Exactly one week ago at this time, I was fresh from surgery, in a world of pain and confusion. The last week has melded into one blurry, long day. I am through the first leg of the woods and can begin to make out the other side. Feels good to be in this place where… Continue reading Emerging from the Chrysalis
All in All, A Very Good Day!
Melissa's surgery was a success today. We got the news we wanted so badly to hear: Her sentinel lymph node tested negative for cancer cells! Thank God! Thank all of you! Melissa's resting now, I'm here to watch over her. If all looks good we will be discharged tomorrow afternoon. - Joey
The clouds have parted…
I got a wonderful phone call last night. It appears that my recent blood work and PET scan have confirmed that this cancer is confined to my breast and has not metastasized to any other part of my body. That was the BEST thing I have heard in a long time!!! I am so grateful… Continue reading The clouds have parted…
Thank you Grandma, I love you and I’m sorry
Dear Grandma Viola, We never met. I am the oldest daughter of your youngest daughter. You passed away only a few years before I was born. My mother watched you be diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 51, go through a barbaric mastectomy, which was the best they could do at the time… Continue reading Thank you Grandma, I love you and I’m sorry
“How are you?” and other absurdities
Ten days and counting... Surgery is imminent. While a part of my logical mind knows that this is the first concrete and necessary step towards ridding my body of cancer, there is still a huge dam of denial that is about to break as the reservoir of reality breaches the safety zone. I am managing in mirco-seconds... taking… Continue reading “How are you?” and other absurdities
Along the yellow brick road
We are truly not in Kansas anymore. Days are filled with appointments and calls coordinating between doctors and insurance. Try and relax. Don't get stressed out. Stay on top of things. Be organized. Ask all the right questions. If you don't stay on top of these people, nothing will get done. Who is connecting the… Continue reading Along the yellow brick road
Creative, Resourceful and Whole
Many of you know that shortly before diagnosis, I embarked on a new career path. Wait, more than a career path...A life changing and empowering transformation was taking hold. I had finally understood on a core level what people mean when they refer to "a calling". I had found IT and was actively pursuing IT.… Continue reading Creative, Resourceful and Whole
The roller coaster continues
After a wonderful and inspiring weekend at the Omega Institute, taking a workshop called Foraging and Feasting, I came back Monday and reality set in deep like a weight on my chest. Being new to the cancer scene, I am shocked at how much disconnect there is between various facilities and Dr. offices and how… Continue reading The roller coaster continues
After the shock sets in…
I've opted for this method to tell my greater circle of friends and family the news that I have breast cancer. It has been so overwhelming coming to terms with this, and having to tell people over and over. Watching faces register shock, concern, worry... answering questions, getting stories and advice. News spreads fast however,… Continue reading After the shock sets in…
