The ABA was voted Best Medium Company to Work for 2016 - here's why!

The Triangle Business Journal named the ABA one of the Best Medium Companies to Work for 2016. I wholeheartedly agree for many reasons...but mostly because of the support I'm getting for my battle against Big Bertha.  WOW!  They *COMPLETELY* surprised this week....and left me speechless (if you can believe that!)!  

HOLY SMOKIN' CHEERLEADERS!

After a town hall update meeting, with EVERYBODY in attendance, there was a special presentation JUST FOR ME!

  

It started with a cheer spelling out B - U - B - B - A!  I don't go by that name at work so it took me a minute to realize what was going on!  And then the emotions just wouldn't stop pouring out of my eyes!  My heart was overflowing, literally!  I blurted out "Wait!  That's me!"  LOL!

It was SUPER FANTASTIC!  And a *COMPLETE SURPRISE!*  And look who was head cheerleader:

and his tutu even said BUBBA on it!!  

Then Shirline presented me with the most phenomenal t-shirts EVER! OMG!

Everybody signed it!  

There's a yellow one like this too:

And then, just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better than that, I turn around and every single person in town hall was waving one of these lime green ribbons in the air!

SERIOUSLY?!?  

IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT!!

Buh Bye Bertha!  You are NOT liked, even a little bit, by my ABA Warriors!

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

Happiness is being Bubba!

Holy cow has this been quite the week for being Bubba!  I am OVERFLOWING with love and laughter and all things GRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!

It's impossible to feel sad.  

It's impossible for Cancer to win.  

It's absolutely possible to be super fantastically happy!!  OMGosh!

I'm more prepared than I have EVER been for a chemo week thanks to my Warriors!  

BRING IT!!   

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

My Gastroenterologist just called to check on me!

Awwww!  
My heart just melted.  
My Gastroenterologist, Dr. Rig Patel, just called me.
He said "I just had to hear your voice to see how you were doing."  
Seriously?!?!

!!! !!!

  

Dr. Patel has been my gastro doctor for years...been thru 4 colonoscopies, non-specific colitis, and all of my mom ailments.  He totally ROCKS!  

He knows what I went thru with my mom.
He knows what is going thru my head during my dark moments.
He said ALL the right things.
OMGosh.  
Another moment when I was touched by an angel today.  WOW!  I must be low on love!  

I told him I named my tumor "Big Bertha".  He's totally on board with being a Warrior now! 
We ended the call by him saying "You mean the world to me....and so did your mom."  It doesn't get any better than that.....

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

Inspirations come from everywhere - even from my Postmaster!

I went to the Rolesville Post Office today.  I had a lot to mail so the Postmaster and I started chatting (I know, hard to believe I would start up a conversation!).  

SHE SURVIVED NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA IN 2004!!! 

HOLY PERFECT INSPIRATION FOR ME!  

She told me all about her treatments, which were MUCH harder than mine, and we shared how far treatments and ports have come since she fought her battle.  She also struggled with weight GAIN, which made me feel better about mine.  

She made me feel thankful for a lot of things...
1.  How easy my treatments have been so far.  Even w/the 3 days of being a blob, and easily fatigued, and the weight gain and whatever other little inconveniences I consider "side effects".  It's NOTHING compared to what those who have fought the battle before me have endured!  NOTHING.
2.  I will not lose my hair.
3.  My port does not bother me and it doesn't hurt when they poke it for chemo.
4.  Because of my port, my veins will remain intact & not get abused by tons of needle stabs.
5.  My nausea is controllable.
6.  I could not have a better Oncologist.
7.  I will survive.  Absolutely.  Here was a survivor, standing right in front of me, celebrating every day and telling me I TOTALLY GOT THIS!!  

Angels show up in the most unexpected places.  I was touched by one today for sure. 

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

Cancer Bites

This speaks for itself....

Thank you Warriors!!  

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

Anatomy of an Illness

Got this book (and 2 others that I can't wait to read) from one of my Warriors.  I couldn't put it down.  It talks about the phenomenal healing power of laughter...belly laughter.  It talks about hope.  It talks about how every person must accept a certain measure of responsibility for his or her own recovery from disease or disability.  It talks about the importance of the relationship between doctor and patient.  

I'm more convinced than ever that Big Bertha ain't big no more and she + all the little Bertha-wannabes do not stand a chance in my body.  

I have totally got this....

Here are some of my favorite parts:

- laughter is a form of jogging for the innards.(WOW!!!!!) 

- ....confirms the capacity of the human body to transform hope into tangible and essential biochemical change.

- ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect...

- the will to live is not a theoretical abstraction but a physiologic reality with therapeutic characteristics.

-   disease tended to leave him rather rapidly because it found so little hospitality inside his body.  (LOVE THIS!!!!) 

- place as much emphasis on quality of life as on treatment.

- the human mind can be trained to play an important part both in preventing disease and in overcoming it when it occurs.
- Physicians need to be in actual touch with patients.  Time is the one thing that patients need most from their doctors - time to be heard, time to have things explained, time to be reassured....  

I am SOOO lucky to have the doctors that I have and SOOOOO fortunate to have so many Warriors supporting me.  Oh yea, and I LOVE TO LAUGH!  WIN!!!  

To whoever left this on my desk.....THANK YOU!

I am *NEVER* without HOPE!

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba 

10/4/2016 was a PERFECT day for tests!

I got a BIG 10/4 at my last appointment! 

AFFIRMATIVE!

BERTHA IS RESPONDING TO CHEMO!

Dr. Kritz even admitted that he is surprised at how much she has gone down.

YEAH BABY!!

In 5 weeks I will get a CT Scan for the "official" update on how big she is now....and that is when there will be a BIG party!!  As in "BYE BYE BIG" party because the word "BIG" will not be part of my battle anymore!  WOO HOO!!

I've been EXTREMELY tired the past few days...thus the reason it took so long to post this update.  I'm pushing thru it and listening to my body when it says sleep.  It's hard, but, WORTH IT!  

I've totally got this...

❤️,
Bubba