Thankful and Blessed

Thank you to all of you who have lifted me up with your cards, gifts, prayers, flowers, time, etc. I am so thankful and blessed to have you in my life.

For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in February. I found it on my own by checking myself which I NEVER did. I was awakened in the night and something or someone told me to check myself (I can't explain it). Sure enough I felt something. People - don't be like me and never check (duh!)

I was as shocked as anyone because I thought I had a free pass since it wasn't in my family. Huge misconception which I now know. The type I have is called HER2 Positive which 1 in 5 of breast cancers are. HER2 positive breast cancers tend to grow and be more aggressive so we will be aggressive fighting it! There are great medicines out there to treat it and survival rates of 95%!

So after looking at my options I chose to have a double mastectomy on March 19th and the start of reconstruction. I got along well with the surgery - I have no doubt all my jazzercising played a significant role in my recovery. I'm 10 days post op today and feeling good.

While they had me out they checked 3 lymph nodes and 2 of them had cancer. They didn't think it was in the lymph nodes but I had a sneaking suspicion it was. They took more tissue and the path report came back that it was in 5 of the 9 lymph nodes. So I think there will be a change in my treatment. We meet with the Oncologist - Dr. Bhatia at Community North this afternoon.

I've decided to start a blog so if someone wants to know what is going on with me they can check it out here. Thanks again to all of you for the outpouring of love. It makes me cry just to think about it.

xo