Great news from the Radiation Oncologist

Praise God, thank you Jesus. The type of cancer I have been diagnosed with is Ductal Carcinomo In situ (DCIS). This means that this cancer is contained in one tumor area. It is just beginning and has not invaded any other tissue. Cancer is not good news by any means, but out of the spectrum of cancers I could have, I’ll take this one. If nothing was done, I would have an increased chance of developing full blown breast cancer in 5 to 10 years.

I am a proactive individual who prefers to ere on the side of caution. I am continuing forward with my next double biopsy and surgery. Radiation is now something to either to go through or not to go through. Dr. Thomson, at Precision Cancer Center, explained my options to me. There is now a test developed to see if I carry genetic markers that would increase my risk for developing more DCIS in the future. If I have low chance of re-occurrence, I will not go through with the radiation. Radiation, as I thought, is not good for the body.

Since radiation is accumulative, if I get this treatment, there is a greater risk of me developing radiation induced cancer 10+ years from now. Since I have been working very hard to be healthy and live a long fruitful life, that did not sound good to me. It will take about two weeks to get the results and I will let you know what my outcome was. I have told you, God is in control. I am going through this for a reason. I trust that I will be healed by the name of Jesus. All cancer will be rid from my body. And I sure as heck have not let the cancer invade my mind or spirit.

I encourage you to be proactive. Get your mammograms and detect early. This helps the prognosis to be better. Hopefully I will not have to endure radiation at this time. I have faith that God will give me the endurance to continue down any path he wants me to go through. Have  wonderful day and God bless.

Ebola prayers

Please pray for the people affected by Ebola. Let’s band together and educate ourselves on how to help others and keep ourselves Ebola free. Prayer for these doctors and nurses that are infected. God bless them and their families.

Gearing up for radiation

Tomorrow I have an appointment at the radiation center to treat my breast cancer. They said it would be an hour and a half meeting.

I have so many questions about it. How deep does it penetrate? What circumference is it? Does it hurt? How can I prepare myself for the treatments? Is it true I cannot wear deodorant while in treatment? Are they going to tattoo my skin where they line up the machine? How long will each session be? I hope I can remember all of these questions tomorrow. Kind of nervous about this.

Yeah I know I’m weird. Not sweating the biopsies on Monday, but radiation has me freaked. The surgeries heal, but radiation is accumulative. What goes in your body in your lifetime- dentist, surgeries, pneumonia etc- whatever X-Ray you have had done is still in you. This causes cells to break up and become free radicals. So how will this impact the rest of my body? Big day tomorrow. I will post the answers. Anyone interested and has more questions, post them here so I can ask.

Very blessed today. Even though I was tired from biking with the kid yesterday, I made it through a busy day working with patients. Then played card games with my daughter and took her for another ride. My wonderful husband washed my car. Life is good.

Now my Newfoundlsnds dog turned 15-months. Oh my, how devilish he has become. I have read that this was a tough month in their development and that they had behavioral problems again. Well he has been in true Newfie form. He stole half my sandwich right from under my nose. He stole my daughters lomein as she was getting a drink. He tried to chew up her shoe. He jumped on a friend when she came in the door. Just more stinky than usual. I hope this phase passes soon. I’ve heard at 2 years something changes and they became angels. I’m not holding my breath, but I wouldn’t trade Emmitt in for anything. Because as stinky as he can get, he gives more love back to all of us. All 116 lbs of him. He has been there for me, as well as Mia, our 20-lb mutt, through my healing. I love my babies so much.

My mother has kept an eye on me as well. I have a great support system within my nuclear family, extended family and friends. The prayer, c
alls and messages come in daily and are much appreciated. God bless everyone of them. And thank you Jesus for these people you put around me to support me. Praise God and God bless all.

