So...Sunday 01/27 was the big day! Well...big day in the long line of big days.
On Saturday, a few close friends of mine took me out for a girl's night before chemo. We kept it pretty low-key, watched movies, played games, and went out to a fancy Italian restaurant. But you know, it was just what I needed. I was able to feel somewhat normal again (aside from this dang pulled muscle in my back). I had a great time and I can't thank everyone who was there enough for doing that for me. So THANKS Danielle, Stephanie, Christina, Emily, Morgan, & Jennifer!
Sunday morning was surgery time. Overall, we were in and out in a matter of 2.5 hours I think. I had to be there by 7:30am. We waited about 30 minutes (if that) to get back to the prep area. I got to wear my fancy hospital gown and had an IV put in and they took my vital signs. Then before I knew it, the surgical team was there, ready to wheel me back to the OR. No rest for the weary, huh? The IV went much smoother this time and I enjoyed the company of the nurse, anesthesiologist, and my doctor. We had fun joking around as we were getting ready.
I went back and walked into the OR at 8:50am and according to Adam, I was wheeled out & done by 9:10am! What! I can't believe it was that fast. They actually did give me general anesthesia but it was on the light side. They didn't have to intubate me (stick the tube down my throat) but did give me a nasal cannula (oxygen cord for my nose).
When I woke up I felt my hands trembling and my throat was a little sore and my mouth was REALLY dry. All of this is normal though and expected with the anesthesia and oxygen. I was able to dress myself and then we walked out and were done. They told me to take Tylenol or some Oxycodone if I wanted but I just stuck to the Tylenol. I really didn't feel anything else.
It was later that night that I really started to feel the after-affects. I wouldn't necessarily describe it as pain. It was period cramps....sorry guys. I don't know how else to describe it. It makes it hard to stand up straight and walk. It was major bloating and I just felt like my stomach was F-U-L-L. Imagine going to Golden Corral and stuffing your face until your full and can't fit another bit....then do that 3 more times. That is how it feels. But, from what I'm told, this is normal. They said I have to remember that they removed all those eggs and so my body is going to retain water and swell. So I'm watching myself for OVHSS (Ovarian Hyper-stimulation syndrome). It's exceptionally rare to have this happen though. The main thing is to make sure you are able to go tinkle okay, you don't gain too much weight, and watch for nausea/vomiting. All of which are okay for me.
It sucks though. It's now Wednesday night and I'm still having the cramps. I can't complain too much though...they are getting better each day. I just want to be sure I'm functioning at 100% for Friday's first chemo. Between this and trying to mend this pulled muscle, I've just been lazing around the house at night and staying put at work.
Here's to hoping the cramping goes away even more tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Bionic Woman
So...I know it's been a while since I've posted. Needless to say it's been a busy week and most of it's been spent recovering from everything I've had done.
To start, I had the port put in and all I have to say is G-R-E-A-T S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!! We did run into some hiccups along the way but I won't go in to detail about that as it was more to do with the staff we dealt with and not the overall process. I find that in the event someone else who may be reading this is looking for reassurance in their own journey, my purpose is not to scare you, but to show you that I was fine! :)
We checked in for the port at 12:30 with a 2:00 procedure time. I went back pretty much right away to get my hospital garb on and get an IV started. I have to admit, the IV hurt a bit but that was because they put it in my hand and is not the case with with all people. I guess I was just lucky :). Unfortunately for me, my 2:00 procedure time turned to 5:00. It was the day after a holiday weekend and there was an emergency that bumped me back, so all I can say in looking back at it is that at least it wasn't me with the emergency.
The total procedure time was about 30 minutes. They took me back to the procedure room and had me get on the OR table. They gave me twilight medication to make me out of it and I actually ended up falling asleep. What I remember though is that they cleaned the area (obviously) and they actually used an ultrasound or some type of imaging to help them put the port in. So don't be worried if it reminds you of lying on a table for an x-ray. When I woke up, I was just ready to go. Unfortunately at that point it was nearly 6pm-6:30 and I hadn't eaten anything since midnight. It made me lightheaded so we had to stick around a bit while I ate some graham crackers and drank some juice. But then we were free!!!
