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. 

So Sad

We leave this house soon.  After that, we leave Tuscaloosa.  I'm so bummed out!

I will miss our kitchen.  We have this massive window that is above the sink.  It is beautiful.  Before our yard sale, we had several window box plants along the window sill.  Craig grew nasturtiums, edible flowers.  He grew peas and herbs.   

In a way, I'm totally ready to leave.  I'm tired of the old grubby factor of the house.  I'm ready to decorate something that belongs to Craig and I.

But, I will really miss the window in the kitchen.  And I'll really miss living in Tuscaloosa.

Yard Sale Success

The yard sale was a success!

We advertised that our sale would last from Friday -- Saturday, and sold out (practically) by Friday at 11:30 a.m.  We even had three people come by our house on Thursday afternoon and purchase a few things.  I think the success has a large part to do with our location (we are at the corner of a major road), our prices (10 cents, anyone?), and the help of my sister Jennifer.

My sister Jennifer came down Thursday to help us.  We could not have done it without her.  She brought a set of fresh eyes and helped organize things.  Friday morning, we started moving our stuff out around 5:30, and people were at our place around moved our stuff out bright and early, and had people coming up to the sale a good 1.5-2 hours early.  I helped with the sale as long as I could, but had to leave and get to work.  Four hours and about $300.00 later, two boxes of random stuff was left.

It was an interesting experience.  We met some neighbors that we haven't met yet.  Got rid of a lot of stuff, and didn't have to haul it off.   I'm glad we didn't have to hold the sale on Saturday, too, but I hope no one made any changes in their schedule only to find that it was cancelled.

Now to finish packing.  We move in 2 weeks.  Craig leaves for Boston soon after.  I can't wait to join him. I've been doing a lot of job seeking and soul searching.  It seems like I can't do one without the other.

Thoughts

• I am not sure how we will get everything done before the yard sale this Friday and Saturday.  Why are we doing a yard sale, again?  At least Jennifer will be coming down to help us out.  Friday is going to be rough. . . I'll have to work, but get up super early to help set up before work.  And I'm sure we will be up late Thursday getting things ready.  Makes me sleepy.  
• According to different studies, medical errors are the third, fifth, or eight leading cause of death in the United States.  I looked at a few articles earlier about it.  I need some time to process this information.  Some links for more information can be found here, here, or here.  If I wasn't so tired of packing, I'd have more thoughts.  Right now, it is just "wow".
• I think I want to study elder law in more depth.  Reading Medicare regulations makes me happy.  How many people can truthfully say that?  
• My grandma saved every single card she was given.  Which is very sweet.  However, when looking through her stuff, you get to a point where you just don't know what to do with everything that someone you loved considered a treasure.  
• My car had some body work done last September, and they repainted the bumper.  (Someone ran into my car).  The paint has started to bubble up on my bumper.  It is peeling off and icky.  Crap.  
• I'm sleepy.  

Rest and Ramen (but not together)

Last night I rested.  It was wonderful.  Instead of packing/cleaning/organizing, and instead of doing the mountain of dishes in the kitchen, I took a nap.  Then, I made tea.  (I also organized the tea, but I don't count that as work, because I like tea, organizing, and most importantly, it was not on my to do list).  I read, and I talked with a good friend on the phone.  Then I went to sleep relatively early.  It was fantastic!

I've felt 100% better today.  I'm thinking I should rest more often.  I have a lot of leisure time; weekends with family and friends, traveling, doing things, etc.  But not a lot of stillness.

Now, I should finish my leftover ramen and go back to work.  Tonight will be cleaning and organizing some more, but today I am looking forward to it.  (sorta, need to keep up the motivation).