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...

the red devil strikes again

My Second Battle with Chemotherapy They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But sometimes, it feels like the journey to strength comes with a hefty toll. Facing the “Red Devil” a second time, I was prepared for some of the more notorious side effects—hair loss being the most talked about—but I wasn’t quite prepared for the onslaught of additional challenges it would throw my way. As the clock ticked past midnight, signaling the dawn of a new day, I found myself wide awake, grappling with the weight of a familiar foe. This is my second time undergoing chemotherapy, and the dread of the "Red Devil" has once again become a part of my reality. For those fortunate enough to be unfamiliar, the "Red Devil" is a nickname given to the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, known for its potent and aggressive nature. Back in 2013, the first time I faced chemotherapy, I was filled with a mix of fear and hope. I clung to the belief that the treatment would work, that the side...

christmas cheer and chemo chairs

Picture this: It's Christmas morning, but instead of unwrapping presents by the tree, I'm unwrapping IV lines in a cozy chemo chair. Talk about a plot twist, right? A Holiday Like No Other The hospital was eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle replaced with a calm serenity. The nurses, bless their festive hearts, were decked out in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, spreading cheer even as they administered my final doses of my previous month's partners in crime: Taxol and Carboplatin. Soon, I'll be enduring the Red Devil, a Chapter I am all too familiar with - yikes. The Gift of Resilience As I settled in for my last Taxol and Carboplatin treatment, I couldn't help but think how surreal it all felt. I decided to embrace the uniqueness of the moment. After all, what better time than Christmas and New Years to start a journey of hope and healing with my switching between my chemo companions? Deck the Halls with Humor The cancer center had turned the place into a mi...

TaTa Wars

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