The next couple days I was sore but nothing that wasn't manageable. Per my oncologist, I just took some Tylenol as I needed it. Go figure, after a month of babying my right side from my lumpectomy, I went into full swing of babying the left and ended up pulling a muscle in my back on the right. So I ended up having a sore left-front side, and an aching back-right side. Not Fun!
A week later, I'm happy to say the surgical glue is starting to come off and while I'm anxious to get it off because it itches, I'm being as patient as I can to make sure it heals properly. Initially it felt weird to turn my neck but now I really can't feel it in me other than when I touch it or the catheter. It's definitely visible under my skin and makes me feel somewhat like a cyborg, but I'm somewhat proud that I have it. I know I'm doing everything I can to better help me get through the chemo.
I had Chemo prep today actually and they went ahead and did blood work. It was my first time accessing the port (at least while I was awake). All in all, it actually was surprisingly harmless. Let me tell you, it by far beats having a needle stick every day and seeing my arms getting bruised. All in all, I was really impressed with how well it went and how easy it was. They give me a cream to help numb it but because the surgical glue was still on, we couldn't use it. Instead, they just gave me an ice pack to help numb the area. They also flushed the port and gave me some Heparin to help prevent clotting. All in all, I'd day from the time they accessed the port to the time it was over, it was maybe 5 minutes? Not bad at all. I think I could get used to this (when you consider the alternative!)
Ok, I'll write back tomorrow to catch everyone up on everything else from this past week including chemo training and the IVF stuff.
To start, I had the port put in and all I have to say is G-R-E-A-T S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!! We did run into some hiccups along the way but I won't go in to detail about that as it was more to do with the staff we dealt with and not the overall process. I find that in the event someone else who may be reading this is looking for reassurance in their own journey, my purpose is not to scare you, but to show you that I was fine! :)
We checked in for the port at 12:30 with a 2:00 procedure time. I went back pretty much right away to get my hospital garb on and get an IV started. I have to admit, the IV hurt a bit but that was because they put it in my hand and is not the case with with all people. I guess I was just lucky :). Unfortunately for me, my 2:00 procedure time turned to 5:00. It was the day after a holiday weekend and there was an emergency that bumped me back, so all I can say in looking back at it is that at least it wasn't me with the emergency.
The total procedure time was about 30 minutes. They took me back to the procedure room and had me get on the OR table. They gave me twilight medication to make me out of it and I actually ended up falling asleep. What I remember though is that they cleaned the area (obviously) and they actually used an ultrasound or some type of imaging to help them put the port in. So don't be worried if it reminds you of lying on a table for an x-ray. When I woke up, I was just ready to go. Unfortunately at that point it was nearly 6pm-6:30 and I hadn't eaten anything since midnight. It made me lightheaded so we had to stick around a bit while I ate some graham crackers and drank some juice. But then we were free!!!
The next couple days I was sore but nothing that wasn't manageable. Per my oncologist, I just took some Tylenol as I needed it. Go figure, after a month of babying my right side from my lumpectomy, I went into full swing of babying the left and ended up pulling a muscle in my back on the right. So I ended up having a sore left-front side, and an aching back-right side. Not Fun!
A week later, I'm happy to say the surgical glue is starting to come off and while I'm anxious to get it off because it itches, I'm being as patient as I can to make sure it heals properly. Initially it felt weird to turn my neck but now I really can't feel it in me other than when I touch it or the catheter. It's definitely visible under my skin and makes me feel somewhat like a cyborg, but I'm somewhat proud that I have it. I know I'm doing everything I can to better help me get through the chemo.
