been updated and there are
no late payments and the Foreclosure has
been completely wipped off our credit report,
the deed to our house has been re-recorded in
our name and the Lord has truly worked
a miracle for my little family. I can't tell you
how many Wells Fargo employees told me
they have NEVER see a Foreclosure reversed
without a lengthly court battle.
Our attorney helped us prove to Wells Fargo
that they made a mistake, not us.
Last Friday, our balance with Wells Fargo,
was $10,469.35. This was what they wanted
us to pay to keep our house. Guess what,
we are only paying $3200 which is that last 4
mortgage payments plus addtional to get
our escrow account balance back where it
needs to be. I am so truly grateful. Not only
have the four spots in my left breast completely
vanished, now my house is my house again and
we didn't give in to the demands of the Giant
Bully. Mortgage companies
have a great scam going on right now.
Foreclose, do a trustee sale, get the
property back, get it paid for by your
mortgage protection insurance,
get a bad debt write off and
bail out money from Obama.
Plus if you short sale or
third party sale they get to send
you a 1099C and tax you for the
part they write off.
What a sweet deal, no wonder
why the mortgage industry is in
such terrible shape and no wonder
there are thousands of foreclosures
that never should have happened in
the first place.
RELIEF...GRATITIUTDE...FAITH...
that's all I have to say.

Friday, October 16, 2009

I have been so busy trying
to get all my Honeycrisp Apples
bottled into applesauce and
apple butter. Nate and Chase
can't stay out of the apples
or the apple butter.
It is sooo yummy.
As a kid I would go stay
in Shumway with my Aunt &
Uncle and she always had
lots of apple butter, peach butter
and fresh bread for us.
Thanks Aunt Edie for the
great recipes.
My super sweet, super smart
son has done it again.
He made the High Honor Roll
or Scholar of Distinction
as they used to call it.
I am so proud of him.
Way to go Chase, keep up those
straight A's.

I am sooo relieved to
report that my MRI came
back negative ... so this
means no breast cancer.
WHEW ... I have to tell you
I was really beginning to stress
as I kept being sent to one
specialist or to another and
yet another test.
The biopsy is another story...
I have lots of inflammation
whatever that means so I have
to go back to the dermatologist.
Not happy about this at all.
It means another biopsy
but hopefully this time it
will yield something more
specific than ...imflammation ???
It feels like no one wants to
figure out what is really going
on and keeps pushing me off
on another doctor.
Until Monday...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

