On January 7, 2020, I received the news that no one every wants to hear. I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer – meaning that I have cancer in both breasts. In my left breast, I have invasive ductal carcinoma – Stage 1; in my right breast, I have DCIS – stage 0, however the tumor is 10cm.
On this page, I will document my progress and share what I learn along the way. I hope that my journey will not be in vain and that I can use this experience to help other people (not just women) as they fight cancer.
My videos are often linked within each post, but if you are interested in only video content – please visit my YouTube channel.
Post-Chemotherapy – Hair Regrowth
If you are someone that has lost your hair due to chemotherapy, I thought it might be helpful to see the timeline of how my hair grew back. When I had to shave my head in March 2020, I had no idea what to expect for regrowth. All I knew was that I wanted it to come...
Cancer & Chemotherapy – My Hair Loss Story
One of the biggest surprises to me, when I was going through cancer, was my reaction to losing my hair. Chemotherapy hair loss was by far one of the most traumatic parts of the journey. My walk through cancer treatment was at the start of the pandemic. I began...
DIEP-Flap Reconstruction – 2 years later
This was me 2 years ago today. I was 3 weeks out from finishing my really strong chemo treatments - and having my biggest surgery to date, DIEP flap reconstruction. Because it was COVID, this surgery was deemed as elective (I'll never understand how a cancer surgery...
Dear January 7
Dear January 7, I’ll never forget how you ushered yourself onto my eternal calendar. I was sitting at my desk while eating the most delicious salad with romaine lettuce, shredded chicken, blueberries, feta cheese, and Olive Garden dressing. A bottled, cold Coke was...
10 Items You Need When You Have a Mastectomy
On February 14, 2020, I underwent a double mastectomy as a result of bilateral breast cancer. Like most everyone in this position, I was caught by such surprise and didn't know where to start -- on any front. It was literally 5 weeks from my diagnosis until my surgery...
What Happens in a Breast MRI
The week following my bilateral breast cancer diagnosis was a flurry of doctor’s appointments and tests. I had no idea what happens in a breast MRI and it was one of the first big scans that was scheduled for me. I'm hoping that this piece will help someone know what...
A Few Recent Updates Since Diagnosis
The time from diagnosis until today has been filled with tests, doctor visits, anxiety, and praise that I'm not worse off than I am. I've completed blood tests, genetic testing (still waiting on the results), a bone scan, an MRI, and a CT scan. I've interviewed...
2020 – Start of My Health Journey
Well, to be quite honest, this year isn't necessarily starting off like I had planned. At the end of 2019, I said "2020 has got to be better!!!" At this risk of writing a blog post that is as long as a chapter in a book, I decided just to do a video in my own words....