I remember a year ago proclaiming that 2014 was going to be MY year. There were great opportunities in store for me. Four months later, I was told that I had cancer and that I would need aggressive treatment.
It's been two months since my last chemotherapy cycle and one month since the mastectomy. I have a little bit of stubble on my head, some loose fingernails due to peel off any day now, eczema, an 8-inch scar across my chest, and the assurance of my plastic surgeon and his staff that the reconstructed breast will NEVER look like my natural breast. Ha ha ha!!
I honestly believed that after the surgery I would put all these cancer shenanigans behind me - that the treatment I underwent would fade into a distant memory. However, I still go to the infusion center every three weeks to continue one of the targeted drugs, which will continue through the month of July '15. I still have to get an echo cardiogram every three months because one of the main side effects of the targeted drugs is heart failure. Every week for at least 4 more weeks, the temporary implant will get filled with more saline. I will inevitably have another surgery to replace the temporary implant with a permanent one. I will also take a Tamoxifen pill every day ... for the next 5 years.
Do I view any of these things as burdens? No... they're just part of my routine.
I am thankful to God to be alive. I am thankful for the personal growth I have experienced. I am thankful for the support and generosity and friendships, both rekindled and new.
I am looking forward to great opportunities in this new year!
Deidre
Deidre, your strength and gratefulness is inspiring. It is obvious to see that 2015 will be an awesome year for you because you go into it with an attitude and outlook of strength, positivity, hope, and faith. Thank you for being that example. You kick butt, Lady D. Love ya! ~Kat
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