October 18th will always be, "The Day I Was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer"

How do I feel one year after

being diagnosed with breast cancer?

Tired
Empathetic

Concerned

Scared

Confused

Banged-up

AND

Relieved

Thankful

Proud

Empowered

Better
Stronger

Unbreakable
Unstoppable
Blessed

Awareness: What Does it Mean?

My first blog post was October 9, 2012. It's been a full year since this journey started. Wow!

Where to begin?

My friend starts chemo this week. She is jealous that I didn't have to do chemo or lose my hair. However, she had a nipple-sparing mastectomy and I am totally jealous of her reduced-scarring. And I have major nipple envy. It's hard to believe that two breast cancer warriors could possibly be envious of each others outcome - although both prognosis are relatively positive. The fact is that awareness goes far deeper than mammograms and self-exams. No one knows what we really go through. There are so many things that the pink ribbon doesn't tell you about breast cancer.

Nipples: Tattoo or reconstruct? Or both?

Lymphodema

Port surgery

Oncotypes, Genes and Hormones

Expanders

Fat grafting

The sad side nod people do when they say, "How are you? Or "You look great."

The neglected caregiver and the tough job they take on.

No wires/No bras

These are just a few...

I just can't seem to express how "Pinktober" makes me feel. I have been trying to formulate a witty blog-worthy response to this pink fest for 8 days now. Each time I go to put my feelings on "paper" I get upset and put my blog aside. But thankfully, just like so many other occasions this last year, I am able to rely on a survivor sister to summarize for me. Because she really nailed it. God Bless her for helping me out with some great content and sparing me another night of emotional writers block.

http://cancerinmythirties.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/national-no-bra-day-and-breast-cancer-awareness-month-or-please-put-that-pink-can-of-soup-down-put-your-bra-back-on/

My dear friends...If you really want to help, please consider making a donation to For 3 Sisters. (www.For3Sisters.com) I am proud to serve on their Board of Directors because I know exactly where the money goes...real support for local families, just like mine, during their breast cancer journey.

Shout Out to the Gold Ribbon

It's October.

It's breast cancer awareness month.

And I will be sharing my feelings on what it means to be "aware."

But before I do, I want to give a shout out to the Gold Ribbon.

Did you know that September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?
Did you post a yellow ribbon on your Facebook page?
Did you see any football players wearing yellow ribbons on their jersey? Probably not...but why? I thought we were all so "aware"?

The Gold Ribbon supports awareness for childhood cancers and it doesn't get a fraction of the press that the Pink Ribbon gets. And I've said it a million times before...I am an adult, I can handle God's plan for me and my breast cancer diagnosis...but if Jack or McKenna were to be diagnosed with cancer; my world would come to a screeching halt. I can't imaging anything worse than watching your child suffer. Bullying, adolescence, school, friends...they can all make a child's life difficult at times (and as parents it makes our heart ache) but the thought of my child not getting to experience any of those things because they are fighting for their life...well, that thought is just too much to bear.

The Gold Ribbon and all of the kids out there that are fighting to see tomorrow - THEY deserve more. We need to be more aware of them and what we need to do for them. So please, be aware...it's not just the "ta-ta's" that need to be saved.

www.TheTruth365.org

Cancer sucks. And the little warriors need you too.