First I want to thank each and every person who has sent me an inspiring email, or a heartfelt addition to my guestbook, or a generous support to the Shannon Morin Fund at CORRECTION (Thanks Bec!) CITIZENS BANK (Its the chemo brain- I SWEAR)!!!  Thank you all for taking the time and generosity to do such kind things for a person you hardly know- except thru my blog and our tv debut.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

My 29th birthday FINALLY came on the 14th!  Todd and I went out to Rye and enjoyed a dinner at his grandmother's cottage overlooking the ocean.  We then walked down to the  beach and stood in the spot where he first kissed me and proposed to me.  He held me tight and we cried and I told him I was in my most favorite spot in the whole world- in his arms and in our "spot".  We listened the waves and looked out over the calm dark ocean.  He had wanted to put our feet in the water- but it was much too cold for that.  So we tried sticking our hands in it - which was challenging - as to not get soaked by the waves slowing rolling in.  It was a good birthday... a relaxing birthday.

The next day we spent the day running errands.  My the end of the day I found myself asking Todd for the keys so that I could go wait in the car for him.  I was so tired that I thought I might just pass out from exhaustion right there on the Walmart, or Lowe's floor.  I would sit in the car and wait for him to come out.  We went home and I sat on the couch in a complete fog.  We took my temp and it was a little higher...(I had had a low grade fever for three weeks now), my extreme fatigue and then on top of that- my shortness of breath was much worse.  We tried calling the doctor on call- who confirmed for us what we had already thought of doing- going to the er.
We got in the truck and Todd drove me to the Elliot.  We stood in the short line waiting to get in- and when the lady asked what was wrong- we started with the symptoms when I blurted out "I have cancer".  She then told me that that takes all precedent and I go to the front of the pack.  We ended up in an er room on an uncomfortable bed where a nurse accessed my port to take some blood samples.  I thought- they aren't my oncology nurses- they're not going to know how to do this...but of course they do- and it was fine.  I got blood taken from there and my arm and did a urine sample.  A man from respiratory came in and gave us a chamber for my Xoponex inhaler- it makes it work more affectively.  I took a few swigs of that.  We got in around 9:30 and were up in a room by 12:30.  Todd slept overnight with me in the bed next to me as I didn't have a neighbor.  In the beginning he kept apologizing to me for bringing me there and stressing me out... but I told him he did the best thing- and not to be sorry.  After I was admitted- it made him feel better that the right choice was made..and I had told him that.
The next morning- one of the doctors from NH Oncology came up to see us.  All is really a blur b/c I spent countless hours laying in bed doing nothing, getting up once in a while to use the restroom or take a walk with Todd.  We had some visitors sunday- my mom, john, jennifer, peggy & brian.  Todd's parents took him out for lunch- which is nice- b/c he needs a break once in a while!
He stayed over again that night after I discovered I'd have a neighbor.  She was very nice and had pneumonia.  I remember asking the nurse (me half asleep)- do I need to wear a mask? what does she have? the nurse assured me I was fine.  I also asked them if they had ear plugs- and they gave me gauze to shove in my ears... yeah... that didn't work.  Of course it took forever for them to finish up their questions and get her settled... i was frustrated and started to cry and wanted Todd to stay there with me.  The poor guy slept on a gosh awful chair/bed thing.  He vowed the next night that he was going home! I couldn't blame him, and wanted to go with!
Monday came and I had a chest xray (or maybe that was sunday...) anyway- I had a chest xray to check the fluid.  They said that they would "tap" my right lung and get some of the fluid out of it- hopefully freeing up some space for my lungs to expand and testing it for any infections or whatnot.
I had the thoracentsesis <- pretty sure thats not right... the "Lung tap"!  They brought me back down to radiology and in to have an ulstrasound.  I sat on the edge of the bed with a table in front of me where I could sit up and rest my head and arms on the table.  I was facing Todd- and he too rested his head on the pillow.  She did the ultrasound and put cool jelly all over my back.  The ultrasound showed more fluid in the left side than the right side- which was anticipated by the chest xray.  We got the ok from my doctor to have the lung tap done on the left.
The doctor came in and explained everything.  It was a simple procedure.
They used the ultrasound to figure the best spot for getting the fluid.  Some pockets of fluid were bigger than others.  So from there- he numbed up the spot with a numbing agent- which hurt... and had to go deeper and deeper into the skin... eventually- it didn't hurt anymore.  Then he stuck in a needle with a flexible plastic thing in the middle that would be used to suction out the fluid.  Because my ribs were close together and I'm petite (love that one!) and my spleen was in the way- there weren't able to go as low as they wanted for the collection.  There is danger of the tube hitting the wall of the lung or anything else for that matter- and possibly causing a lung collapse.  So although its a routine procedure- it does have its risks.  he also said he wouldn't even try the right lung b/c there wouldn't be enough collection benefit to warrent it.  So out came the fluid into a glass jar- Todd watched it fill up.  They they took the tube out- I didn't even feel it.  I looked over at the jar.  There was 100ml of this clearn greenish colored fluid with a froth on top.  they told me the froth came from the suction it was under, and the color didn't mean anything... they've seen all sorts!  It would be 2 days until we got the cultures back on that.
