When I started my breast cancer journey more than 12 years ago, I had to get through a lot. Everyone who has breast cancer has to get through a lot. Breast cancer is just a lot. Actually, any cancer is just a lot. And it is a lot to deal with. I wrote my way through breast cancer with all of you, and like a lot of breast cancer survivors, I ended up with a second cancer. That second cancer is skin cancer. Skin cancer is no joke. I started having regular dermatology appointments because that’s what my oncologist told me I needed to do going forward after being treated for breast cancer with ra ..read more

Well, here we are in 2024. As I have said, every year repeatedly, what a long, strange trip it has been. But I’m still here to tell the tale. My mammogram will be sometime in June, and other than that I see my oncologist in a few months for a check in. My hair is growing in underneath in the back where I had the post cancer reconstruction surgery last fall. I will be completely neurotic about sunscreen and hats this year and going forward. I had always been pretty devoted to keeping myself covered but skin cancer happens. Recently, I got a note from Penn Medicine about genetic testing. I cont ..read more

When I started my breast cancer journey more than 12 years ago, I had to get through a lot. Everyone who has or has had breast cancer has to get through a lot. Breast cancer is just that way, but actually, any cancer is just a lot. And it is a lot to deal with. I wrote my way through breast cancer with all of you, and like a lot of breast cancer survivors, I ended up with a second cancer. That second cancer is skin cancer. Skin cancer is no joke. I started having regular dermatology appointments because that’s what my oncologist told me I needed to do going forward after being treated for bre ..read more

Hello readers. It’s been a while. I was chugging along, living my life enjoying not having medical bills for once, and then life happened. A visit with the dermatologist a few short weeks ago found more skin cancer. I think skin cancer is officially my second cancer after breast cancer. You know how women talk about getting other cancers after breast cancer? Mine is skin cancer. I’m feeling a little stormy about it right now emotionally. I’m also dog tired after a day yesterday that was kind of long. I will start with the dermatology visit as in the regular dermatologist. My original dermatol ..read more

As you know this year, I had my oncology appointment before the official mammogram. And the reason that is my health insurance won’t move my appointment up if it’s not the official one year since the last mammogram. Because God forbid if any health insurance company actually have to pay for an extra freaking test. Yes, Independence Blue Cross, I’m speaking about you. Because we’re not talking weeks or months we’re talking a matter of days to the last mammogram anniversary. It’s utterly ridiculous. This was my first regular mammogram as in not a diagnostic just a regular old screening mammogra ..read more

12 years ago today I think I was at this literal time getting ready to be put in post op after breast cancer surgery or already there. I still remember the pearls and leopard patten leather clogs that my surgeon Dr. Dahlia Sataloff was wearing. I had almost forgotten today was the day until another friend of mine who lives with metastatic breast cancer remarked that today was her 84th treatment. She is quite simply one of the bravest women I know. I met her because her husband was a long time friend of mine, and I still remember when he contacted me to tell me his wife had breast cancer. I wo ..read more

12 years ago, I started this blog. 12 years and two 2 days ago, I received a diagnosis of invasive lobular breast cancer. So it’s been 12 years one breast cancer, surgery, one full hysterectomy, two knee surgeries, a handful of Mohs surgeries for skin cancer and here I am. Lately I have been thinking about the years. They have flown by. I am one of the lucky ones. When I began this journey, I was an observer of a sisterhood I admired, but wasn’t yet a part of. And if I am honest, it’s still not the sisterhood any woman would choose. It’s like it chooses us whether by genetics or fate. When I ..read more

Penn Medicine, Radnor PA Today was my regular oncology appointment. All good here and NED (No Evidence of Disease) is still my friend! June 1 will be 12 years. Today I had a graduation of sorts, my oncologist released me for annual appointments versus every six months. I truly love my oncologist I think he’s awesome. His name is Dr. Lee P Hartner and he is at Penn Medicine if you’re interested. Dr. Hartner has been a slow and steady constant and rock throughout this whole process. And he has amazing nurses. How I ended up with him is he was the oncologist my surgeon, Dr. Dahlia Sataloff sugges ..read more

I posted the following on someone’s cancer timeline about those voluminous and far too frequent Facebook posts about people with cancer: “Hi – I read the post all the way through. I am an 11 year + survivor of one, and do battle with another cancer that people take for granted. However, I am not sharing this post because well, it’s too negative. I have deliberately chosen to be positive in the face of a very negative disease and live my life as best as possible because I figure that we are all a long time dead. If you want to be helpful of those who have or have had cancer, be positive for T ..read more

Ten long but pretty darn good post breast cancer years is drawing to a close. It somehow seems inconceivable for 10 years have gone by so quickly, and then I have been so lucky. And I have been. Friday was my last oncology appointment for 2021. And I spent a wee bit of time in the chemo/infusion lounge waiting for my flu shot. While I was in the chemo lounge waiting for my flu shot there was first of all the lady across the way from me who was talking on her cell phone about some man and all the child support he owed, and how long he was going to have to work. Next there was this little tiny ..read more