Plans Change!

Hello Everyone
I decided I would write and let you all know I am alive and doing well ! My Surgery date has changed and as of yet I don't have the exact date. It should be the end of this month but I feel bad that it will be close to halloween and I may be in the hospital so I am going to ask the surgeons if I can have it the first of Nov. What kind of mother would I be if i didn't watch my kids at the pumpkin run or take my usual burnt cookies to their class party, and then take them to the halloween carnival and trick or treating? don't say a smart one HA HA ,But who knows? There are a few reasons for the change of date for surgery, the 1st- My Dr. wants me to have healed and be alittle stronger . When they took my lymph nodes out it raised the risk for lymphedema which would be a permanent change (This is where my arm swells , the skin hardens, it loses it elasticity and can be vary painful,and I would not be able to raise my arm past my shoulder.) So to help that not happen I need to do certain exercises to get it strong ,if I had surgery this week that would make it so I can't use that arm for another couple of weeks. 2ND reason- I have to have a plastic surgeon in with the other surgeon so when the one surgeon does the mastectomy the other can start reconstruction so they have to work their schedules out 3rd- and I think biggest reason is we are waiting for a test result called the BRACA (genetic test) . If it comes back positive it raises the percentage that I will likely have cancer in the other breast sometime in the future so then I will do a bi-lateral mastectomy rather then just having one removed. After I heal from that surgery around thanksgiving then I will start chemo and my Dr. keeps trying to prepare me that my chemo will be very strong which means I will have severe side effects. So when I lose my hair everyone just be prepared it won't be pretty. I was hoping all this wouldn't happen so close to the holidays but I guess I can't control everything .Maybe I will get my Christmas shopping done before the week of Christmas this year!Oh I almost forgot I did get my drain (grenade) out yesterday I thought I would get it out last week but the nurse said it was not ready so it feels so much better not having that on me or carrying it around.
I just want to thank everyone for their prayers, phone calls, cards, flowers, gifts , meals, daycare and just being genuinely concerned for me and my family. We really do feel the love!
And I really am doing good Psychologically, emotionally,SPIRITUALLY and even alittle physically