Cancer has made us stronger

Wow. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've posted last! So much has gone on this past year, it's hard to believe what all my family has endured. It's been rough. G got a compassionante reassignment to come back home for a year while Cade recieved treatment, We went through good and very bad times with Cade, We almost lost him this December-His liver almost failed on us, Cade turned 2, G and I both turned a year older. We celeberated all our birthdays, anniversary, Christmas, and new years in the hopsital. That place has become our new home. I won't lie Cade having cancer has put a toll on G and my marriage, but I think we're finally geting to a place were we are able to patch it back up. I don't know how my family has survived this year, I look back and wonder how we all made it.. but we did and we appreciate eachother more because of what we have all went through. So whats new with us right now.. Well I almost have my associates degree and soon i'll be applying for nursing school. G got orders and we will be moving soon, we're looking forward to this move.. even though Cade is still getting chemotherapy treatment we're ready for this next chapter in our life.. this place has too many memories it's time for a change. I've been doing insanity with G and were really loving it! it's helped me loose 10 pound along with shakeology, I use to go to the gym all the time and the beachbody programs are really helping me get back into shape, the shape i was in before cade was diagnosed Just a little updated picture :)

Your son has cancer..

Caden was diagnosed with Cancer.. While Garrett was in Afghanistan. It all started the week before I went to see my sister Graduate tech school in San angelo. I had taken Caden to the ER, he had been running a fever.. 104. They took an xray of his chest to see if he had RSV. Test came back negetive but the xray looked like he had an enlarged heart. The doctor said don't worry it's probably just a error with the xray but follow up with your doctor when you have time. Well I didn't think it was too important because the ER doctor had reasured me it was no big deal. The next day we went to San angelo, 2 days into the trip Caden was having trouble breathing like something was blocking his airway. (his pediatrician had diagnosed his with asthma) So we gave him a breathing treatment and we thought that helped a little, he didn't weese the entire trip. We headed back home the next day and everything went fine, it was Easter. Although I could tell something was wrong with Caden he was extremely fussy and I don't know how to explain it.. I just knew something was wrong. I brushed it off though because I knew Caden had an appointment with his pediatrician and I'd just talk to it about her tomorrow. The next day we head to the doctor and I tell her about what the ER had said and she sends me next door to get another xray, the xray techs were so sweet and loved caden thought he was the cutest thing in the world, as soon as they took the xray everything changed, they told me to sit outside in the waiting room, then they told me to go talk to Cadens doctor. Then when Cadens doctor came in the room she gave me directions to go to the childrens hospital, so the could take a sono and get a clear picture of what was going on. The doctor told me it was probably just an enlarged thymus and that was normal. We get to the hospital and they take a sono same thing happened with the lady that happened with the xray techs, everything changed. She told me to go wait in the waiting room, well I finally get a call from the doctor on their phone in the waiting room. It's not his thymus, they think it's a tumor... We were sent to the ER immediately then taken to the PICU so we could get ready for his surgery the next day. By then it was probably 10pm, I needed to sent Garrett a red cross message. He was on a mission, I didn't even think he'd be able to get the message.. but he called me at 4am the next day. I never imagined I'd have to tell my husband over the PHONE that our son could possibly have cancer and that he's having surgery in 3 hours. G took it better then I thought he would, but honestly we all took it better then I thought we would. We were in shock, we didn't have time to cry or break down.. our body, our emotions, our hearts were in shock. About 10 hours later the surgent comes out and tells me, while I have all our family (mine and Gs) around me.. that Caden does have cancer.. all I could say was "ok".. "no I don't have any questions".. "Thank you for taking special care of my son".. then I walked off.. all I wanted to do was see my son. The next days were a blurrrr.. until G came home, I never imagined my first "welcome back home from deployment" would be in those circumstances. It's crazy how our lives have changed in a blink of an eye.

This was Caden right before his first surgery.. He had a huge mass on his lung almost completely covering the whole lung.

This was the next day after the surgery, kids are so resilient.

The day caden has surgery to get his port placed in..

Going home after surgery, he is so tough.. Caden is no doubt my HERO!

Had to get his hair shaved off, it was falling out.. bad.

One of the times he has had to have blood.

And this is the most recent picture of Caden, He's now in remission.. doing good. He will have to have chemotherapy until he is 4 years old, he's 18 months today.

Little G's 15 months.

Where does the time go?

So close now, almost done.

School is literally taking control of my life. I only have 7 more weeks till this semester is over, thank god! These last few months of G's deployment are really going to test me. This Deployement has been the hardest year of my life!!

Some things I have to look forward to:
Finals-booo!
Best friends wedding-I'm the maid of honor Ekk:)
Deployments over
Flying to Germany
Traveling Italy.. Yay!!
Move back to Arkansas.. Idk how I feel about this yet.


But I have a question for y'all..
Any of you guys every lived or are living in Fort riley, Kansas?
How do you like it there?
What was it like good/bad?