Great News

So my mom had more tests on Thursday morning, and they told us Friday morning that the masses in her liver are not cancerous.  Apparently mom is one of the 5% of females who are born with some sort of benign liver mass (can't remember the proper name, I just focused on the BENIGN part).  So even if the lymph node that was removed turns out to be cancerous, the prognosis for someone with melanoma spread to the lymph nodes is infinitely better than when melanoma has spread to the liver.  And, there is a good chance that it hasn't spread to the lymph nodes, at all.  We'll find that out this week.

Hospital waiting areas are funny places.  There were about 10 people waiting on mom.  My immediate family, my grandparents, some friends of my grandparents who drove them here from Mississippi, and a friend from church who was in the Birmingham area this weekend and stopped by.  We were at the hospital waiting for about 8 hours.  I am not sure if my nerves were just not holding up, or if I was PMSing, but I was getting very annoyed at everyone.  Too much emotions and not enough comfortable seating.  Regardless, a lot of relief on Friday.

I've been in Enterprise this weekend.  I need to do some work, which I am hoping to get done this morning.  I miss Craig a lot!  I didn't think I'd miss him like this.  6 more weeks.  

Instability

After getting rear ended (by a freakin uninsured driver who didn't seem to care) I went to the car rental company to get a car to use while my car was being repaired.  They asked me my name, and I paused.  Legally, I am still a Toomey.  Socially, I am a Greczyn.  Soon, I will legally change my name, but I haven't yet.  I feel very awkward when I pause and think for a bit before I can say my name.  But I don't know what to put!  I kind of stumbled and and went back and forth on it -- Greczyn, umm, I mean, Toomey.  Yeah. 

After I gave the rental car lady my name, she proceeded to ask me my address.  Hmmm.  Another pause.  I no longer live at my old address.  I am living with some friends for a few weeks, but I don't know what their address is.  My parents live across the state, and their address won't really work.  Craig just moved to Boston, and has a mailing address, but I feel like if I give the rental car company an out of state address they will really think something is up.  I start to just make up an address, but then I figure I should just go with what I've been used to -- my old address. 

I think the rental car lady thought I was either slow or on medications.  "Name" and "Address" should not be difficult pieces of information to give to someone. 

My mom is having surgery on her back and lymph nodes on Friday.  She'll have a biopsy soon to find out if the mass in her liver is cancerous or not.  It's been hard to focus at work, with Craig gone, all this with my mom, everything is uncertain and up in the air.  Nothing seems stable. 

Update, Moving & Melanoma & Missing

The moving update will have to happen in an additional post.  I've been staying away from the internet (mostly) these past few weeks trying to get everything ready for the move.  I've heard people say moving is the third most stressful thing in life, behind death and divorce.  I believe it.  Fortunately for us, though, is that we are wanting to move, excited to move, so this event is filled with hope which offsets some of the stress.

We finished packing (two days late), Craig drove the 16' Penske truck up to Boston, had the help of his brother to unload, and is now safely in upstate New York visiting his family.  We have a brand new baby niece that Craig is getting to visit, and I'm jealous I can't be there to see her.  I realized after the wedding, that I am now an Aunt.  Pretty cool.

Got some bad news about my Mom.  She had a lump removed from her back recently, and they biopsied it and found it was melanoma.  She is going in for some tests in Birmingham on Wednesday, and will talk with the doctor on Thursday.  I'm trying not to worry about things too much until she speaks with the doctor on Thursday.  It is very hard to not to think about things.  Another reason why I'm trying to avoid the internet lately.  Webmd and google are not helping.  Jennifer and I are home this weekend trying to clean out Jennifer's old room to make it more guest bedroom friendly.  Mom started telling us about things she wants us to have if something ever happens to her.  I don't want to even think about it. 

I miss Craig.  A lot.