Preliminary Results

You guys are so amazing,  I truly have a community of love.

I have been blessed with more phone calls, text messages, messenger messages, comments, and hugs than I can count.  My church is dedicating a rosary for me tonight, I have been told by so many of you that you have added me to your prayer lists.  I am more thankful than you could possibly imagine.  Each and every prayer means so much to me.

I know that I was wrapped in prayer because I was able to continue to place one foot in front of the other, I could literally feel the love pouring over me.

This afternoon, while I was having lunch with my precious children my surgeon texted me. 

"The preliminary results are in, the lymph node was reactive - but shows no sign of cancer."

I can breathe, my husband can breathe - it's truly a big beautiful sigh of relief.  My mom cried, right in the middle of getting her oil changed.  My daddy and Pat are celebrating in joy.  I have delighted in the texts and messages from friends.  I am so truly thankful.

Cancer is a war that is not won with one battle.  My fighting did not end when chemo ended, and will continue.  I will continue to be an advocate and an informer.  I will continue to share my story with transparency in hopes of educating and inspiring others.

I am sending you all love and light.  Please continue to keep us in your hearts, please pray for a cure for all cancers.  Keep my beautiful mermaid Sawyer in your prayers, she is at St. Jude now.

This week has been terrifying, I am grateful to all of you for loving me through it.

Please also keep my sweet Tommy surrounded in love and light. He is having surgery tomorrow and I pray for the surgeon to have skilled hands and the healing process to be quick and painless.

I truly cannot thank you enough. 

Go be the change in the world.  Give smiles, love, and laughter whenever possible.  Tell the people you love how much they mean to you.

#fightlikeamommy
#itisstillmyfairytale

My Yearly Checkup

We could call this the “before” picture.  I snapped it moments before my lovely surgeon and her medical student came in for my yearly exam.  I was super excited to post it when I left the appointment this morning declaring another wonderful checkup.

But, that’s not what I’m doing, at least not yet.

Dr. Stephen's found a small lump, on my cancer side. Uncomfortably close to the previous cancer site.

With surreal speed she rolled over the ultrasound machine and passed it over my breast to show both the student and I what she felt, an enlarged lymph node.

An enlarged lymph node could mean anything, really and truly anything – and it could also mean THAT THING. 

So, we did a Core Needle Biopsy.  She took two samples and placed a clip so she could find the area later.  Hopefully, we will know results on Friday. 

I am not kidding when I tell you that the waiting is the worst, like truly the worst.  The pain is also not much fun.  

I laughed a little when I re-read the aftercare instructions.  They read that there may be “some tenderness,” this is much like the Neulasta commercial saying that you may feel “some bone pain.”

For right now we are all in a little state of shock, this is not at all what I thought would come of today’s appointment. 

You are all my prayer warriors and my well wishers, and now that this news has settled in and the waiting begins I wanted to update you so you can keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers.  

Tommy & Elayna do not know, I don’t want them to worry unless we need to.

Go be the good in the world, hug your babies, tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Go to an animal shelter or rescue organization. Find your tribe, love them hard.  Most importantly, know your body.  Early detection saves lives.

Sending you all love and light.

#fightlikeamommy

#itisstillmyfairytale