I had Chemo prep today actually and they went ahead and did blood work. It was my first time accessing the port (at least while I was awake). All in all, it actually was surprisingly harmless. Let me tell you, it by far beats having a needle stick every day and seeing my arms getting bruised. All in all, I was really impressed with how well it went and how easy it was. They give me a cream to help numb it but because the surgical glue was still on, we couldn't use it. Instead, they just gave me an ice pack to help numb the area. They also flushed the port and gave me some Heparin to help prevent clotting. All in all, I'd day from the time they accessed the port to the time it was over, it was maybe 5 minutes? Not bad at all. I think I could get used to this (when you consider the alternative!)
Ok, I'll write back tomorrow to catch everyone up on everything else from this past week including chemo training and the IVF stuff.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Port time...Hope I'm ready
So one thing that came highly recommended to me from a friend of mine who also went through this was to get a port put in. Basically, I would either have to get an IV and blood work done the day of chemo (2 needle sticks) or I could have a port implanted and only need 1 stick. This will help for many reasons both short term and long term. For starters, since I had 2 lymph nodes removed from my right side, I'm technically supposed to avoid needle sticks and blood pressure cuffs on that side. So we would be primarily be using my left every time (16 chemo treatments x 2 to include the blood work). In the short term, this would also save me time on the day of chemo so that I wouldn't have to go to a lab and wait in line with every other patient there to get blood work done and then have the results read. Rather, I could stay in my clinic and and they could draw the blood from the port.
In terms of long term benefits, chemo also messes up your arms if you don't have a port I'm told. It can cause extensive scar tissue and lead to complications the further you go along in terms of finding a vein to work. So I guess really it's no guarantee that it would only be two sticks if I didn't get the port. Finally, technically with me being HER2+ I will be receiving treatment for a little over a year to specifically target this aspect. Chemo though will only be 5 months. Herceptin (medication to treat HER2+ aspect) will begin at month 3 of chemo and will continue for 1 year. All in all, this port will become part of me for a little over 1 year.
The port I'm told is about the size of a quarter and there is a tube attached to go into my vein. It will be implanted just below my collar bone and will be completely under the skin but noticeable that I will have it. From everyone I've talked to who would be familiar with it or have knowledge in the area, it seems to be a pretty standard procedure to have put in and the best part is that for me, I just go take a nap and wake up with it already done.
So...tomorrow will be a busy day. First we're off to another doctor appointment and then it's port time. Wish me luck & say a prayer!
In terms of long term benefits, chemo also messes up your arms if you don't have a port I'm told. It can cause extensive scar tissue and lead to complications the further you go along in terms of finding a vein to work. So I guess really it's no guarantee that it would only be two sticks if I didn't get the port. Finally, technically with me being HER2+ I will be receiving treatment for a little over a year to specifically target this aspect. Chemo though will only be 5 months. Herceptin (medication to treat HER2+ aspect) will begin at month 3 of chemo and will continue for 1 year. All in all, this port will become part of me for a little over 1 year.
The port I'm told is about the size of a quarter and there is a tube attached to go into my vein. It will be implanted just below my collar bone and will be completely under the skin but noticeable that I will have it. From everyone I've talked to who would be familiar with it or have knowledge in the area, it seems to be a pretty standard procedure to have put in and the best part is that for me, I just go take a nap and wake up with it already done.
So...tomorrow will be a busy day. First we're off to another doctor appointment and then it's port time. Wish me luck & say a prayer!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Appointments...Appointments...Appointments
Ok, I officially no longer enjoy going to the doctor's office. I can't actually say I ever did but man, now I really don't like it. I used to take pride when they would tell me I'm healthy, or blood pressure is really good, or even at the dentist when they would say "no cavities this time". Not anymore though....now I'm starting to dread it.
In the past 2 days, I've had 5 appointments. Yesterday morning was a genetics consult, then a visit over to the fertility doctor, and then finally it was an appointment to try on wigs. At least with the last one Adam and I had fun getting to see me with all sorts of hair styles and colors. Today it was a dentist appointment and then an echo test to get a baseline for my heart before chemo. Tomorrow is a free day and then Friday I have a consult with Radiation Oncology.
