It’s been two weeks since the first expansion! Today, I had the second expansion, and Dr. Storm wants to do one more before putting the implant back in. So I’m at least six weeks away from my next surgery. I’m ok with that. I feel like I’m doing better since I’ve been taking a break from Letrozole (hormone blocker), but my body is still going through a lot trying to heal up from everything it has been through! I can sleep on my left shoulder again, but my right one still aches. My range of motion in both arms is getting better from stretching at least once a day.

On Monday I did my monthly lymphedema measurements on my right arm, and for the first time, I had a couple spots that were a bit swollen. Looking back at my records, they aren’t numbers that I have never seen before, but the trend was that the circumference was going down, and this was the first time I had seen them go up in many months! As I was thinking about what I had been doing differently, I realized I had been exerting my right arm quite a bit by processing these huge blocks of African black soap that have been sitting in the garage for a couple of years:

First, chopping it into smaller pieces, then crumbling it into the crockpot, stirring as it melts, mashing it into the mold, and finally cutting it into bars.

I had been processing a batch every day for four days straight, and I think that may have contributed to the stress on my arm. So, I decided to get out my compression sleeve and wear it for a few days and lay off the manual labor! This has been my first opportunity to wear it, and it hasn’t been bad at all! I have it for wearing on an airplane (if I ever get the chance to do that again!) or for times like these when I need to do repetitive motions. I think it will resolve pretty quickly. UPDATE 4/9/21: I just re-measured my arm and it’s back where it was!

Tonight we were able to watch Kylie’s final Winter Guard performance of her high school career! She’s very excited to continue to do color guard at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, next year. This is her amazing toss in the middle of the show:

And while I’m bragging on my girls, I might as well show you Tara’s art work. She made 49 separate paintings on 12″ square pieces of hardboard, illustrating the seven days of creation. She will be listing them individually on her Etsy store in the near future.

And finally, I’ve been praying about getting the Covid vaccine and not really hearing an answer until this week. I haven’t felt any urgency to get it done right away, so I’ve been trying to be patient and really be confident in what the Lord wants me to do. I was out walking and praying on Monday and I finally got my answer: Wait. I don’t know how long, but I’m pretty sure He’ll let me know when the time is right. Meanwhile, I will continue to trust in His protection and perfect plan! Thanks again for your continued prayers on my behalf. It’s been a long journey, and I know it’s not quite over yet.