MK update 3/15/2010

Hello Army!! I know I have not sent out an update since August, but man have I been busy!! So much has happened since August!! First, I had my 6-month scans in February and they showed NO cancer!! I continue to take the tamoxifen daily, but with little side effects. Overall, I have felt great since August. I would like to update each of you on what has kept me so busy. First, in November I joined my best friend from college (Shelly Decker--she has been a huge part of this Army) and two other business partners and opened Miracle Kids Success Academy. It is a day treatment facility for birth to six year olds with developmental delays. We have a clinic in Batesville and one in Jonesboro. It has been very scary but very exciting!! I absolutely love going to work each day!! I have the opportunity to work with some amazing people and some wonderful kids!! Next, my wonderful husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in December. So, for a combination anniversary and Christmas gift I got us tickets to a Duke basketball game--a Duke game at Cameron Indoor Stadium!!!! Oh wow is about all I can say about that trip!! For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you can follow our fun through the pictures I posted. I will try and post those on my blog as well (http://mkupdates.blogspot.com). We had an absolutely amazing trip. It was everything I ever thought it would be and more. We arrived in Durham on a Wednesday and North Carolina happened to have a home game against Florida State. So, we got tickets and busted into the Dean Dome wearing our Duke shirts!! It was GREAT!! UNC lost and everyone sitting around us clapped when we got up to leave!! So FUN!! The next night we watched Duke play Tulsa. I spent most of the night watching Coach K--it is amazing to me that someone so small can have such intensity at a ballgame!! I also really liked Tulsa's head coach--Doug Wojcik. I think I like head coaches with funny last names!! Anyway, I really liked the way he coached his team. When the game was over, we were hanging around Cameron taking pictures, etc. and he walked past us. He was wearing a pink ribbon pin on his lapel--I knew I liked him! Anyway, our trip was great and we will be going back--next time hopefully with my entire family!! Then, Highland hosted the 4A state basketball tournament. Oh wow--they did a fantastic job!! I certainly enjoyed watching some great basketball in a spectacular new gym--the A.L. Hutson Memorial Center. I know Mr. Hutson would have enjoyed every minute of those games and would have been so proud of the job that the school and community did putting that event together. But, the biggest news I have to share and by far the most exciting is the arrival of my newest nephew, James Hoover Brogdon!!!!!! He arrived January 22nd and life has just been giddy since then!! Oh he is so perfect!! He is Jay and Erin's first and hopefully the first of many!! It has been 9 years since we have had a baby in the Brogdon family--so we are all very excited!! I have pictures posted on my Facebook!!! I think I have only taken roughly 300+ pictures since his arrival!! I love nothing more than to be surrounded by my nephews!! Oh the fun the four of us are going to have in the years to come!!! My little Jayhoov is such a blessing in so many ways. Now, January will always be a joyous month!! I will no longer think of January as The Month when my breast cancer was discovered!! In fact, this year January 4th came and went and I never even thought about January 4, 2008!! At some point on January 5th, I realized that I had gone through the entire previous day and never once thought about it being the anniversary of my diagnosis!! YIPPEE!!! I call that progress!! Now, I will have my Jayhoov's birthday to celebrate in January!! He was born at Baptist hospital where I had my surgeries, etc. I told Mom while we were there for his birth that it was just awesome to be in that hospital for something so blessed instead of for something related to cancer!! Doesn't God work in some really amazing ways?!? So, as you can see the past 7 months have been most blessed and most exciting!! I cannot express to each of you that I would not be enjoying these blessed times if it were not for each of you!! You guys literally carried me through some of the darkest days of my life.

I do have a few prayer requests for you. I occasionally will get a phone call or e-mail asking me to have my Army pray for them. It is amazing that you guys are such a powerful group!! My requests are:

1. Beth Huff - Mrs. Huff has been a faithful member of this Army. She sent me cards and packages. Having experienced chemo treatments, she was a source of much comfort for me. Mrs. Huff is again battling cancer. She is currently taking treatments. Please pray diligently for Mrs. Huff and her family.

The next three prayer requests are for 3 young women who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. My heart hurts for them but is also very excited for them. I know that sounds very strange, but cancer has provided me with so much that I would have never experienced without that diagnosis--mainly a spiritual growth that is beyond words. Please pray for each of them continuously so that they may feel that same feeling of God's warmth and comfort carrying them through this journey.
1. Chrissy Stewart - I went to high school with Chrissy. She is a working mother and is currently taking chemo treatments. She will start radiation soon. She continues to work daily and has a very positive attitude.

2. Tammie French - Tammie is also a Highland graduate. She has recently started her chemo treatments. She too is a working mom and trying to balance treatments with work and family.

3. Robin Williams - Prior to her cancer diagnosis, I did not know Robin. About a month ago, one of my dearest friends, Angie, told me about one of her dear friends and her recent breast cancer diagnosis. Since then, I have come to know Robin through text messages and phone calls. I finally got to meet Robin this weekend. Since my diagnosis, I have had the opportunity to talk to some women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but really only providing them with basic information. Robin has been much different. I see so much of myself in Robin. The questions, the fear, the anxiety--it is like looking at myself in a mirror--the self I could not see when I was so deeply immersed in my fight with cancer. Emotionally I have gone back to places I never thought I would go again. I know this is God helping me to see how far I have come since January 4, 2008. And I know that soon Robin too will feel this feeling. But, Robin doesn't know that yet. She is very afraid and anxious. She has yet to realize just how strong she is and that even in her weakest, darkest moments He is there to hold her and carry her--to protect her in a way that only our Creator could. Today while texting her I told her that I would enlist my Army to begin praying for her. Her immediate response was, "Fabulous!!! Tell them to pray HARD!!!" And that is what I am doing tonight. I am asking you to pray hard for Robin, Tammie, Chrissy, and Mrs. Huff. I am eternally thankful for each of you and feel so blessed to have such an awesome Army to carry not only me, but others in need through the dark days. You are all amazing and I LOVE YOU!! God bless you all!! MK