I've given up on trying to schedule appointments. I find that if I wait, they just get scheduled for me. And it's not, "Ok, what time works best for you?". It's always, "ok, you've been scheduled for 3 appointments at these dates/times...be sure to arrive 30 minutes early and see you then". I think I can officially say that when this is all said and done, I will have had more appointments than I have ever had in my life.
Probably not a good start to be complaining about the appointments but seriously, it's getting old. Hopefully when the chemo starts, appointments will settle down and I can get back to a "new normal".
Next week isn't looking to clear in my schedule either but more to follow on that. Time for an injection. ugh...it never ends.
Oh...and I still haven't cut my hair. Turns out the hubby wanted to cut the ponytail so now I'm on his time for when he wants to do it. :) But, I wouldn't have it any other way.
In the past 2 days, I've had 5 appointments. Yesterday morning was a genetics consult, then a visit over to the fertility doctor, and then finally it was an appointment to try on wigs. At least with the last one Adam and I had fun getting to see me with all sorts of hair styles and colors. Today it was a dentist appointment and then an echo test to get a baseline for my heart before chemo. Tomorrow is a free day and then Friday I have a consult with Radiation Oncology.
I've given up on trying to schedule appointments. I find that if I wait, they just get scheduled for me. And it's not, "Ok, what time works best for you?". It's always, "ok, you've been scheduled for 3 appointments at these dates/times...be sure to arrive 30 minutes early and see you then". I think I can officially say that when this is all said and done, I will have had more appointments than I have ever had in my life.
Probably not a good start to be complaining about the appointments but seriously, it's getting old. Hopefully when the chemo starts, appointments will settle down and I can get back to a "new normal".
Next week isn't looking to clear in my schedule either but more to follow on that. Time for an injection. ugh...it never ends.
Oh...and I still haven't cut my hair. Turns out the hubby wanted to cut the ponytail so now I'm on his time for when he wants to do it. :) But, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Deets
Okay...one more post for the night. As promised, I want to catch everyone up on the specifics of my cancer.
I never found a lump. I actually had some dimpling and my skin looked a little funny but that was it. So I went to the doctor in early December but was told I was fine and to put my mind at ease, I could come back in January to see my original doctor (who was away at a conference at the time). Well, a week passed and there wasn't any changes so I called and got back in to see the doctor. This time, I saw my doctor and she also didn't feel a lump but agreed it was a little suspicious. So I ended up having an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy done on 12/14.
On 12/17 I got a phone call stating that it was Stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer that women get. I can't even begin to try to explain the feeling I had as the doctor was telling me. I could tell he hated this part of his job and he felt really bad having to deliver this news to me. In my head, it was like tunnel vision as I was trying to come to terms with what I was being told but I couldn't deal. I was at work and just broke. My boss actually saw me on the phone and she knew right away. I ended up having to call the doctor back once I was calm because I felt like I had to know everything he did. He told me it was Stage 1 grade 2 (meaning average growth).
The next day I had an appointment with a surgeon and my breast care team. They presented me the facts and Adam was right there with me to take it all in (in case I forgot any of the details). I got to speak with some nurse navigators who were also breast cancer survivors too which I found incredibly encouraging knowing that they made it through all this and knew what I was going through. We also had a breast MRI done that day.
In looking back at that 1st week, the worst part was the waiting. Waiting to find out more information...waiting to see if this was going to kill me....waiting to see if there was more cancer...I was a mess. I didn't want to eat and it took everything I had to keep it together as best as I could. Thankfully Adam has been by my side the whole time. I was also fortunate to have my family supporting me through all of this (yes, that include you in-laws too!). We got the final MRI results back and learned there wasn't any more cancer showing up on the MRI! Yay!
