Day 211

 

This photo was actually from Monday (yesterday) but I have a different photo I want to post for Monday. This was from our trip to Corning Museum of Glass for Tony’s birthday!!

Hello all!

 

Please take a moment to read through this post.. I am writing today’s blog post to request a favor! As you all know, my absolutely amazing boyfriend Tony entered us into a contest to win a dream engagement. The prizes include: a platinum & diamond engagement ring, a chance to propose ON STAGE at the August 24th Kenny Chesney concert, a platinum engagement party with family & friends before the concert, VIP seating for the concert and 24 lawn seat tickets to give to our family and friends! As you can tell, this is truly an amazing giveaway!!!

I’m sure you’re all familiar with our personal obstacles, as I’ve posted about them previously. (Here and also here). I hope you all understand how much this would truly mean to us to be able to win this dream of ours.

* * WE NEED YOUR HELP TO WIN THOUGH! * * Please visit www.platinumproposal.com and register. Once you register, they will send you a password. [If you’re having trouble finding the e-mail from them, please check your junk/spam folders!] Then log-in with the password they give you and find our story, FROM PIZZA TO PASSION and click “VOTE”. [PLEASE NOTE: clicking “like” does NOT count as a vote. While we appreciate all “likes” as well, they will NOT count as a vote, and votes are what we need!] The whole process seriously takes about 3 minutes at most.

We cannot thank you all enough for all of the support and help you’ve given us so far in this contest. We’re one of the top 2 couples. Voting goes until midnight on August 20th and the winner will be announced on August 21st!

PLEASE HELP MAKE OUR DREAM COME TRUE! PLEASE SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, NEIGHBORS, EVERYONE YOU CAN THINK OF!

Love,

Heather

Day 210

 

Another gorgeous bouquet of flowers I received. [thank you Angela & Jessica]

Day 209

 

Pretty view we got when we arrived at the fair :)

Day 208

 

hehehe, a llama from the fair.

Day 207

 

 

My dahlias! I planted these last year and never realized they’d grow to be over 4 feet tall. The photo doesn’t do the open flower any justice either! It’s about the size of a dinner plate!

I was pleased to return home after surgery and have all of my flowers finally starting to open!

Day 206

 

Best Friends. End.Of.Story!

Day 205

 

I’m obsessed with making adorable new drinks these days! This is my raspberry-lemon sun tea!

Day 204

 

This is the cat of many names – and genders.. haha, don’t ask!

Day 203

 

It’s Bella! She’s so precious!

Day 202

 

YUMMM!!! I love to make breakfast for people – and with a full house now it was the perfect time!

Day 201

 

This rose was way too vibrant and beautiful not to share!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 200

 

WOW! I can’t believe we’re at 200 days already! This year is flying by!

Told ya there’d be lots of flowers!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 199

 

There’s going to be lots of flower photos because I want to photograph all the special arrangements everyone sent me for get well wishes!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 198

 

I haven’t been able to get outside because the heat has been ridiculous and makes recovery a lot more difficult… so my wonderful Momma went outside and took some shots of my lilies.. They are my fave!!

We need you to help make a dream come true….

 

As many of you know, my boyfriend and I are in a contest to win a dream engagement. It would be the most perfect thing to happen for us in a dark and scary time. WE NEED YOUR VOTES THOUGH!

Please visit this website and then vote for our story “From Pizza to Passion”.

We appreciate each and every single vote. This would mean the world to us. Right now we’re in 2nd but we need to catch up and go way beyond first so we can secure this! Voting goes until midnight on Saturday August 20th – so there’s so much time left and this could be anyone’s game.

Please vote and pass this along to everyone you know!!!

Day 197

 

Snapshot that Grandma took of our little beauty! Gracie modeling the new dress Grandma got her!

Day 196

 

I have a really fabulous, wonderful Mother! She made an outstanding dinner for all of us! Definitely what I need while in recovery!

Day 195

 

Our adorable little reptile after bath time! haha

Day 194

 

Just a snapshot from my cell phone. I love this pic of us… This was the day before surgery, right after getting my hair chopped off.

Out of the hospital!

 

Wow, it feels amazing to be at my own computer, in my own house and typing away to all of you. * PLEASE BE AWARE, SOME PARTS MAY BE “GRAPHIC” TO SOME *

I went in for surgery on July 6th at 7:30 am. I was terrified and crying, wanting to hold my daughter but not able to. I obviously can’t tell you much from “during” surgery except that my boyfriend, mom, dad, sister, brother and 2 of my best friends sat there the ENTIRE time.. the entire THIRTEEN hour surgery. I cannot imagine the ordeal they went through waiting for the time to pass until they got each phone call update.. Which I hear was about every 2 hours.

After my surgery I was wheeled into an ICU room where I was intubated for quite some time. Due to this, I had to be strapped down so I could not pull the tube out. As I started to come to I remember having panic attacks and vomiting from the tube. I was scared out of my mind and felt so helpless. I faintly remember coming in and out of “it” for awhile and just wanting everything to stop.

I don’t remember much from the first few days really and I was moved between different ICU rooms and step-down rooms several times. I could hear family and friends around me but I could hardly manage to open my eyes, let alone let out a sigh to let them know I was aware of them. Again – I can’t imagine what they all went through during this difficult time.