Tuesday morning came around I found myself with no Todd yet.. and crying and crying... I had to have the nurse come back to give me the meds b/c I was just so overhwlemed.  The emotional stress hit a level- staying in the hospital, not seeing improvements.... just was wrecking me... I'd rather be home- I'd be better there.
Today was also the day of our tv debut that was happening that evening.  We were supposed to be all meeting at a restaurant in Milford to watch it on the big screen tv.  Becky coordinated the whole thing and got it switched to the family room on my floor of the hopsital for later that night.
We went for another xray later that day- and they found much to be unchanged.  I hadn't felt a difference in the fluid that ws taken off- i couldn't breathe any different.
We got the ok from the doctor that I could go home later that night- by this time I still had the low grade temp, my o2 levels were sustaining around 93 (after being off the oxygen that i was on the whole time) and now had some bowel trouble b/c of the antibiotics they had put me on- where were like horse pills! They were the BIGGEST pills I had ever taken- and was SO PROUD that I swallowed them no problem! When I was younger- I needed my mom to crush up advil and put it in jelly b/c I couldn't swallow them... wow- look at me, huh- I can take pills like no other :)!
I was fast asleep when I was awoken by my dad and deb in my hospital room.  It immediately put me into an asthmastic state b/c I was so happy to see them!  They went down to the family room while I changed out of my johnny and put my new jammies that jennifer had given me for my bday and my bathrobe from home.  We went down to the family room and slowing watched people come in.  My aunts, cousins, everyone from Wright & Associates (Wendy on the phone), Fred & Judy who we had newly met, my mom, John, Jennifer, my bro Travis, my Dad & Deb,  Todd's parents, Todd's aunt & uncle and cousin Lori, Todd counted 27 people in all! I was amazed!
Wendy McCoole walked thru the door and I was again star struck!  This was the woman that made this website possible!  And I was getting to meet her, in my jammies in the hospital... hee hee...and she was hear to watch my tv debut with us all! It was so awesome!
We patiently (or rather impatiently) watched the 1st half hour waiting for our story. Everytime they had a little tidbit on it- we'd all laugh and cheer!  Then there it was... Todd and I on the big screen!  The story was done great! I was afraid my voice was too crackly when I was talking- but sounded fine on the tv.  We all cheered and we all had tears in our eyes... if you missed it- here is a link to the WMUR News 9 site:
http://www.wmur.com/health/14144089/detail.html
We taped it on our computer and have watched it over and over again.  Too bad Todd's talkin time was cut out... but his gorgeous smile wasn't :)!
It was wonderfully done- thank you Jennifer Vaughn!!!
So we went home around 8pm that night.  So nice to get back home and use the new sheets that we had bought during that day of shopping.  Our bed has to be THE most comfortable bed in the world!
I've had coughing spells that leave me winded and boiling hot here and there.  Todd has to remind me to slow down- stop making so much noise (I tend to humm or make noise when I get winded or cough- I don't know why, maybe I feel like it relaxes me?  It drives him NUTS!). 
I"ve been taking my Ativan to help with anxiety.  We feel thats a big part of it right now.  Some of my coughing spells might be brought on by anxiety and I don't even know it.
My other trouble right now is not being hungary.  I eat... just not a lot.  I am working on that though.  We bought some ensure drinks- so at least if I can't physically choke something down by eating- I can drink something. 
My moods have been up and down a lot lately. Hopefully with some things we're trying- they'll be back on the upside.
On friday - Todd took a look at my side.  My scar where the chest tube was removed in June from my lung biopsy has always been big and knot like... but its been sore latetly.  Todd took a peak at it and noticed it was no longer indented- but curved out and appeared to him like it was infected.  We went to see Susan who sent me over to Dr Hoepp's office who did the original surgery.  We met with Steve who is his PA.  He lanced it- but not much stuff came out.  I am to keep it covered with gauze and see what else drains- as well as being on another antibiotic.  Boy, thought that was something that wouldn't come back to haunt me!
During the visit- I had to take off my bra and left my shirt on.  My fake boobie was in my bra and I was trying so that it wouldn't fall out from underneath my shirt.  We left there and I just took the bra and fake boobie out.  Todd played with it on the way to Rite Aid.  He'd scrunch it up and say look "Old lady boobie" and then pull it tight "Young lady boobie".  Then by the time we got to Rite Aid- it was on his head.  I threatened him I'd write about that in his blog, he said "Nu-uh"... well here it is :)! He cracks me up!
Went to Nh Oncology today and for once was not denied my chemo! I got my chemo - WOOHOO!  Hopefully thing will turnaround some things and I'll start to feel better again real soon!  I had the Avastin & Navelbine.
So... tomorrow's another day... here I come!