It was around this time that we also learned that the cancer was ER+ and PR+. This has to do with my hormones making the cancer grow and overall is a good factor because there are medications available now to help treat this. I also learned that the cancer was HER2+. This on the other hand is good/bad. It's another indicator on how the cancer grows based on duplicate copies of protein being made. As my surgeon put it, it's bad because it's an indicator for the cancer being more aggressive, but it's good because they also have medication now to help treat this as well. All in all, the way I see it is that we caught it early enough before it had the chance to become really bad. Again, soooo thankful that we caught it when we did.
From there it was a matter of making the decision between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy. With the lumpectomy, they just remove the tumor site and some surrounding healthy tissue whereas a mastectomy they remove almost all of the breast tissue. I was able to get the lumpectomy sooner than the mastectomy because the mastectomy would include reconstruction and we'd then have to coordinate OR time with my surgeon and an plastic surgeon. In speaking with many people, I finally opted for a lumpectomy. I was told, you can always change your mind later and opt for the mastectomy but there's no going back with initially deciding mastectomy. The mastectomy would have been 6-8 weeks out whereas I was able to have my lumpectomy within 11 days from date of diagnosis. If I had it my way though, I would have had them cut it out the day of the consultation.
Surgery was on 12/28. The day of, I was nervous as crap. I was really fortunate though to be able to have an amazing support system. Adam, my family, and so many colleagues from work came to support me. My boss even came to sit with us for 5 hours before we went in to the OR. Prior to having surgery, they had to do what they call wire localization. The doctor who performed my original biopsy had to insert a wire where the tumor was for the surgeon to locate it during surgery and inject a dye that would notify the surgeon which lymph node the breast tissue drains to for the sentinel node biopsy. He numbed the area up and tried to see if he could feel the lump but couldn't. He told me, "I hope you realize the miracle you've had in finding this when you did." I couldn't agree more. No one could feel it, the mammogram didn't show anything due to dense tissue, and we only saw it on the ultrasound. He put the wire in and injected the dye and before I knew it, I was on my way back to the OR. All in all, for as nervous as I was for that part, that was nothing.
In the end, GREAT SUCCESS!!! The surgery went well, and I just woke up kinda loopy. Adam couldn't wait to get me home and was practically dragging me out of the recovery room when we were stopped because I had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair. I don't think I even got all of my discharge paperwork.
About a week later, I got the final pathology report. I had negative margins meaning they got all of the cancer out. They ended up removing 2 lymph nodes under my arm. The first lymph node showed micrometastesis for cancer cell (really really small amount of cancer). The second lymph node was clean. As scary as the lymph node sounds, they were confident enough they got it all that I didn't even need to have more surgery to remove more lymph nodes. Obviously if I had a choice, I wouldn't want cancer in my lymph nodes but this is overall pretty good. The final tumor size was 1.4cm. Final stage was Stage 1B.
So...all in all...prognosis is really good. My team is confident that granted the next year is going to suck but then I'm going to go on living my life.
With the HER2+ and the micrometastesis, the recommendation from my medical oncologist is chemo, radiation, Herceptin, and hormonal therapy. Because of this, we'll be going through IVF before the start of chemo. Needless to say, C-Day (chemo day) starts 2/1 so there is a lot that needs to happen before now and then.
I was told I'm going to lose my hair so to acclimate myself to this, I've decided I'm not going to let cancer own me any more than it already has. I'm going to shave my head when I'm ready to. But....to ease into the process, I'll be cutting my hair tomorrow. Oddly enough it costs more to use your own hair for a wig than someone else's. SO...tomorrow we will be going to a salon and cutting my hair. We'll be sure to post before & after pics :)
I never found a lump. I actually had some dimpling and my skin looked a little funny but that was it. So I went to the doctor in early December but was told I was fine and to put my mind at ease, I could come back in January to see my original doctor (who was away at a conference at the time). Well, a week passed and there wasn't any changes so I called and got back in to see the doctor. This time, I saw my doctor and she also didn't feel a lump but agreed it was a little suspicious. So I ended up having an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy done on 12/14.
