Sending healing thoughts this holiday season

@lisakinpa,

Your positive attitude and acceptance of where you are now, is so helpful! Your words can express hope to others who are just beginning their journey with cancer.

I wish you a happy new year!

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@lisakinpa My have my first AC chemo session tomorrow morning and it’s hard to believe it’s a holiday week. We’re (meaning my husband and I) are as ready as we’ll ever be. It’ll be good to get one behind us instead of continuing to think about and prepare. Thanks for your encouragement. It make me feel less alone.

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Hello @lisakinpa

I appreciate your lovely message and the reminder to take it one breath at a time and to give thanks. What a great message for the holidays! I'm sure that getting a breast cancer diagnosis during the holidays was difficult and this time of year undoubtedly brings back many memories.

How are you doing now?

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Thank you for asking. I’m doing well. I still see both my oncologist and breast surgeon every six months along with having the routine bloodwork. I’m told this is the standard of care until the five year mark. Then we’ll switch to yearly appointments.

I’m back to having my yearly screening mammogram which, actually, was rather a surprise to me. I thought as a breast cancer survivor I would now receive diagnostic mammograms rather than the screening. But once again, I’m told that this is the standard of care confirmed by the American College of Radiology.

Fortunately, because I use the medical center’s portal, I usually receive the results the same day. Still can be a nerve wracking experience. I guess it always will.

And lastly, I have Zometa infusions every six months to protect against bone loss while taking an aromatase inhibitor.

I have the occasional aches and pains but at 64, most of that is normal.

I am a strong believer in having a healthy diet and exercise. I walk a lot and also love Zumba although I take a low impact class.

There are times when I fear a recurrence but I tend to think that “it is what it is.” I’m doing everything I can to ward off a recurrence but will face it just as I did before if or when it happens. ♥️

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Last Christmas my daughter was engaged and a week later we were exchanging the words “ Happy New Year”, looking ahead at 10 months of wedding plans. But 4 days into the New Year I was diagnosed with IDC /2 node positive. A “good”ONCOTYPE suggested no benefit to chemotherapy… (so I was to keep my hair for my daughters wedding). She offered to postpone her timeline but I said absolutely not! We are going to live our lives as well as taking care of them.

I had a unilateral mastectomy and beginning reconstruction mid February … exchange surgery in
July. Beginning month 10 of Aromatase with very mild and lessening side effects. I do worry about bone loss so I’ll have a DEXA at one year to assess.

A BC survivor whom I befriended just as I was diagnosed and she was completing a bilateral exchange surgery offered me these words , “ looking back it wasn’t so bad”. WOW!

Those words, uttered by a complete stranger, became my shining light and shifted my fear. I focused on each task at hand and looked forward to “ looking back” with her.

Here I am, looking at a New Year, and “looking back” at 2022. Of course the journey is ongoing but I made it through a traumatic medical year. The diagnosis was the most traumatic aspect for me.

And there were also many joys along the way. And we had the most wonderful wedding for my daughter in September.

Congratulations to all of us for making it through this year and years before and “ looking back” together.

For those of us who are beginning our journey now, stay focused, stay strong, educate yourself and advocate for yourself. It’s a tough road right now but I look forward to looking back with you! 🌸

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I know exactly how you feel. You’ll feel better once your treatment plan begins.

Be sure to eat a light healthy breakfast with some protein before you leave.

Be sure to listen to any post treatment instructions (your husband can help) or they should give you a printout of all instructions post chemo.

With A/C chemo, be proactive with anti nausea medications. Don’t wait and suffer.

For most of us that took A/C chemo, the hardest days are days 2-4.

Try to start moving around when you feel you can to get the blood circulating to your organs. They’re working overtime!

Know that you’ll get through it and will be okay. Don’t fight the chemo but see it as a means to help you.

And enjoy your Benedryl nap. Don’t fight it but instead, relax. ♥️🙏♥️

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