It's been a pretty tough last couple of weeks for me. Between the intensity of the diagnostic process and the flurry of the holidays, I have been pushing though on a lot of adrenaline. Things have finally settled down, and life has gone back to normal. Except my new normal feels sort of terrifying, bleak, … Continue reading The Hard Days
The Ibrance Dance
Yesterday, I started a new medication - Ibrance. It's a new class of drugs called CDK 4/6 inhibitors, that was only very recently approved by the FDA. I take it every morning for 3 weeks with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, and then have one week off. Each month is a "cycle" on the drug. Truthfully, … Continue reading The Ibrance Dance
A Few Updates
I've been on my initial treatment medications for nearly a month now. So far, the Letrozole hasn't been too bad - I haven't noticed many side effects, other than feeling more tired than normal, and I still have a bit of pain. I've also been experiencing a lot of hot flashes as a result of … Continue reading A Few Updates
Breast Cancer 101: What is Breast Cancer?
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew almost nothing about it. For all of the pink ribbons out there, all of the breast cancer awareness to be spread, I don't think I was alone in having a fairly poor understanding of this disease. The biggest component to breast cancer awareness is breast cancer education, … Continue reading Breast Cancer 101: What is Breast Cancer?
The Hardest Decision I Didn’t Get to Make
Coming to terms with the loss of my fertility has been one of the most difficult parts of my breast cancer diagnosis. My cancer is estrogen-receptor positive, which means that any estrogen in my body fuels tumor growth. Unfortunately, a pregnancy creates a tremendous amount of estrogen in a woman's body. After my original diagnosis, I … Continue reading The Hardest Decision I Didn’t Get to Make
The Most Important Step
When faced with a diagnosis like mine, you find coping mechanisms where you can. In the first few weeks, I kept trying to stay busy by cleaning and organizing our house, but often would get overwhelmed with all of the little things that needed to be done. The house repairs. The dust in the bathroom … Continue reading The Most Important Step
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What type of cancer do you have? What stage is it? I have metastatic breast cancer in my right breast. I was diagnosed on November 9, 2017. It is invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer. It is estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), which means that my cancer feeds on estrogen in my body. … Continue reading Frequently Asked Questions
A New Beginning
At long last, we have a treatment plan. On Monday, Christian and I met with my Oncologist, Dr. G, at the Cancer Center. It was such an incredibly nerve-wracking few days leading up to the appointment. I was terrified of more bad news, more uncertainty, more tests. I didn't know what to expect, but I … Continue reading A New Beginning
Waiting
It's been a challenging week. Last Saturday, we got our first snow of the season. It was beautiful to watch the ground become blanketed with white. Christian and I took Felix outside for a snowball fight, and his laughs and rosy cheeks were positively life-affirming. But, like so many activities, these days, I was also … Continue reading Waiting
Survivor Letters
In the wake of this diagnosis, I have felt a tremendous sense of loneliness, fear, and isolation. But I have also felt a very renewed sense of purpose. To that end, I have started a new project. I am calling it Survivor Letters. Today marks one month of life with cancer. The first month of the … Continue reading Survivor Letters
