A Little Health Update, A Lot of Gratitude & One Very Special Cane ❤️

Well, friends…an update from our little corner of the chaos. 😂❤️

First, the most important part: my health continues to be stable, with no new growth. And let me tell you, those are words we NEVER take for granted. We are incredibly thankful for every bit of good news we get.

My medical team here in Phoenix is also working with me to make sure I am established with an equally amazing team in Lubbock. Leaving behind the doctors who have walked this road with me is definitely emotional, but knowing they are helping make sure I am in good hands when we get there brings me a tremendous amount of comfort.

And speaking of this whole “new normal” thing…

Please meet Myrtle. 😂❤️

Myrtle is my newest friend, my trusty sidekick, and apparently the latest member of the family. She's also a cane.

Because I am considered a fall risk, Myrtle and I have become pretty close. I never thought I'd reach an age where I'd be introducing people to my cane by name, but apparently cancer has decided that accessories are now part of my personality. 😂

The good news is that it does appear the radiation treatment I had back in April has helped some with my balance and mobility.

THANK. GOODNESS.

I will gladly take every little victory I can get—even if that victory comes with a rubber tip and a name tag. 😂

I also want to be honest about another part of this journey. I can tell that my brain just doesn't function the way it did “BC”—Before Cancer. There are things that used to come easily to me that now take more effort, and there are days when my brain apparently decides it would like to take a personal day without consulting me first. 😂

As frustrating as that can be, I'm learning to listen to my body and accept that I can't always operate at the pace I did before cancer.

Because of this, I am applying for disability. My hope is that I will be approved for enough support that I can potentially work part-time. I still want to work. I still want to contribute. I still want to use the skills and experience I've spent years building. I just need to do it in a way that works with my new reality instead of constantly fighting against it.

And then there is YOU.

I honestly don't know how to adequately put into words what our family feels when we look at this fundraiser.

Our goal was met in LESS THAN 24 HOURS.

I mean…WHAT?! 😭❤️

This goal was set because we needed help getting our family from Phoenix to Lubbock. We never imagined the response would be what it has been. And somehow, the generosity just keeps coming.

But here's the part that has really gotten us…

It's not just the money. It's the messages. The prayers. The shares. The people checking in.

The people we've never met who have decided that our family matters to them.

And then there was the woman who messaged me on Facebook—a complete stranger—and offered to drive me and the pups to Lubbock simply because she wanted to help.

A STRANGER.

I don't even know what to say about that except…

THIS. IS. COMMUNITY. ❤️

In a world that can sometimes feel incredibly heavy, divided, and downright exhausting, someone looked at our story and thought, “I don't know these people, but I can help.”

And she did.

That is humanity.

That is kindness.

That is the kind of thing that restores a little faith in people. I'm pretty sure a lot of us could use a reminder that there is still goodness out there.

Well, friends…here it is.

I’ve been given an incredible reminder that we are not walking this road alone.

So, from our slightly chaotic, occasionally sarcastic, always-loving family to EVERY single person who has donated, shared, prayed, messaged, offered help, or simply thought of us:

Thank you.

Thank you for helping us move forward. Thank you for helping me get home.

Thank you for reminding me that even in the hardest chapters, there can still be laughter, kindness, unexpected friendships—and apparently a cane named Myrtle. 😂❤️

We are heading home to Lubbock with boxes, dogs, Myrtle, a whole lot of uncertainty, an enormous amount of hope, and more love surrounding us than we could have ever imagined.

And honestly?

We couldn't ask for a better village.

Thank you for being ours. 🩷