***Graphic ***
Ok so Friday, early in the
morning we head up to Chandler.
I have another ultrasound, this time
to measure my fibroids, checking
to see if they have grown any or
if they are the same. While I'm
there Nate took Chase to have
some blood drawn. Apparently,
he did really well and never
made a peep. Nate and I were
so proud of him.
The boys picked me up and we
went by Fiesta Mall to pickup
my ultrasound and mammo films
that I had done the week before,
for my afternoon appointment
with the surgeon. We stopped by
2 Goodwills and found some pants
for Chase. At the rate he's growing
lately I can't keep him in pants.
On to my MRI. We arrive 20
minutes early and this turned out
to be a very good thing. I am in
the back being shown to a changing
room. (Kinda getting tired of all
the paper gowns in the last
few months) The tech who took
me back asks me to wait a minute.
She comes back with the MRI
tech and he looks at me and says.
"I don"t think you'll fit"! I'm thinking
what in the world is he talking about.
Then he says, "I'm pretty sure you
won't fit", it dawns on me as he's looking
at my breasts and the other lady is looking
at my breasts and we are all standing
around red faced that he means my
breasts may not fit in the little contraption
you are placed in.
I ask what happens if I don't fit?
He says, "I don't know, that's
never happened to me before".
Great I'm thinking, just my dumb luck.
He says he'll call around
to see what to do while I change.
So we all
start this nervous little laugh.
Let me back up for those of you who
don't know what happens when you
go for a breast MRI. You are placed
face down on the table. An IV is placed
and you are then assisted in the face
down position with your breasts hanging
in 2 holes in a box you lay on, on top
of the table that slides into the MRI
machine. Isn't that a nice visual that
you didn't need???
So as I get in the back I
ask what happens if I don't fit.
He tells me it's only happened
once and they just don't do the test
if you don't fit. Great, why Me???
So as he was trying to decide if I'd fit
he started my IV, it took
3 tries before he gets it in. On the
3rd try he goes to my left hand.
Since we were having such a good time
at my expense I decided to give him
a little back. As he goes to poke my hand
I give out a cry and he stops and says,
"Did that hurt??? Of course it hurt you
dummy I wanted to say. I say alittle
but I was just messing with you.
We all start laughing really hard and I
finally start to relax. They place me
in the funny position and begin the test.
MRI machines are really loud and you
can hear and feel all the vibrations from
the magnets in the machine. I forgot to
take my debit card and credit card out
of my pocket and of course the machine
ruined the magnetic strip on the back.
After about 30 minutes I'm all done,
dressed again and on my to lunch
with Nate and Chase. We then head
off the Fun Services a great costume
and goody store. Then onto my after
noon appointment with the surgeon.
Had another ultrasound of my breasts
and now we WAIT and WAIT and
WAIT some more for all these test
results to come in.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Had the punch biopsy done
on my left breast today.
I was really nervous when
I first got there.
I waited in the procedure room
for a few minutes while Melanie
finished up with a few other
patients. Signed my consent
form and changed into a paper
gown top. Waited on a little stool
didn't want to be on the exam table
just yet.
She came in and asked if I was
ready and then read me my rights
and explained the procedure
and risks. We laughed alot as I
told her that a little scar was the
least of my worries with the
suspicious findings on the
ultrasound. We talked as she
she injected my breast with
a local numbing agent. I was
really suprised that it didn't hurt.
She was really gentle. It stung
from the numbing medicine.
After a few minutes she told me she
was going to pinch and poke my
breast with a sharp set of tweezers
to make sure I was totally numb
and thank goodness I was.
She then took this long yellow
stick looking thing about the
size of a ball point pen and placed
it on my breast, turned it in a circle
a few times and removed it. She
then took a scapel and cut away
the little cylinder shaped piece of
skin and tissue that it cut out.
I bled a little and was worried
about having to be stitched and
then having to come back and
have the stiches removed so she
caurterized the small wound. I
didn't look so I'm not sure how big or
little it really is. Then she bandaged
me up.
I can't shower until late tomorrow
or early Monday morning. I have
to keep it covered, it's still bleeding
just a little bit.
Now onto the MRI, consult with the
breast surgeon Friday
and the Ultrasound
guided needle biopsy for behind
the nipple in the ducts to see just
what that is that showed up in the films.
So wait another week to 10 days for
the first biopsy results and the
rest of my appointments and tests
then we'll
see where we stand,
until then ...
Strange how something like
this, can totally screw up
your birthday.
Tuesday was my 36th birthday,
but it sure didn't seem like it.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Got a call this afternoon
from my DR's office.
The report was in from
my mamo and ultrasound.
Pretty much was told the
same thing the radiologist
said, except for this:
You need to set up a consult
with a General or Breast Surgeon
right away. Tomorrow
we will provide you with a
referral for the consult and the
MRI that the radiologist
recommended. I told Melanie
I had already jumped the gun
and fibbed alittle to SimonMed
and had already scheduled
the Consult and the MRI. She
mentioned with my insurance
I'd need a pre-auth for the MRI.
I asked if she thought there
would be a problem getting that
done so I didn't have to re-
schedule my MRI appointment
and she said not with these films
and findings.
So I thought wow, should I really
worry now or am I just being
paranoid???
Tomorrow is my punch biopsy
and then Friday is my MRI
and consult with the Breast Surgeon.
Until then...

Thursday, October 1, 2009

I survived the mamogram
and the ultrasound.
I went to a place called
SimonMed that specializes in
breast screening, diagnosis
as well as for women who
have dense breast tissue.
I was pleasantly surprised
that it didn't hurt much until
the very last squeeze.
And yes for those of you who
haven't had a mamo yet
it can be painful but seems
to just be more uncomfortable
then anything.
After about 15 squeezes per
breast in many different positions
I was taken to a 2nd room
for the ultrasound.
After a few minutes I had a bad
feeling. I could tell the tech had
found something.
She kept going back to the same
area taking pics and measuring.
After about 15 minutes she
says she's going to get the
Radiologist.
I say a quick prayer and feel
much calmer as I am waiting,
naturally thinking the worst
while trying to only think the best.
The Radiologist comes in and
scans the same thing the tech
did.
He then calmly tells me that behind
the nipple of my left breast are
4 suspicious spots. It could
be nothing or it could be something.
He mentions my mamo was good
nothing to report but I need
"further investigation" into the
spots on the ultrasound.
He wants me to have a MRI
and a needle biopsy. I am then
told I need to contact a
"Breast Surgeon" to consult with.
Well how do you like those
apples????
So do I worry or worry not???
I feel like a little girl picking the
petals off a flower, loves me, loves
me not, but in this case:
WORRY...WORRY NOT.