When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer I quickly found out that I was going to have things relatively easy. In less than three weeks from my diagnosis I had a lumpectomy which removed a very small, low-grade tumor and almost certainly removed every trace of the cancer. This past Monday I started the radiation that will makeContinue reading “Taking it Easy with Radiation”
Tag Archives: breast cancer
Diagnosis – Those First Moments of Breast Cancer
I wrote this Reader’s Opinion for the “Pink Edition” of the Idaho Statesman October 2, 2013 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Do something. Anything. Make the cancer go away. What will I have to endure – will they chop off my breasts, make me ingest toxic drugs, poke me and prod me and stick meContinue reading “Diagnosis – Those First Moments of Breast Cancer”
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The Princess and the Cancer Pea
Once upon a time there was a princess in Boise, ID. We know she is a princess because she has so many advantages. She works for a Fortune 50 company that provides excellent health care and whose culture encourages strong support of employees as they go through hard times. She owns a nice house in theContinue reading “The Princess and the Cancer Pea”
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No Coffee? Just Because of Surgery? Geez.
Friday I had a fun filled day starting with NO COFFEE. Oh, and a lot of poking and prodding and a little surgery. Less than a month after getting my breast cancer diagnosis I had a 1.3 cm lump (about the size of the tip of my index finger) removed from my left breast. IContinue reading “No Coffee? Just Because of Surgery? Geez.”
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Nuclear Blue
Friday as part of my lumpectomy they took out two lymph nodes to check for any spread of the cancer. They are called “sentinel nodes” and are found via radiation. After they inserted a “localization” wire in my left breast to guide the surgeon to the tumor they took a couple of mammogram pictures, putContinue reading “Nuclear Blue”
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Curing Cancer with Donations
It’s natural to want to donate to something, to offer to help “fix things” when someone is sick or injured. But how do you pick who gets your time or money? Do you give to a local charity? One of the big names? Something directly related to and as specific as possible to the illness? SomethingContinue reading “Curing Cancer with Donations”
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Serenity for Surgery
Surgery. The word seems to terrify a lot of people but I’m fascinated, kind of like River Tam reading Shepherd Book’s book. I tried to get them to agree to take pictures during the procedure but haven’t had any luck with that so far. I asked if I could stay awake and watch but that is apparentlyContinue reading “Serenity for Surgery”
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A Boobtastic MRI Experience
Today I had my first ever MRI – in this case a boobtastic MRI. They’re using the MRI to look for blood supplies in both of my breasts. Cancers need a lot of blood to grow and thrive so that’s why MRIs are used in cancer screening – they look for unexpected blood supplies. However, many other things canContinue reading “A Boobtastic MRI Experience”
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Climbing the Tree of Life
This week I got news that most will take as bad. But there are some very good things about it. I may have cancer, but it’s a very non-aggressive, easily treatable type. We caught it early and have a solid treatment plan that should completely remove it. There are a few test results we’re waitingContinue reading “Climbing the Tree of Life”
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Don’t Be Sorry
Don’t be sorry. There are so many ways to look at that. Don’t be sorry you did something yourself. Don’t feel sorry for someone else. Don’t dwell on the negative…. Right now I just want you to avoid telling me you’re sorry. I want to hear “hey – it’s going to be alright” or “you’reContinue reading “Don’t Be Sorry”
