Scarface

1st I have to start by saying that I was supposed to post this blog last night.  I decided to have a glass of wine before I put the finishing touches on it and well, drank 3/4 of the bottle and kind of forgot. Oops! So below is the post from last night...


WARNING, THIS POST HAS SOME GRAPHIC PHOTOS

Today is somewhat of an anniversary for me.  One year ago today I had an aggressive but benign tumor removed from my left cheek.  I've always been a pretty healthy person.  Beyond getting bronchitis every winter when I was a smoker, I hardly ever get sick.  


Anyways, it all started with this little bump on my cheek.  I thought it was a zit or an ingrown hair.  It just never came to a head.  I really didn't pay too much attention to it.  After about a year it started to really stand out.  My step brother kept insisting that I go get it checked out by a doctor.  The problem is, I didn't have one.  I had a gyno and a dentist.  I just didn't want to deal with it.  


After about a year and a half the bump started to become extremely painful. I can handle pain.  I've gone through childbirth 2x without any meds. But this shit hurt!  Anyways to make a long story short (well shorter)  I ended up at a great dermatologist.  They suggested I get the bump biopsied.  Then when those results came in, they wanted a larger piece of it.  Below are the pics of my second biopsy.  

I'm not crying btw, they hit a nerve and my eye wouldnt close or stop watering

When these results came back, I was told that I had an extremely rare tumor. I was lucky number 34.  Only 33 other people had ever had this type of tumor.  It was not cancerous, but very aggressive.  It was very large and taken over half my cheek.  I was told that it had to be removed right away.  They were worried that the tumor had wrapped itself around my facial nerves and that I was going to suffer facial paralysis. 


After seeing a few specialists and a 2nd and 3rd opinion, surgery was scheduled for 2/28/11.  I had completely mentally prepared myself for losing all movement, feeling, and control of  the left side of my face. 


I had 2 surgeries that day.  One to remove the tumor ( i was awake the whole time) and then one to reconstruct my cheek.  The weird part was that after the first surgery Brion had to drive me to the 2nd surgery. (i forgot to mention that  Shelby Lynn was 3 months old and I was still breastfeeding.  I pumped in the car from one surgery to the other with a huge hole in my face)


Below are the pics of my face after the 1st surgery

Above is the giant whole.  I was within 1mm of the nerves

Below is me having a little fun with the numbing meds

The next pics are of my face after the reconstruction.  They pulled my skin from by my ear and neck and stretched it to cover the hole.  They tucked some more skin into the hole so I wouldnt have a huge dent.

Above was taken when I got home from the hospital

Below is a few days later

Above is 10 days later after getting the stitches out

Below is  month after surgery

Above is 2 months after

Below is 4 months after

and finally this is what it looks like today! (2/28/12)  I couldn't be any happier.  I'm truly blessed.  I still have a small dent in my face and its sore at times, but dude I am so lucky!!!!  Doctors are awesome!!!! :)

Go the F*ck to sleep!

Have you read/heard of the book?  We have a copy.  We've given it as gifts.  It genius.  GENIUS!!!!!!!!! 

Its also my real life right now.  I put boogie in bed an hour and a half ago.  These are just some of the things he has called me in there and asked for

water

a back rub

a tissue

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, HE IS YELLING FOR ME RIGHT NOW!!!!

Ok, I'm back.  Where was I?  oh yeah

for me to clean his ears out

to tell me a story about school today

chapstick

Don't get me wrong, I love my Boogie.  He is the best.  But FOR *&^*%'S SAKE HE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I'll pour myself a glass of wine...

URG!

Urg!!!

Today we went to a family bday party at the bowling alley.  We love going to the bowling alley.  Today, I had the kids alone.  Brion stayed home to flip the stairs.  Yes, flip them.  He didn't like they direction the went, so he unattached them spun them around and reattached them.  Now my front coat closet is a stairway and my the old stair entryway is a closet.
  

Above is a picture of what was our stairway.

Below is what was my coat closet 

Anyways...   I never mind having both kids alone.  I kind of pride myself on being one of those moms that doesn't get stressed out being alone with the kids with a lot going on.  Well today Shelby Lynn decided to test me.  She had her first public temper tantrum/meltdown.  Looking back on it now, it wasn't THAT bad.  But it sure did feel like it at the time.  

