The Countdown Begins...

Today, my good friend and neighbor, whom I've known for over 10 years, is having the same procedure I will be having done on March 14th - a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.  To top that off, she has the same surgeons!  I wish her well, and thank her for being brave and going before me, so that I may have some idea of things to come!  Somehow, her strength going into this has helped me a great deal.  She has kept a very cheerful disposition throughout all the planning and preparation for this big day.  I feel like I have a sister in this process.  We will have each other to lean on and compare stories with.  This makes the events ahead much less lonely or isolating.  I can no longer say, "I'll be alone through all this!" or "No one close to me knows what I'm going through!"

I'm still dealing with the settlement for my auto accident.  This adds quite a bit of pressure during the final days before my surgery.  I'm trying to get "all my ducks in order" before I have to focus on recovering from this massive surgery.  There are several doctors to see about my leg, head, and spine injuries in order to come to a settlement with the other woman's insurance agency.  Yet, there's little or no time at all to do this prior to March 14th.  But, enough about all that.

I've been running in circles with the personnel department and my principal to agree to the amount of time off and what procedures need to be completed before I leave Tuesday!  There are mainly 3 people involved in these "negotiations" and none of them knows or agrees with what the other is telling me to do.  It's been a regular 3-ring circus, and frustrating as HELL!

What seems to have finally been decided just today is:

I am offered the "opportunity to take 4 weeks personal disability leave, without pay" - no more, no less - and extend my probationary period by 3 weeks into the next school year. 

At this point, I'll take it! 

As most people reading this know, I am in dire straights financially.  Taking a month off without pay is killing me and my boys!  I am forced to throw pride out the window (if I ever had any) and ask if anyone could help us out with a small donation.  The money would be strictly used for the boys for food, clothes, electricity, gas, etc.

If you can donate anything at all ($1, $5 - no donation is too small!), there is an easy way to do it.

Go to www.PayPal.com and click on "Send Money."  You don't even need a PayPal account to do this!  You simply type in my email address(tina.kantner@yahoo.com) or cell phone number (240-422-2888) as the recipient, follow the prompts, and the money is instantly deposited into my PayPal account.  I have a MasterCard linked to it, so I may then go straight to the grocery store or pay my electric bill online using it.

Whether or not you can donate anything monetarily, I thank you for caring enough to read about my boob adventure and wish me well.  Enjoy your weekend!  It's the last one my boobs will every have!