On 12/17 I got a phone call stating that it was Stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer that women get. I can't even begin to try to explain the feeling I had as the doctor was telling me. I could tell he hated this part of his job and he felt really bad having to deliver this news to me. In my head, it was like tunnel vision as I was trying to come to terms with what I was being told but I couldn't deal. I was at work and just broke. My boss actually saw me on the phone and she knew right away. I ended up having to call the doctor back once I was calm because I felt like I had to know everything he did. He told me it was Stage 1 grade 2 (meaning average growth).
The next day I had an appointment with a surgeon and my breast care team. They presented me the facts and Adam was right there with me to take it all in (in case I forgot any of the details). I got to speak with some nurse navigators who were also breast cancer survivors too which I found incredibly encouraging knowing that they made it through all this and knew what I was going through. We also had a breast MRI done that day.
In looking back at that 1st week, the worst part was the waiting. Waiting to find out more information...waiting to see if this was going to kill me....waiting to see if there was more cancer...I was a mess. I didn't want to eat and it took everything I had to keep it together as best as I could. Thankfully Adam has been by my side the whole time. I was also fortunate to have my family supporting me through all of this (yes, that include you in-laws too!). We got the final MRI results back and learned there wasn't any more cancer showing up on the MRI! Yay!
It was around this time that we also learned that the cancer was ER+ and PR+. This has to do with my hormones making the cancer grow and overall is a good factor because there are medications available now to help treat this. I also learned that the cancer was HER2+. This on the other hand is good/bad. It's another indicator on how the cancer grows based on duplicate copies of protein being made. As my surgeon put it, it's bad because it's an indicator for the cancer being more aggressive, but it's good because they also have medication now to help treat this as well. All in all, the way I see it is that we caught it early enough before it had the chance to become really bad. Again, soooo thankful that we caught it when we did.
From there it was a matter of making the decision between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy. With the lumpectomy, they just remove the tumor site and some surrounding healthy tissue whereas a mastectomy they remove almost all of the breast tissue. I was able to get the lumpectomy sooner than the mastectomy because the mastectomy would include reconstruction and we'd then have to coordinate OR time with my surgeon and an plastic surgeon. In speaking with many people, I finally opted for a lumpectomy. I was told, you can always change your mind later and opt for the mastectomy but there's no going back with initially deciding mastectomy. The mastectomy would have been 6-8 weeks out whereas I was able to have my lumpectomy within 11 days from date of diagnosis. If I had it my way though, I would have had them cut it out the day of the consultation.
Surgery was on 12/28. The day of, I was nervous as crap. I was really fortunate though to be able to have an amazing support system. Adam, my family, and so many colleagues from work came to support me. My boss even came to sit with us for 5 hours before we went in to the OR. Prior to having surgery, they had to do what they call wire localization. The doctor who performed my original biopsy had to insert a wire where the tumor was for the surgeon to locate it during surgery and inject a dye that would notify the surgeon which lymph node the breast tissue drains to for the sentinel node biopsy. He numbed the area up and tried to see if he could feel the lump but couldn't. He told me, "I hope you realize the miracle you've had in finding this when you did." I couldn't agree more. No one could feel it, the mammogram didn't show anything due to dense tissue, and we only saw it on the ultrasound. He put the wire in and injected the dye and before I knew it, I was on my way back to the OR. All in all, for as nervous as I was for that part, that was nothing.
In the end, GREAT SUCCESS!!! The surgery went well, and I just woke up kinda loopy. Adam couldn't wait to get me home and was practically dragging me out of the recovery room when we were stopped because I had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair. I don't think I even got all of my discharge paperwork.
About a week later, I got the final pathology report. I had negative margins meaning they got all of the cancer out. They ended up removing 2 lymph nodes under my arm. The first lymph node showed micrometastesis for cancer cell (really really small amount of cancer). The second lymph node was clean. As scary as the lymph node sounds, they were confident enough they got it all that I didn't even need to have more surgery to remove more lymph nodes. Obviously if I had a choice, I wouldn't want cancer in my lymph nodes but this is overall pretty good. The final tumor size was 1.4cm. Final stage was Stage 1B.