In my time in the hospital, I had to learn so much all over again. I had to learn to walk again, dress myself, how to eat and swallow. This became so discouraging for me because I am 23 years old and have been doing this “forever” so I didn’t understand why I couldn’t anymore. I am also a Mother, I am supposed to show my daughter these things – not be the one learning them myself. My wonderful, supportive boyfriend Tony came and stayed with me at the hospital EVERY SINGLE DAY! It was hard for us to both be away from our daughter but she was in excellent care of family and friends at home. With his encouraging support every day, it made it so much easier to not give up on myself and to realize what I had just gone through was indeed, major! He never once complained while being there or showed any strain. He was also like another “nurse” there for me and fetching my every need.

I had to do several sessions of speech, occupational and physical therapy while in the hospital. This was difficult at first and I’d become very exhausted and have anxiety attacks. I ended up being put on anxiety medication while in the hospital. As to be expected, I had good times and bad times. Times where I’d realize how far I’d come in just a couple days and times where I felt like I’d never be “normal” again.

On my last night in the hospital, I was visiting with friends when I got a phone call from my boyfriend that they were in an ambulance rushing my daughter into the pediatric ER department of the very hospital I was in. She had suffered seizures in his arms and this was traumatizing for all of us because she’d never experienced this before and because I was in the hospital at the moment recovering from a huge brain surgery! Thankfully she was released that night and it appeared to only be mild seizure with no long-term effects. I just didn’t understand how in such an already difficult time, we were faced with more trial and tribulation.

I am happy to say I have been home for about 3 hours now and I definitely feel a greater sense of peace. I am still in major recovery but I believe it will be much easier now that I am at home.

I go July 19th to have my sutures removed. Then within the next several weeks I will have to undergo a spinal tap to check my spinal fluid. After that testing is done, I will be assigned a radiation treatment plan. I must undergo 6 to 8 weeks of radiation every Monday through Friday. We have to drive an hour each way so this has presented large challenges for us. My boyfriend has already had to take a large chunk of work time off and will have to take more off as I am not allowed home alone caring for our child. He will also have to take time off to bring me to and from radiation appointments. I have also been in the process of trying to get through college and now I am going to have to take 1 to 2 semesters off so I can complete my radiation.

If you can all spare just a few more minutes here, I really have a huge thing to share.. Before even being in the hospital my boyfriend and I had discussed plans of wanting to get married but we were going to save up entirely on our own for everything while I worked through college and lived on his sole income. After all my health issues came about – our savings quickly diminished to nothing. In the first few days at the hospital after I was able to speak more, we had come to the conclusion that we’d have to put those wedding dreams to rest and basically just elope. While this was very saddening, it was our only option because the “big dream” is so far out of reach now. While my Mom and brother were on their way to visit us in the hospital one of the days – they heard an ad on our local radio and there’s several venues holding a huge Platinum Proposal engagement contest. The winning couple gets a dream engagement ring, a chance for a proposal at a big concert and some concert tickets for family and friends. I can’t even begin to tell you what a glimpse of a miracle this has shown to possibly be for us. My boyfriend tried for several days to enter the contest from our hospital room while suffering horrible hospital internet connection. Our story is finally published but we need your help to catch up and win this. I already know I have the man of my dreams and we can fulfill our life-long dreams, goals and vows to each other… now I am hoping we can win this dream to add a special touch.

Please visit this page and vote for our story Tony and Heather’s “From Pizza to Passion”. You have to register and then actually click “vote” on our story.

We would be forever grateful and no words could ever express how much it truly means to us.

PS: Can’t wait to be able to share photographic updates again soon!!!

[NOTE: I want to send a huge THANK YOU out to all of my wonderful family and friends who stood by our side for this entire ordeal! Thank you to everyone who shared our story to get prayers and support. I love you all!]

Day 193

 

Here is my incision sight at 11 days post-op. (the date this photo is listed on is not the actual 11th day, it’s just all out of order as I try to catch up!)

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 192

 

Just loved this bouquet!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 191

 

Thank you to Jen, Jennie and Megan! You girls rock!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 190

Quick Happy Birthday to my wonderful, beautiful Mother today and my Uncle Rick too!!!

A collection of some of the generous cards I received.

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 189

 

Pretty rose that my babygirl also picked out for me! Love her so much!!!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 188

 

Gorgeous flowers from many of the beautiful ladies I graduated high school with. So sweet!!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 187

 

This was a balloon my 20 month old daughter picked out herself and brought to me in the hospital! <3

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 186

 

Thank you to my future in-laws for these pretty flowers!

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 185

 

Flowers from Mom and Bub

[DISCLAIMER: I am back tracking here from surgery. I am posting photos of all the wonderful things I received while in the hospital. It’s still a bit difficult to use my camera so I just have snapshots for awhile.]

Day 184

 

Okay, so this will be my last post for awhile. I am scheduled for surgery at 7:30am tomorrow morning to have my brain tumor removed. I went and had my hair cut today so I could donate to Locks of Love. I am donating about 11 inches. Here’s a few quick shots from that process today:

I cried a little bit when she first started cutting. Made it all the more real, but I am so happy to be donating my hair to a great cause! My new do’ feels so fresh and free!!!

Day 183

 

YAY! Happy 4th – This was for our big Budweiser BBQ!

What a wonderful day!!!!

 

Just wanted to wish all of my wonderful supporters a

H A P P Y   4 th o f  J U L Y !

 

I will be updating the latest photos tomorrow. Wednesday I have my surgery. Unfortunately, I don’t know how long it will be before I am able to come back to my blog and update. I will definitely update for each day I miss though, when I am able to get up and around.

I am so thankful for all of your love and support! Please keep checking back!

Love,

Heather

Day 182

 

Delicious homemade raspberry lemonade!

Day 181

 

From our couple’s session this morning! :-)

Day 181

 

Yummy Budweiser BBQ sauce that we also received to use for our party!