It’s tongue out Tuesday for Newfoundland dog lovers

Boy I was riding high, back to my same ole self at work. Enjoying the day God gave me. Seeing patients, scoring psych tests and having meetings. Felt good till about 2 pm. That’s when I had a serious power drain. My tongue was out and headed home to rest 45 later. Not a chance. Gotta take my kid to Hobby Lobby to find a fun craft. Glitter foil tattoos is what we found. What fun! I love this age she is at. Picked up Whataburger and had an early dinner. Life is good. Thank you Jesus.

Good news too, I found out after biopsies and surgery, I will have 3 – 4 weeks to recuperate before radiation starts. Whew. That was a load off me. I can heal some and regain strength cool.

I am craving some serious bike riding (don’t tell my family that). Maybe Friday or Saturday? I need exercise like I need to breath.

Night all. Going to catch some early zzzzzz’s. God bless.

Another day

I am so thankful that I could go to work this week, though tiresome, today was good. It is so weird, the bruising is just coming out from the last surgery 13 days ago. Talked to people at Precision Cancer Center to confirm my appointment for Friday to get ready for radiation therapy. Can’t believe I’m actually getting ready to irradiate myself. I have a Master of Science in Biology. I did my research on soybean seeds that had been irradiated at 15,000 rads, 30,000 rads and 45,000 rads. Can’t wait to see how many rads I get. Kind of strange to think that this is actually a treatment. I am curious to know how this helps with cancer and why it does not kill all cells in its path. I will let you know more after the meeting on Friday. This is what makes me kind of nervous. I hear it makes you pretty tired.

I was asked by my co-workers how I was coping. I thought about it and I explained that I was not afraid because I know I am healed and everything is going to be fine. I borrowed this explanation from learning how to tackle hills in bicycle training. You look up at the hill and know how high it is, then you trek forward visualizing the bottom of the hill on the other side. I know that I have about 3 – 6 months of hill climbing but there is an end to it and I will be successful because God is with me. I have endurance trained all my adult life, be it Taekwondo, running or bicycling. I’ve trained harder and longer because I can and I enjoy it. I may not enjoy having cancer or the disruption it has placed on my life, but I have the endurance to beat this, no doubt.

For all, trust in God for all things. “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit.” Psalms 51:12 NKJV

God is not dead.

Wow! What a moving movie. We watched this one for church tonight and what a blessing. It really helped reinforce to me that we all have a purpose, whether good or bad experiences come our way, God has a higher purpose to use that experience to complete a mission.

I know God is not dead, but maybe through my breast cancer experience I can give hope to others. Sure this isn’t what I want to go through, but maybe I need to slow down and realize that God is more important than my mission to help children with emotional and behavioral problems. Maybe I’m looking too much at my work and not focusing in God.

Cancer is a sure fire way to slow me down. I am very hyper and have plenty of energy that I am always busy. Work, family, kid in taekwondo, swimming and then my own exercise – always going, going, going. Whoa April. Stop and take time to magnify your God.

Usually when I run and bike I talk with God. (Mind you, I do try to run or ride 50 to 60 miles a week.) It is my time alone to have a conversation. It’s usually the same answers. “Trust not on your own understand and trust in me to take care of things.” I hear ya Lord. I am your servant.

God is with me and I know I am doing God’s work. I know I have a Christian husband and daughter. I have my dream job of Master level psychologist with children. I am blessed, very blessed. I have family, friends, friends of friends and strangers that are acquaintances from Facebook games praying for my healing. I know everything is going to be fine without a shadow of doubt. The plans for my future are in God’s hands. I accept what He wants me to go through with the faith that I’m where I need to be. God is so good. I will serve The Lord where ever I am. God is alive in me! As for me and my home, we believe in the living God. God bless y’all.

Cancer fighting breakfast

Well praise God I woke this morning practicing belly breathing for five minutes before getting out of bed, reading emails, hugging my kid and my big dog. Our little dog was quite a bed hog last night.

