March 16, 2023
How is it already March?! Time is flying by, for the first time since last April. We have been doing really good! Life is starting to get back to normal but with a totally different outlook on how we live and approach things.
Happenings since the last post. Overall, we’ve been able to go out for dinner dates, enjoy dinners with family and I’ve been able to get back to training, which is loosely paused for the next week or so since I had my reconstructive surgery. But, here is what we missed sharing since end of January.
February 3: I was invited to be our niece, Livie’s special person at school. Not only was this a highlight for her, but it melted my heart and made me so proud that 1) I could be there for her and 2) that I was at a point in this journey where I could do something on my own and it didn’t involve a doctors visit or surgery. Plus, it was fun to get her out of school early and take her on a shopping spree at Target and to meet Chris for lunch.
February 7: My gtube (feeding tube) was finally removed! This was a huge win. To see how far I had come in a 3 month period (from when it was first placed – 11/3/22) made us ecstatic. Talk about a super unattractive/annoying piece of equipment, but it opened up not only my options for food, but our ability to go out to dinner for the first time since April 2022. I was grateful that I had that dang tube because it literally saved my life towards the end of treatment and while I was recovering.
February 12 & 13: Our first night out of the house in well over a year. We stayed at the Montage for the night and were spoiled by the hotel. They upgraded our room to a suite, comped our bar bill, sent us so many things to our room – it was a really special night to see that our journey was allowing us to enjoy life again. What was really cool about this getaway was that we sat at the bar and the bartender asked us what we were celebrating, we told him it was our first getaway since diagnosis. He said he had a bout with cancer 7 years ago and never did we think we’d be in this so called ‘club,’ but its become heartwarming to hear over the past year other people’s stories and what they went through and they’ve all gotten to the other side.
February 17: My port came out – HUGE in my mind to get this removed. The port was again, not the most attractive piece of equipment and I hated feeling it when I showered or rubbed my neck. But it served me well during treatment and I am so grateful it was there because getting poked in the arms weekly, sometimes 4-5 times a week would have been even harder on my system. Everything went through that port (chemo meds, blood draws, hydration, blood transfusions) – it truly was the reminder of all the things that went into my body and as appreciative as I am that chemo saved my life, it was nice to bid it farewell.
February 22: I had my first PET/CT Scan since I was diagnosed. I’ll have these for the rest of my life, the cadence of them I’m not so sure of and I honestly don’t ask because I don’t want to anticipate these and build up my anxiety when my focus is just living each day and not worrying about things that haven’t happened yet – thanks to my therapist for teaching me this essential skill!
March 6: The results of the PET Scan were shared with us and they were NEGATIVE/clear!! First of many, we take the good news and hold onto it. Dr. Vandermolen also checked my tumor marker (part of blood draws that I get monthly) and he was pleased how much it had normalized from the previous month, so March 6 was a celebration for us with much needed champagne!
March 13: The final push of all – my reconstructive surgery!! The surgery went very well. Dr. Ng was happy with my recovery from my mastectomy and was able to get through the surgery smoothly. I feel good post surgery, am sore from where the incisions are and have to be mindful with how I move for the next few weeks, but this is much easier than the mastectomy and at this point we already know the routine and what we need to do. I’ve talked to people who had breast surgeries and they’ve told me it’s uncomfortable and painful, but the great thing for me is that I have no nerves or feeling in my chest so the pain is really manageable and no Tylenol has been needed!
All in all, we are coming up to almost a year since my diagnosis. April 7, 2022 at 10:51am, this date and time will forever be engrained in our minds. We look back and are thrilled that we get to close this chapter. We won’t forget the pain, fear, anxiety that we went through, but we will hold onto our strength, hope and love that helped us to survive. On April 7, if you think of us, smile and know that although this journey will never be over for us, know that we’ve gotten through the toughest experience that we’ve ever been through, stronger and better than ever.
So what’s next for us? We will continue to keep this little blog of ours updated as things happen. As we’ve said since day one this is something that will now be a part of our life forever and we set out wanting to share what happens during the initial steps to cure Lauren’s cancer (as we’ve done) and now to remain cancer free.
