Tonight is the night before the big day!!!!! and I'm ready. Need to be in bed, but I am ready. Can't eat or drink anything past midnight, will wake up hungrier than ever. Amanda is spending the night, and she's trying to take good care of me, except I won't go to bed. Had lots of visitors and helpers around the homestead today. House is clean and organized--thank you Sharon! Mira has Trevor and Brooke is in Florida with her grandparents.

SO, How am I feeling? Anxious. Just anxious.

Surgery: check-in @ 10am at New Hanover . . . 11am procedures . . . 2pm surgery (expected to be four hours or so) . . .

Amanda is driving me in the a.m., my mom and aunt are meeting us at the hospital, then several friends/family are coming to pray at 9:45am . . . only two people are allowed with me, so yes, I'm already breaking the rules! I Will HAVE My ENTOurAGE.

JoLynn is staying overnight. . . then have friends and family taking care of things the rest of the week/weekend. I should be discharged Thursday.

I probably need more help than ever in the next couple of weeks . . . don't know what to expect, but will make it through thanks to all of you.

"Rock for Life Concert"

Benefit for the

One Love Foundation

at

MARRZ nightclub

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

2pm-12am

Donations of 10:00

One Love Foundation is helping Lavanda Howard overcome the financial burdens of fighting Breast Cancer. The benefit bands include Wes Sayer, Laura McLean & the Fine Night Souls, Fried Lot, Without Until, Fred Flynn, Daniel Parish Band, Silver Judas, and Medusa Stone.

DONATIONS OF $10:00

Tickets available at the Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, Salon Beyond Basics, Music School of Wilmington, Capt'n Bills, www.thesoapboxlive.com, and www.etix.com. For ticket info call: (910) 251-8500

AUCTION @ 7:45 pm including:Autographed Guitar signed by Edwin McCain, pink Fender Strat signed by Greg Howe, and guitar and drum package!RAFFLE @ 9 pmSponsored by: Marrz Nightclub, Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, Salon Beyond Basics, Music School of Wilmington, Edwin McCainb/Harrington Artists Management, Auction Co. of Wilmington, North Chase SPALON, Capt'n Bills Seafood, Bangz Hair Salon, American Cancer Society, Tropical Tans, Just Because Chocolates, DanceWorks Dance Studio, Shelia's Wig & Skin Care Salon, Diane Martin-Esthetician, Lisa Haskins-Hairstylist, Apple Annie's Bakery, FitUnique, Wilmington Sharks, Abercrombie & Fitch, Firebelly Lounge, Finklestien's Music, Cape Fear Jewelry and Pawn, Jenny Culbreth at Solar Hair, Tarheel Paramedical, Inc., Atlantic Dermatology, Medac

$10 donation gets you a PINK hair extension OR Head Shave OR Locks of Love Ponytail Haircut by: North Chase Spalon from 2:00-4:00. Come pay to have your friends head shaved...... Come on Guys, how many of you are gonna do it?

FitUnique is collecting donations for the One Love Foundation in honor LaVanda until her PayPal account is up and running.

T-shirt for LaVonda's benefit

Order your t-shirt today!

Lv's Hope --- T-shirt Design

$15.. brown, blk, pink, white, or grey... cranberry logoor black with white logo

I have posted some pictures.. some I do not like, but can't figure out how to DELETE them. Haven't gotten them all up, either. So bear with me!!! Some are from the benefit at FireBelly's and the others are from chemo 1 & 2 and the wig shop. There are more to come... some of them are not so appealing so don't hold it against me!!!!

I gave Trevor the chance to choose if mommy would wear her wig or just a wrap, and he chose the wrap... until we got in the car, and he says "I like your wig". Hehe... it was too late to change his mind. So, we've gotten used to it, I guess.
Enough about hair, and lack of it!! On March 25th I met the Kemo-Shark for the second time..and to be honest, knowing what to expect didn't make it any easier!!!!! Same side effects this time, and just more of a sick feeling all over. Nausea set in.. migraines.. all over body aches (hard to describe the pain and how your bones ache) .. horrible metallic taste in my mouth..sensitive to touch and smell...and emotionally not being able to be the "Indepenent" person that I am used to being is very hard!!!!!
Thank you to ALL my friends and family who have been there for me!!!!! I cannot do this without YOU ALL.. and I cannot express my gratitude enough for all that you've done!!

Okay... so I have some catching up to do!!!! I last wrote that my hair was falling out on the 14th day... and it kept coming out in handfuls. By the sixteenth day, I had lost about 3 trashcans (bathroom) full. My scalp was very, very sore!!! I still had some left, but decided it was time to get rid of it... so, off to the wig shop we went on Friday, March 20th to have my wigs fitted and my head shaved. Well, that was an experience....a little emotional.... the kids went with Grandma, so they were able to experience it as well. It was that day that I was able to talk to a lady that had just been diagnosed. She actually thanked me for being so positive and complimented me on being so beautiful. (Bald-head and all) She said she had been in the bed crying for 3 weeks and was soo down about her diagnosis. I assured her, the best I could, that it was going to be okay and that she would get through it. It was at that moment that I realized why God has me here.
Since then, I have had some stares in the line at Wal-mart.... one man coming from behind and just turned around and looked, haha, normally I'd think he was "checking me out", but I think he was trying to figure out WHAT I was!!!!! Some kids have done the same thing, to be expected.