Bras for a Cause

Tonight I had the opportunity to share my cancer experience with the real estate women along the Wasatch Front. 

I was overwhelmed and humbled when our good friend Sophie asked if I would speak. My sweet husband introduced me at the event and he made a few people cry as they heard him talk about watching me go through hard things and the inability to fix my situation and alleviate the pain. 

I spoke for about 15 minutes with the hope to encourage women to get their mammograms. 

I spoke about the hard things we all experience in our lives and how being brave like a boxer helps us get in the ring and fight. 

I was followed up by 12 male models in bras that were being auctioned off to raise funds for breast cancer. 

After the event I was approached by another nonprofit group that asked if I would speak at their upcoming function. Again I was humbled. Joey and I want to share our message and create a positive outlook when people are faced with cancer. Perhaps we have found an avenue where we can pay it forward and show gratitude for all that has been done for us during this experience. 

Thank you to my family for listening to my talk and my friends at work for their counsel and advice. Thank you to some dear friends who came to the event to support me. I love you! And I hope that everyone that is facing challenges right now will remember that they can win their fight.... Just don't give up!

Spring Renewal

I feel like the spring weather has given me a needed boost. Today was a long day. Echocardiogram at 8 am..... They have to check your heart to make sure the Herceptin and chemo didn't damage it.... Results still pending. I met with my oncologist and all was well except I do have a small lump near my left armpit. For now I'm not to worry about that...... Yeah right! 

I had another infusion of Herceptin and then had radiation. Radiation is going smoothly except that I am very tired. I go to bed at 7 pm almost every night. 

Tender gifts like the edible bouquet from my dear cousin Shondell and dinner from my visiting teacher. 

I love this time of year. It helps to have the spring remind me that we can have fresh starts after gloomy days. I'm ready to be stronger and excited for happy days ahead. 4 more weeks of radiation. 

Check out my hair:

Spring Break

This Spring Break we found ourselves without any kids and we decided to use the weekend for a quick vacation before radiation. I was feeling better after my last chemo and we decided that some time in the sun was just what we needed so we took off and headed to Vegas! We had an incredible view from our room. 

We had some nice dinners and slept in. We spent time by the pool and on Sunday we were offered a cabana courtesy of the hotel. I guess it was a slow day and I was a bald lady at the pool!!! It was amazing!

We also took the opportunity to go see Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil. And since we are huge MJ fans we thoroughly enjoyed the show! 

It was a wonderful escape and coming back to a snowy Wasatch Front was miserable. I loved the warm weather and I am ready for spring weather. 

Oh and I had a big win in a slot machine:

Yup! I won $576!! Of course half of that was spent at Costco upon my return to being a mom. 

And so begins the next phase

Last Thursday I met with Gamma West for me prep work for my radiation treatments. This required a CT scan and forming a mold that will be used every day for the next six weeks. And they gave me three tattoos that resemble moles that help them line up my body each day for radiation. So now I can act super tough since I have three tattoos!! I was so excited that my mom had driven me out to this appointment so I could go out promptly and tell her that I was all "tatted" up! She was so proud! I often find myself talking in gangster vocabulary because I am so tough! My reward for the day was a "mini" shake from iceberg. They were not mini.

And today was the first day of the actual process. They start by having you get draped in a "mamo-cape".

And then I entered the radiation room and had to leave Joey in the waiting room.  I had visions of the old movie "Project X" from when I was a young girl. Remember Matthew Broderick working with the chimps that they exposed to radiation to see if they could still fly the planes. And then I pictured the chimp, Bluebeard, saving the day as he was radiated to death as I lay down on the bed getting ready to enter the machine... willingly!

They started with pictures again to make sure the CT from today lined up with the CT from last Thursday. Then the doctor analyzes the alignment and they run you back into the machine for a 15-20 minute radiation procedure. All this time I have been on my back with both my arms over my head holding onto handlebars that are fixed to the bed. This may sound simple but holding still for that long was not easy. And to have my left arm up that high after having 22 lymph nodes removed wasn't comfortable. I wasn't sure if I would make it through.... It felt like the longest time period ever. And the room was freezing cold. My muscles in my left shoulder started to spasm towards the end of the treatment. And during this treatment you have this sound like a fast typewriter going around your body. I tried to count how many times and soon realized that was futile. But it is done and over and I'm good to go until tomorrow. I came home and put castor oil all over my skin that received treatment. How odd is that! The doctor recommends using this on my skin. Do you know how hard it is to find castor oil in a RiteAid? But I'm ready and I shouldn't have side effects for a few weeks. So other than driving to Salt Lake every day this well be a breeze!