One year ago, I did a routine self breast-exam. It could have saved my life. Do me a favor, tomorrow morning when you step into the shower, please do the same. If you're not sure how to do it, below are several websites with information including video that will walk you through the process. Stay safe, my loved ones! https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam https://youtu.be/nkPR4ar1EQ4 https://youtu.be/TTmp-uw8mLo https://youtu.be/clOEgvgUxfk ..read more

One year ago, I did a routine self breast-exam. It could have saved my life. Do me a favor, tomorrow morning when you step into the shower, please do the same. If you're not sure how to do it, below are several websites with information including video that will walk you through the process. Stay safe, my loved ones! https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam https://youtu.be/nkPR4ar1EQ4 https://youtu.be/TTmp-uw8mLo https://youtu.be/clOEgvgUxfk ..read more

https://youtu.be/6jtFrOuPrMA Today is my last day of cancer treatment. I marked the occasion with the ceremonial ringing of the bell. I've been waiting for this moment. Treatment started on April 15 and now that it's December 15th it feels good that these nine months are behind me. I got a little misty eyed as I drove away from the oncology center. I thought about the people I've met over time, even those who may have never gotten the opportunity to ring the bell. There are days when I feel like the time went by fast and other days where it seemed to drag on endlessly. It also isn't lost on me ..read more

Here's what you get from radiation treatment. I called it a burn, but it's more like a really weird shaped tan. It doesn't hurt at all. I was surprised I was experiencing it so high above my breast, but it's due to the lymph nodes needing treatment too. And yes, I'm applying aloe vera and one other recommended cream ..read more

Today I had my port removed -- that device placed inside my chest which was attached to my artery. It allowed quick access for chemo infusions and blood withdraws. I was a bit nervous because it seemed like this procedure should take place at a hospital under anesthesia (as was the insertion of it), not a doctor's office. So I watched a couple of YouTube videos to see what was involved. I found the videos both terrifying and a relief. It did take away the mystery, but was hard to watch. Here's a link to one of those videos for those who don't mind watching a surgery: https://www.youtube.com/w ..read more

I had my first radiation treatment today. I lay on a table with my arms over my head while they played music from the 70s as mechanical sounds of the radiation machine pass over my body. I had a sleep mask over my eyes to protect me from the bright red lights. I felt no pain and in 10-minutes time it was over. After, I walked back to the women's dressing room, remove my gown and store it in the cubby they've assigned to me with my name on it. That pretty much describes my routine for the next six weeks. It's a total of 33 radiation treatments. I was told that starting as early as next week th ..read more

I wrote an essay about my cancer experience. It was published on Shondaland.com, which is the online magazine of Shonda Rhimes' (creator of Grey's Anatomy & Scandal). I was thrilled when they contacted me and am excited about how many people my story will reach through their platform. You can check it out at the link below (quick note - a stock photo was used for the article ..read more

Today was my first physical therapy appointment. I’m doing four in total. Primarily the focus was on the fluid which has built up underneath my arm pit. This happened because of the surgery I had which removed my formerly cancerous tumor along with three lymph nodes. Lymph nodes don’t like to be messed with. As I mentioned in a previous post, lymphedema (build-up of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under your skin) is no joke and can be a life-long issue. You don't want to Google those images. Thankfully, since I only had three lymph nodes removed, I was told I shouldn’t have much of an ..read more

Surgery – My lumpectomy scar is healing nicely, as is the scar where they removed my lymph nodes. What I didn’t know and wish I was warned about (or I should have done research before the surgery) is that there is a different type of recovery when you have lymph nodes removed. My right arm from my elbow through my shoulder is sensitive. It's hard to describe how it feels or doesn't feel as some parts are numb. It can take months to recover. Also, I lost all feelings in my arm pit. I’m told that I may never regain sensation in that region. There’s also a build-up of fluid in the area. It’s cal ..read more

My surgeon called with good news. The lab work shows there's no cancer left in my body. This is called "pathologic complete response” (pCR) and it's what everyone hopes for after chemo and surgery. Having a pCR lowers my chance of recurrence. Women with triple negative breast cancer are 4 times more likely to experience a recurrence within 5 years of diagnosis compared with all other types of breast cancer. So I'm grateful that my odds got a whole lot better. Also, I've been off steroids for five days and my cough has not returned. Two good pieces of news for a Wednesday morning ..read more