TODAY! TODAY IS THE DAY! That my studio can finally re open, with some small limitations but that will totally work. As the studio is a small boutique style studio and I typically do not have large crowds at once. Couture Kids and Mini sessions on the other hand will not start back until later in June and we will have sessions spaced out to allow for proper cleaning after each session.
TODAY! is also another monumental day for me personally, my family as well as the studio. You see last year on April 28, 2019 I took my husband to the ER about 6am in the morning. He had a severe pain in his arm and shoulder that just about dropped him to the floor. Upon our arrival testing began and it was discovered that he had a mass in his neck and that he would be admitted. We were both kind of in shock and knew that we were about to embark upon a whole new journey in our lives. That week I had little league sport photo day planned and an upcoming preschool day of photos planned for work, along with a few other client sessions. The 28th was a Monday morning. So I immediately had to call our children, my parents, his family and then make a few calls to let these organizations know there would be no way I could make it to the photo days. That was a challenge because they are big jobs for me, I knew that those schedule changes would effect a lot of people and families. But, I had to do what was needed and best for my family and my self at that time. The organizations were so very understanding as well clients that I had to reach out to over the next couple of weeks. Everyone was amazing and willing to work with me. I am forever grateful for that.
During that first week in the hospital, doing testing, my husband and I were told many things and different things every single day. It was hard, a very hard week. They knew it was probably cancer but could not tell us any more than that. He had to have emergency surgery to remove the mass on Thursday of that week and to start to rebuild his neck. The second surgery for the backside of his neck ended up being about a month later. Both went amazingly well and we are truly grateful to have that behind us for sure. On Friday May 3, 2019 one of the hospitalist came into our room early morning, while my husband was eating breakfast and shared that the MRI they had done on his brain showed leasons in the brain. We were both devastated to say the least. For over 24 hours we were lead to believe that everything was metastasized in his body and that it was indeed in his brain. That my friends was one of the very worst days of my life. Some of the hardest moments I have ever faced took place that week. However, morning did come on Saturday May 4, 2019 and another hospitalist came to visit and was ready to let my husband go home. He also shared that the leasons were not in my husbands brain but on the skull and that they were inactive. So, not super great news but much better news than we were lead to believe just 24 hours prior.
So, on May 4, 2019 we headed home. It was great to be home, because honestly I was not sure he would come home when we started the week the way we did and with the major surgery that he had to have. It was truly a miracle and an blessing.
The following week on May 8, 2019 we had our first oncology appointment and pathology would be back. We had no idea at all what we were going to be facing. At that appointment we learned that he had Multiple Myeloma (not something that had metastasized and not something in the brain) it is a blood cancer, that can be treated and could hopefully be treated as a chronic illness. Whew praise the Lord. That was an incredible blessing and a positive thing to hear after all the scary hard days we had just walked through.
Now I share all this for a few reasons but mostly because it is pretty amazing to me how God lined everything up. (actually it has been a year full of awe God moments) You see today is Friday May 1, 2020 which means one year ago today I pretty much had to close my studio. I took down all of our online bookings, and cancelled all work, because I knew it was going to be journey helping my husband get through this year. Now 1 year later, TODAY I can reopen my studio. How amazing is that?!! It is pretty awesome to me and to us! Such a God thing. Yes, we had Covid-19 a pandemic that kept us closed as well, but it is pretty cool that today is the day that I can re open the studio.
You may be wondering how my husband is and I will tell you he is a walking miracle. He has endured two major neck surgeries, about 5 ER visits (two resulting in stays, due to treatment, etc) and then several months of treatments and then lastly an Auto bone marrow/stem cell transplant. He has now been 5 month (almost 6 months) with out any cancer medication at all and as of March he is in stringent complete remission. So cool! He goes for labs just once a month, he is doing things around our property, over seeing his electrical company and feeling so much stronger. I love seeing him doing so well. Myeloma is not curable, but it is treatable and we pray for years of remission and healing. He may have to start on a small dose of maintenance meds at some point but that is what our Dr. is watching with the monthly labs.
I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have followed our journey and all of you my amazing clients. You guys are the best. I love what I do to help support my family and I am so grateful for the opportunity to do that. YOU make that possible, and your understanding over the course of this last year has been a blessing to me and my family.
So, TODAY Friday May 1, 2020 Specialty Photography is open for business! WhooHooo! I am ready to help you schedule, order, print, design wall galleries, etc. I can not wait to start helping capture family memories again. I have been busy in the studio also painting and rearranging and cleaning out. I am also going to be painting our entry way door and our bathroom door today! Plus, painting the light fixtures on the outside of the studio. I am here though and can take your calls and will be checking emails throughout the day.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. God bless and have a wonderful safe weekend!
**I will be sharing some of our new procedures while we are still in a slow restart, but that will be another post.
Love & Laughter -
Deanna
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