I decided to tweak some recipes that I found on Pinterest for cancer fighting foods. I made a smoothie for the family, but made mine with extra ingredients.
Power Greens/Berry Smoothie
1 cup almond milk ( I use low sugar)
1 handful power greens (kale, spinach and other greens)
1-1/2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 tablespoon organic honey
1 teaspoon tumeric (I used 2 and it was too much)
Ice

Directions: put all these things in Magic Bullet and had my breakfast. Saved quite a bit for next couple of days.

Next I had my wonderful husband make fruit flavored water.
He put half a gallon of spring water in a pitcher. Then added half a cucumber, 1 lemon, 8 mint leaves. It tastes refreshing from the fridge.

I’m trying to steer away from processed foods and adding more greens in my and my families diet.

Now I put a pot of 15 beans in the crockpot.
Soaked the beans over night
Put them in crockpot with large chicken broth, can of organic diced tomatoes, and two cans of water. Salted and peppered.

I cooked 4 slices if unhealthy bacon. Put that in the pot.

Used the bacon grease to cook onions to translucent and two garlic cloves.

Then I had my hubby chop up that power greens, about two cups. Then I added that two the frying pan. Salted and peppered that.

Now I placed that all in my crockpot. This is going to cook for 9 hours. We’ll see how this comes out later.

Now to rest for a while then chores before church. Hope to get in a family bike ride to regain my endurance after surgery and before to next one.

Trying to take some control even though my life is in chaos. Praise God for another day!

Then I

Evening with family

Here we sit watching Godzilla. Emmitt our Newfoundland is kissing on me. Checking Pinterest recipes for cancer fighting foods. Bought some new items ready to try tomorrow. Soaking beans for the morning crockpot.

Where this all began

I’m new to blogging and new to breast cancer. I was diagnosed with the beginning stages of breast cancer last Friday, October 10th. This did not sink in for a few days. Sure I talked about with my family and friends, but it did not make since to me. I am a very healthy and active mother, wife, Christian, professional. I have always been proactive in trying to keep myself strong and healthy. To say “cancer” with my name, just seemed wrong. Cancer doesn’t really run in my family. Then with my mom’s help, I remember now that Papa (my grandfather) was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was in his late 80s. Then he had it in his colon, I think, before he died. That was why he went into the hospital for surgery and picked up a staph infection, which killed him. So, I guess cancer does run in our family, just not breast cancer, till now.

By Monday, October the 13, I had come to terms with saying “I have breast cancer”. Mind you, I had a mammogram that detected the suspicious area, had a needle biopsy (which was not fun) and surgery to remove the biopsied area, My surgeon explained that in the cancer spectrum, mine was at the start and indeed could be cured with minimal deaths occurring at this stage, but I needed more surgery to the right breast to extend “the margins”. Ok. Good news right? Surgery set for this past Friday, October 17th, but he wanted an MRI to double check both right and left breasts, just in case. Understandable, he wanted to be thorough. I am a Christian woman who whole heartedly believes in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I know God has worked a miracle for me and my diagnoses. Standing on the promises, right? I claim victory in Jesus already.  I go do the MRI on Wednesday, October the 15th. Results won’t be ready for two days, so I think. Mind you, I have registered at the hospital. Changed my schedule of seeing patients and prepared myself mentally, spiritually and physically for this surgery. I get the call Thursday at 3:30 from the doctor. “We have found two more suspicious sites on your left breast that need to be biopsied. We have cancelled your surgery for tomorrow pending the results of the new left breast biopsies set for the 27th of October.”  I have now developed a phone phobia because every time the doctor calls, my life changes. What an emotional roller coaster. So, here I am, still easily tired from my surgery on the 7th, waiting again for the next set of trials.

Devil may think he can wear me down, but with God I can endure all things. I am going to try blogging to help me keep my sanity and rant about my journey with breast cancer. Please pray for me to have the flexibility with my life that I so much like to be in control of during this time. God bless all.