One day you feel a lump in your boob. Machines create images, doctors test a chunk. It’s cancer. People say you’re a survivor the moment you announce your diagnosis. You think, “huh? What’d I do?” Treatment begins in early May and concludes in late December. Start the new year clean, you think. Through it all …
Are you surprised? I am. Après cancer is a series of milestones. One year since my first chemo! One year since my last chemo! I have come to the conclusion that my cancer-free status dates from my lumpectomy, when Doctor Superman removed those bad lymph nodes and the clip to show where Turdy once lay …
Yesterday I had surgery to remove the medi-port that was installed a year ago ahead of chemo. Since then I’ve had six rounds of chemo, multiple echocardiograms, 11 infusions of Herceptin, a lumpectomy and lymphnode takey-outy, 30 sessions of radiation, a bone density test, I don’t remember how many MRIs and blood tests and zillions …
A year ago today I got a life-changing phone call. I had infiltrating ductal carcinoma: breast cancer. It’s sort of a sad anniversary. I feel in a way as if I lost a year of my life (along with my hair, a chunk of boob, my fertility, and a few lymph nodes). But at the …
My friends and scholars at Not Your Mama’s Gamer are streaming Video games on Twitch and taking donations for the National Breast Cancer Foundation which provides mammogram, education and support for women in need. 80% of donations goes directly to help patients–compare that to some other breast cancer charities! Click here to learn more and …
I’ve been meaning for months now to write a post about how similar cancer and pregnancy are. Basically, your body isn’t your own, people are amazingly supportive, there is a ton of literature and personal stories of friends and acquaintances to take place of statistics and the unknowable. I was going to be much more …
It is done. What began with a lump almost one year ago is finally over. From the diagnosis Through six rounds of chemotherapy Surgery on my breast and lymphnodes and 30 doses of radiation, this blog has been a place for me to collect my thoughts, sort out how I felt about what was happening to …
I haven’t been very good about updating during radiation. The fact is, for the first three weeks, everything was gravy. I got up in the morning, got the kid off to school, read the paper, did the crossword, played games on my phone for a while, then drove the hospital, got zapped, drove home. NBD. …
Complete Remission. Hooray, right? When did this happen?! Oh wow! Here’s the thing: I posted those two magical words on Facebook over a week ago. And one of my friends commented “I can’t wait for the triumphant blog post.” So, I’ve been waiting to feel triumphant and have come to the conclusion that…it ain’t gonna …
I had my 13th radiation session today, but “dirty dozen” is much more clickable than “baker’s dozen,” don’t you think? I met with Dr. Spiderman on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and he asked me, “So, how is radiation going? Is it better or worse than you thought it would be?” And I told him …
Trixieland 