Breast Cancer Update, RAKS, Lunch and Some Shopping

Yesterday was another visit to my surgeon for a "check up" on my healing progress.  Things are progressing at a steady rate.  What I thought were pockets of fluid that had built up is actually excessive skin that needs to be removed due to where .  This means that I will need to go under the knife again in a month or so.  Without going into detail here, I'm thinking I will "interview" another surgeon for that procedure.  Other than this future surgery, I am scheduled to start physical therapy to get my range of motion in my arms back to normal and get a bone density test before I start the hormone therapy medication.


Enough of the "C" stuff.  When I returned home from my appointment yesterday, this is what was waiting for me in my mailbox.  All the way from New York was a box filled with THESE goodies from Eileen Bellomo.  First was this handmade "Stay Strong" statue which is just GORGEOUS in person! . . .

And in another package that read "Look Inside" was this note . . .

OMG, Eileen sent me "THE" t-shirt from the Tim Holtz cruise along with these four TH pins!  You can click on the photo so you can read what each was says . . .

Thank you soooooooo much Eileen!  I am just so jazzed to have received each and every one of your special RAKS.  xoxo

Also in the mail was another sweet card from Mary Joyce from a group I belong to called Scraps of Color . . .

Thank you Mary Joyce for continuing to keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I continue on this journey to kick cancer's butt *smiles*

And how could I forget to share my lunch with you from yesterday?  My cousin Pam drove from Altadena to come and take me to my doctor appointment in Newport Beach.  


Afterwards we went to The Cheesecake Factory across the street at Fashion Island.  We must have stayed there for almost 3 hours laughing and talking and listening to the piped in music - which sounded like it could have been from my blog's music playlist! One of the dishes that we shared . . .

Salmon . . .

My cousin Pam sipping on her (now favorite drink??) a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives and my after lunch Mexican coffee drink . . .

 And if all of THAT wasn't enough for a simply fab-u-lous lunch? . . .

Yep, we both got cheesecake for dessert!  Now mind you, we couldn't possibly eat these after the lunch we just had, so we got these "to go" *smiles*.

And after a lunch like that, we just HAD to walk around Fashion Island and do a little shopping right?  So we stopped in Anthropologie (of course!)

And although I had heard of this store, I always thought it was strictly for "the younger set".  But my cousin set me straight and I ended up getting several scarves and a little bag that was all under $60 total at Forever 21 . . .

I didn't make a boot purchase yesterday, but I can tell you that boots are REALLY in over at Nordstrom!  I'm thinking I'll have to check out Nordstrom RACK for a chance at getting some better prices.

Today?  Rest? *smiles*