If you're a parent, you know.  When your child starts up and then you try to stop it and it only makes it worse.  I could feel the other parents looking at me.  I could feel my armpits sweat.  She did that thing with her body that only kids do.  She thrashed her body back and flopped around, making it difficult to even hold her.  I tried laying her in her stroller but she arched her back so much I couldn't sit her in it.  My mom stood there not knowing how she could help me.  If I had been an onlooker, I would've been dying laughing because we've all been there.  

Yes, I totally made sure someone took a picture of her while she was throwing her fit.  Thats just what "mothers of the year" do

After what felt like forever (it was probably 20 minutes) she looked at me gave me the wettest kiss and smiled at me.  It was like I watched the demon leave her body.  She's been the sweetest thing the rest of the day.


I can remember a time when Boogie had a terrible meltdown in the middle of Macy's.  He was probably 3.  The older they are, the more embarrassing.  If you're a parent, whats your worse public meltdown story?  If you're not a parent, whats the most entertaining tantrum you've witnessed?  Leave me a comment.  


I can't wait to read them!

PS, I have no idea why most of this post is high-lighted in white.  I tried to fix it, but couldn't. 

Nice to meet you.

I'm well aware that most of the people reading this blog already know who I  am.  But Blogger has this cool feature in the top toolbar (next blog) that will pick a random blog for you to read.  I'm a blog-a-holic and do it all the time.  So, just in case some random people come across my blog, I thought I'd do a quick introduction. 

So... This is Me

Well me and the husband(Brion).  I couldnt find any pictures of me alone.  Well none taken in the last 3 years.  Well there was one...

Jealous much????

Anyways, My name is Michelle and I'm 28.  I've been married to my husband since 2004.  We got together after years of everyone begging us to quit being "just friends" .  But that could be another blog altogether. 

He really is the best!  We're best friends.(dont you hate when people say that?!?) But its true.  I love this picture of us.  Doesnt he remind you of Quagmire here? :)

This next one though, is my all time fav.

So enough about us.  We have 2 kids.  I wish we had more, but again, thats another blog.

This is our son, Brion.  I hardly ever call him that though.  I prefer Boogie. 

He's pretty much the coolest person I know.  Not the coolest kid, the coolest PERSON!  I'll have to devote a whole blog to him someday.  He really is the BEST!

Shelby Lynn is our baby.  She definitely is already a typical girl.(God help us).  I am definitely aware that she is my last kiddo, and I think she knows she has me wrapped around her finger.  Look at that face, don't you just want to bite it off?!?

 The 4 of us live a very normal life.  Brion works construction with his dad  and I work 4 days a week for a law firm.  I have Fridays off, which we call Field Trip Fridays.  I spend that day with the kids, which helps me balance out the guilt I have for working.

I don't have any hobbies or talents.  I love my family, my friends(sadly I never have time for), food, Howard Stern, laughing, and learning.  I'm a total couch potato.  My dvr is always full.  

Thats basically it. I just proofread this and totally bored myself.  If you made it to the end of this blog entry without falling asleep, CONGRATS!!!

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So after reading this a day or two after I first posted, I just realized. I'm 29!  When did that happen?

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Losing my blogging virginity

So here we go. Here it is.  My first blog entry. So much pressure.  I've been toying with the idea of staring a blog for awhile now.   I'm not sure why I feel the need to start this blog.  I just felt like I needed a place to express myself.  I keep having these moments during the day where I think to myself "that would make a fun/neat blog".  I haven't done it because for some reason I was worried what people would think.  Then I realized how stupid that was and that I would be blogging for me not for anyone else. 

I decided to name this blog The Good The Bad and The TMI.  I plan on sharing whats on my mind at the moment, whether its good and happy, or bad and bitchy. I'm sure there will be a TON of TMI.  

So what can you expect from this blog??? 

 * Stories from my day.  --No matter how boring

 * Tons of pictures and stories of my family --mainly my kiddos

 * My opinions --no matter how unpopular they may be

 * Tons of misspellings and grammatical errors-- I'm not a perfectionist

 * Cursing --because I talk like a sailor

What you shouldn't expect from this blog???

 * Creative crafts and home decor ideas

 * Religious or uplifting preachings

 * Amazing recipes
 * Life advice

 --  unless I steal that shit from someone else's blog or pinterest--

There is nothing wrong with those last things I mentioned, its just not me.  I'm a normal wife/mother with no special skills or interest.  I just like to hang out, LAUGH, and do my best to have a good time and enjoy life. 

 So feel free to follow along and read about my everyday nothings. I'm still tweaking layouts and such, so bare with me.   If any readers have blogs, feel free to share.  I love reading other peoples blogs.