Tag: mastectomy
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April 30, 2018…
can you remember what you did that day? Four years ago today I heard the words that forever changed me. Without so much as a glance my way, a surgeon opened a file and began to tell me the results of my biopsy. “You have cancer.” ” Excuse me, I have what?????!!!!” That scene, even…
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World Cancer Day…
…or everyday when you’ve been diagnosed. April 30, 2018 was the day my life changed forever. It’s the day that my world was turned upside down. It’s the day I heard the words “YOU HAVE CANCER”. I was thrust into a new world that would forever be changed. Everything from that point on was categorized…
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Hit Me With Your Best Shot
…actually I’ll take any shot thank you! Yes, I’ve had my second dose; woohoo. My first vaccine was Astrazenica and my second was Moderna. I had a reaction to both vaccines; fever, aches, pains and extreme fatigue, but it only lasted a few days and the symptoms disappeared as quickly as they came on. I…
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Is that a light at the end of the tunnel…
… or is it a train coming at me!?!?! Sometimes I wonder! Today, after over a year of waiting, I saw a doctor that deals with chronic pain. I met with her to be interviewed and assessed to see if I meet the criteria to start having intravenous IV treatments of a drug called Ketamine.…
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Spring Forward…Fall Way Back
It’s that time of year when the clocks go back an hour. It’s darker in the mornings and darker earlier at night. And for me it feels darker all the time. When I was a kid; and having just had a birthday this week, I can assure you I am no longer a kid; I…
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I’ve grown accustom to wearing a mask
“How are you doing?” It’s a question we ask and get asked constantly. “I’m fine.” is a typical answer, at least for me. Saying I’m “fine” is just so much easier than actually divulging how I’m really feeling. “I’m fine,” makes it easier to move on with the conversation and really, it’s such a standard…
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I’m not chronically ill… I’m medically interesting!
This week I had a “catch up” call with my family doctor. I haven’t seen her in months as she isn’t seeing patients in person due to Covid-19. I had to bring her up to speed on how I am feeling. She had scheduled the call for ten minutes. Let’s just say it went a…
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I’ll take Breast Cancer for $1000 Alex
Since my diagnosis April 30 I haven’t stopped reading every article, blog, book and tweet I can find about breast cancer. I never knew there were so many types of breast cancer, seven I believe. And although I am certainly no expert, I joke with my family and friends that I could go on Jeopardy…
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If not for the kindness of strangers
I have now joined a club I never wanted to be a member. No one does. But I will pay my dues, do my time and then drop out as quickly as possible. Actually that’s not true. Yes, I want to resign the post “I have cancer” and replace it with “I survived cancer”, but…
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A matching pair
A week later I was meeting with the reconstructive/plastic surgeon assigned to my team. Just so we are clear, breast reconstruction is not a boob job. Reconstruction of your breasts after mastectomy is a long process. In fact, the plastic surgeon said it will take another nine months after my mastectomy scars heal. So this…
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My boobs are in good hands
Waiting to meet my new surgeon was a completely different experience. There was none of the angst of waiting for a diagnosis. I knew what that was…I have breast cancer…so tell me what’s next, PLEASE. The door of the examining room opened and in came one of the most energetic, confident and enthusiastic people I’ve…
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April 30…excuse me…I have what ?
I got the call on Friday to say the surgeon wants to see me. She had my biopsy report. I knew that things probably weren’t great. I was expecting to hear that I had an infection or maybe a cyst. It was now Monday. I had spent the weekend trying not to think about the…
Sorry, I Don't Have Time For Cancer 