So...all in all...prognosis is really good. My team is confident that granted the next year is going to suck but then I'm going to go on living my life.
With the HER2+ and the micrometastesis, the recommendation from my medical oncologist is chemo, radiation, Herceptin, and hormonal therapy. Because of this, we'll be going through IVF before the start of chemo. Needless to say, C-Day (chemo day) starts 2/1 so there is a lot that needs to happen before now and then.
I was told I'm going to lose my hair so to acclimate myself to this, I've decided I'm not going to let cancer own me any more than it already has. I'm going to shave my head when I'm ready to. But....to ease into the process, I'll be cutting my hair tomorrow. Oddly enough it costs more to use your own hair for a wig than someone else's. SO...tomorrow we will be going to a salon and cutting my hair. We'll be sure to post before & after pics :)
I'm ready
In thinking of how my life has changed in 1 month: I went from Miss to Mrs., became Aunt Katie, and recieved a breast cancer diagnosis in the span of 5 days. I'll get in to more detail about the cancer later but want to really define what the purpose of this blog is about.
I've learned in this short time that a person's life can change at the drop of a hat. Some times these changes last a life time. It's what you do with these changes and how you let it affect you that help define your perspective and overall outlook in life. For me, I've decided that I'm still Katie. I'm still alive and just like every other hurdle that comes up in life, I'm going to overcome it.
My name is Katie....I'm 27 years old....and on 12/17/12 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope that in writing this blog, I'm able to reach out to others who are going through this and also reach other women on the importance of being aware of your own body. I thought breast cancer was something that happened to women who were in their 40's or who had a family history. I have none. I never did my monthly self breast exams and I didn't even feel a lump....but I'll tell you one thing...cancer found me.
So I've got one thing to say cancer....you want a fight....you've got it!
I've learned in this short time that a person's life can change at the drop of a hat. Some times these changes last a life time. It's what you do with these changes and how you let it affect you that help define your perspective and overall outlook in life. For me, I've decided that I'm still Katie. I'm still alive and just like every other hurdle that comes up in life, I'm going to overcome it.
My name is Katie....I'm 27 years old....and on 12/17/12 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope that in writing this blog, I'm able to reach out to others who are going through this and also reach other women on the importance of being aware of your own body. I thought breast cancer was something that happened to women who were in their 40's or who had a family history. I have none. I never did my monthly self breast exams and I didn't even feel a lump....but I'll tell you one thing...cancer found me.
So I've got one thing to say cancer....you want a fight....you've got it!
Giving Back
Today was a day where I was finally able to do something I've wanted to do for a while now by getting more involved with volunteer work. Even with everything that has been going on this past month, this was a nice distraction back to "normal". We volunteered at a Homeless Veterans standdown at the DC VAMC today.
I cannot explain the reality check this event put me in seeing the men and women who once served our country in need of our help. The volunteers and services there really do care about the men and women trying to help them get these veterans off the streets and improve their overall quality of life. Seeing the hundreds of volunteers and services taking time out of their Saturday to come together and work as a team to help these veterans was nothing short of admirable. Overall....great success! It makes me realize that no matter what you may have going on in your life, it's always important to be sure to give back to the world and do something to help your fellow mankind.
What could you do today to make a difference in the lives of other's?
I cannot explain the reality check this event put me in seeing the men and women who once served our country in need of our help. The volunteers and services there really do care about the men and women trying to help them get these veterans off the streets and improve their overall quality of life. Seeing the hundreds of volunteers and services taking time out of their Saturday to come together and work as a team to help these veterans was nothing short of admirable. Overall....great success! It makes me realize that no matter what you may have going on in your life, it's always important to be sure to give back to the world and do something to help your fellow mankind.
What could you do today to make a difference in the lives of other's?
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