1 Year Later...

Me and cancer...

Sill fighting. Still laughing. Still living.

Last year on April 17, 2013 I felt a lump in my right breast. I went to the doctor the next day and by April 24th was diagnosed with cancer. What a year it has been!

The past year has felt both short and long. I cannot believe that I have done what I have in a year. Wow, I have been through a lot! However, it often feels as if more time had to happen because so much went on during the year. On the other hand it could not have been a year...

I think that duality of time happens to all of us as we have kids and get so busy that time gets away from us. And now I have a greater appreciation of time that I realize how lucky I am to have it.

Happy Birthday to You...

My sweet girl full of joy.

Most importantly during April is my daughter's birthday. While I will always be reminded that April is my diagnosis month (since I am asked a lot), it will also be a time for me to appreciate that I am lucky enough to be here, alive, to celebrate. Each day is something to celebrate - and her birthday is definitely a reminder for me to be grateful for the people I love. She is a beacon of joy and love and I cannot believe has turned 7.

Walking forward...

Support the American Cancer Society

I have signed up to walk and fundraise in my local Relay For Life event. Something that is difficult for me to do since I still have bone pain from treatment, but I am ready to get back out there and support others in the fight!

To do that I designed a shirt to wear and sell. All the extra proceeds from the sale will be given to the American Cancer Society. I am hoping that shirts sell all over the place and that the people who buy them wear them on May 16th to support me as I walk that day. I would love pictures of them wearing them.

They are only on sale until May 1st, so I hope I sell some: Click Here to Buy One

As for my shirt slogan - I feel like all those supporting me are my TaTa Warriors... they are keep me fighting. laughing. living. Hence, three words I love: fight. laugh. live. I will fight this. I will laugh through this. I will live to the fullest!!!

“Hope

Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,

Whispering 'it will be happier'...”

- Alfred Tennyson

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my longest hardest day yet

Get ready boys and girls... today is a doozy. And a long post too! But before we begin on one of the toughest days I've ever done, let's recap. Mon: Irritating Onc day where I was not told about suspicious fluid around lung/heart in time to get a biopsy & I got contradicting info from his NP the week before. Tues: Spending the morning getting Immunotherapy and 2 Chemotherapies before going straight to the airport to fly to Houston and enduring long rental car lines and afternoon heavy traffic. A few more checks off this weeks list... a few more to go: Now back to my Wednesday... the Humpday I would like to forget! So, after 8 hours of cancer treatment, flying, and travel in congested Houston the day before, I didn't have much rest because we had to start Wednesday early. My husband and I decided to walk to the medical center since our hotel was close. However, it was not necessarily the easiest or closest walk - tons of traffic, intersections, and some strange indivi...

chemo. travel. fly. travel. stop.

QUICK RECAP Monday was a let's check in with Oncologist - only to get annoyed that I was not told about suspicious fluid around lung/heart found on 10/5 CT before now, the Onc said I could get a biopsy when his NP told me I couldn't the week before, and now it was probably too late get the biopsy since it may be gone because we waited too long. And my official check-in pre-visit appointment phone call with MD Anderson. My Checklist at the Start of Tuesday: Still a Lot to Do! TUESDAY Today is going to be a loooonnnggg day! I started with an early morning chemotherapy time, getting to the facility while it was still dark outside, around 6:35am... It was weirdly silent... I was the only one in the building (except for a security guard) for a bit. I was actually concerned that my 6:45/7am scheduled time for chemotherapy was incorrect and just randomly sitting at the cancer center. I was even there before the front desk check-in staff arrived. Normally, the place is packed. So, wh...

happy birthday to me... almost

Let's rewind a bit and start a few days before my birthday... I had my first cancer treatment day on October 3rd - check it out if you haven't read that blog post yet. Let's just think of it as an early birthday gift since my birthday is October 7th. Great gift, right?!? If I have to hear "Happy Early" or "Late Birthday" from another medical person, I might have to smack someone. Especially, since I have spent most of the weeks leading up to and after my birthday at a medical appointment regarding cancer. Not really loving my birthday this year. Let's just say, on my birthday, I woke up with a special chemo-side-effect-surprise at 2am. That fun surprise I will share later... Rewind a Few Days... Update But first, let's go to October 4th, the day after my grueling 8 hours of immunotherapy and two chemotherapies on the 3rd. I woke up swollen, red faced, and fevering, as well as feeling pretty crummy. I didn't have time to dwell on it since I...

TaTa Wars

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