My village!

It definitely takes a village and I want to pause for a moment and thank some people in my village.

Thank you to my mom who signed up to be my caregiver without really knowing what she was getting herself into - drains, showers, incision care, oh my! She has shown up for me, even with her already full plate. Thank you!

Thank you to my dad for taking on Ally and taking her to all her appointments, so mom could be with me. Also, thank you dad for taking and picking Javi up from Sugarland. That first weekend would have been very challenging having a five year old in tow.

Thank you to my sisters’ families (the OC’s and the Z’s) for taking in Javi for us. The OC’s took him Tuesday-Friday so his routine would stay the same with going to summer camp each day. The Z’s then took him in over the weekend and gave him so much space to run and play. Thank you all so much!!! There’s no way I could have worn my mom hat that week.

Thank you Ally for being my concierge doctor from my initial call back for a mammogram, for staying on hold for three hours with Texas Oncology to get my my first appointment. Also, thank you for buying all my medical supplies so I didn’t have to think about a thing, like gloves and alcohol swabs for cleaning my drains.

Thank you to my friend Nathalie for coming out! I really didn’t think I was going to need her. I thought she would just be there for moral support, someone to binge watch tv with, start my magic rings on my crochet projects, and hang with my family, but nope. She worked every minute she was here with us. I wasn’t in a place to binge watch tv or work on projects, I was high maintenance and needing some sort of medical attention throughout the day. Nathalie gave my mom a break and was able to logistically figure out my med schedule where I could maximize on sleep at night! She went beyond the call of duty and my family is forever grateful for her.

Thank you to my brother in law Ben, for coming over every night at 6:00pm to give me my shot (for my Factor V mutation - prevents blood clots). I hate these shots, they are the worst, and he comes in with such confidence every night when it comes time to stab me. And Jennifer has done a great job filling in for Ben, so she is now hired to poke me as well. I get my last shot on Wednesday, 8/14!

Thank you to Stacy and Josie for coming up this weekend to give my mom another break and for entertaining Javi.

Thank you to Antonio and Javi for just always being there for me. I know this is an exhausting time and it’s taxing - emotionally and physically. You two are owning it despite all the obstacles you all are having to overcome. “Remember, three strands of rope, apart you can snap, but together you can be strong, now get out there and kick butt!” From the 1990’s movie, Three Ninjas! I love you two so much and we will come out stronger together.

And we can’t say it enough - thank you to everyone who has been sending us messages - text, email, snail mail - they are all so meaningful!!!! We appreciate the gifts and the food!!! And Antonio’s family painted us a huge collection of rocks that brought so much sunlight - they were painted with so much intention and thought and care and love. Thank you!

It is seriously taking a village and we are so grateful to be part of a huge village of supporters. And if you all ever need anything, we will be there for you!