Well it’s been 10 years. 10 years is a long time and I’m so happy to say that 10 years later, I am still cancer free. It has been a whole decade since cancer came a-knocking on my door. I was diagnosed triple-positive for breast cancer back then. I fought it hard with surgery, chemo, and radiation.
You can read all my cancer blog posts here if you are interested in my journey. Maybe you are just starting your journey down the cancer road and if so, I hope you find my blog posts helpful. I know I read lots of different blogs from people facing breast cancer and found them not only useful but inspiring. Reading about others’ battles helps us know that we aren’t alone. Reading how others dealt with certain symptoms, how they responded to treatments, how they overcame or even didn’t overcome certain things is important to read about and understand.
Anyway I wanted to share a 10 year cancer free post and celebrate the milestone. I am thankful to God, family and friends through it all. I have been so blessed and just want to encourage anyone out there who might need a positive thought or read a bit of support from someone who has been there. Hang in there you are not alone. Reach out to others, rely on your faith, your family and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
It has been a year since I have made a post in My Pink Journey. As October is breast cancer awareness month, it has become my yearly check-in with you all.
In what I have called My Pink Journey began back in 2008 when I was first diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer. 2008 was a year filled with treatment which included surgery, chemo, radiation and Herceptin maintenance for a year. It was a rough and difficult year to say the least. But the good news, I kicked cancer’s butt and have remained cancer free for 9 years now. Wow 9 years feels awesome!
The NFL has a great saying, Make a Crucial Catch regarding breast cancer. I like this slogan and it really applied to me as I found my own lump and got it checked out early. Early detection is very important so do make that appointment, have a mammogram, do self-exams, and above all, be diligent and don’t wait.
So as we wrap up October,
October is breast cancer awareness month. It is a good time to post an update about my own cancer battle. If you have been a long time reader of my blog you will know that in 2008 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started blogging about my cancer under what I called my pink journey. You can click on the prior link and read the old posts if you are interested in my experience.
It has been over 8 years now since cancer came a knocking on my door. In the last several years, I can finally rest easier and not have cancer on my mind at nearly every thought. I am so blessed to say that I am still cancer free and just thank God each and every day for my continued good health. So many people are not so lucky.
My heart breaks for those that are battling this beast. I grieve for those who have lost their battle and pray for comfort for their families. Cancer sucks!! I hate it and can only hope that some day there may be a cure. Can you imagine a world without cancer?
It has been 7 years since my cancer surgery and follow-up treatments. I just wanted to post an update and give thanks for my 7 year mark of beating the beast!
It has been a long and scary journey but I am doing well. After undergoing surgery, chemo and radiation treatment, I can say that I am NED (no evidence of disease) and am just so happy to be healthy.
For all of you that have followed my journey and cheered me on, I thank you. I just am so blessed and grateful to God for his healing through it all.
October is breast cancer awareness month. Everyone is going pink, donning pink apparel and displaying pink everywhere. So what better time for going pink with plarn and showing off the pink here at My Recycled Bags!
Recycled Newspaper Plastic Bag Bucket
Maybe you are looking for a pink recycled plastic purse crochet pattern. Check out these plarn purse projects below.
Today is a special milestone in my cancer journey. It’s been exactly 5 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As long as I live, I will never forget that day. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to expect for my future. Would I live, would I lose my breast, would I die before seeing my grandchildren born? What treatment would I endure or what surgeries would I have to undergo? So many questions and really no answers for me that day.
What a dark and terrible day it was — March 10, 2008. I sit here and don’t even know what to write as I reflect back on that horrible day. I guess I can say with utter joy that today, March 10, 2013 is a glorious day. I am cancer free. I am alive. I have been so blessed to see two grandchildren born into my family. My health is good. My life while forever changed because of cancer, is better and I am stronger for having faced this deadly foe.
I am so thankful to God for allowing me this victory. They say that the 5-year mark after cancer is a good milestone. Most cancer, if its going to return, will have reoccurred by now. I am guardedly optimistic today. It is a good day. A good day to say thank you Lord for the life you have given me. Thank you everyone for your love and support all these years. And here’s to many more cancer-free yearly milestones in my life!
With October being breast cancer awareness month, it seems like an appropriate time to do a pink post of my own. Four years ago, my whole world was rocked when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When you get news like that it literally takes you to your knees. I’m reminded of the song lyrics that say we’re all just a phone call away from our knees. Wow how true that is!
Four years ago after I got that phone call, I began what I later called my pink journey. You can read all my blog posts about my breast cancer journey here. Blogging and sharing my experiences through the whole cancer journey was very helpful to me. With the love and support of my family and friends, and my faith, I am happy to say I am a survivor today.
October 11, 2011 Comments Off on Three Years Later
October is breast cancer awareness month. It just so happens that it has been three years since my diagnoses of breast cancer. And it’s been exactly three years ago that in October of 2008 I finished up my cancer treatments. I haven’t written about what I called My Pink Journey in quite a while so this milestone seems like a good time for an update.
I am thrilled to report that I am cancer free. I just completed recent scans and everything is clear. Many people refer to this as NED (no evidence of disease) and we cancer survivors all love to say that we are dancing with NED. We all hope to continue to be dancing with him forever if possible.
I’ve heard it said that time heals us and while most of my physical issues from cancer have healed, it’s what remains that sometimes fills my thoughts and lingers in the back of my mind as I move forward with my life again after cancer. I’m sure its the same for other people that face this beast, you just hope and pray it never returns.
So as a reminder don’t forget to be diligent against this formidable foe. Self-exams are so important as no one knows a woman’s body better than herself. After all I found my own tumor and even my doctor didn’t think it seemed like anything until after a biopsy confirmed my cancer.
As I reflect back over the last three years, I think the most important thing I want to say is that cancer didn’t beat me. You do learn not to think about it every waking moment. You can get your life back. You are able to return to a new normal in your daily routines. And with the help of my faith, family and friends I am a stronger, better person today for having faced cancer.
Just when everyone is getting into the pink and promoting pink for breast cancer awareness, I’m posting about being out of the pink. My being out of the pink is a really good thing. Because what I’m referring to is my being free of breast cancer.
For those that may not know about my pink journey, you can read all about it at the link provided. I haven’t posted about my cancer in quite awhile. Not that I don’t think about it but sometimes it’s just good not to have to dwell on cancer too much. For the first year after being diagnosed with cancer, that’s all I could do was think about my cancer. At times it felt like I could never NOT think about it. It’s always on your mind and you try real hard not to let it drive you crazy. Then as time goes on, it gets better. It’s not in every thought you have. It’s not the first thing you think about when you wake up and it’s not the last thought you have when you drift off to sleep. You do learn to deal with it or at least come to terms with it.
The battle is never easy and at times unbearable. But for me, time has helped and my body has healed. It’s been just over two and a half years now and with just having completed scans for cancer two weeks ago, I have good news. I am so happy to say — I’m out of the pink and into the NED. NED being no evidence of disease. All I can really say is praise God and try to remember to enjoy each and every precious moment of life.
If you take nothing else from this blog post, I hope you take a moment to be thankful for your health, your life, your family, your faith, and remember all those who are still battling this vicious foe. Some day all our tears will be wiped away and there will be no more pain, no more sadness, and no more death.
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