Originally Posted on CaringBridge: January 27, 2019

Pink Everyday is dedicated to all the lives affected by breast cancer. The truth is that breast cancer is lifelong. There seems to be no end to the battle. My hope is that we can create a community of truth tellers by sharing our stories of grit, perseverance and bravery.

PET scan wooden cubbyhole.

Paint night!!! Stella.

I just love this. Such a good reminder about what’s important.

My friends, I owe you so many updates! It’s been a busy and exciting week. I made it to my PET scan on Thursday and they put me in a small wood hut…for realz. I literally had a 45 min nap while the radioactive sugar infused my body and I was in a little wood room. I have no idea!!! Then I napped my way through a moving PET scan machine since I hadn’t had any coffee and it was EARLY!  That machine just lulled me to sleep. Anyway, test results are…only cancer in the old left breast (LB). My lymph nodes still look clear. I had a minor (total) freak out Thursday night because the doctor’s office called me to say they needed to give me the results of the PET scan 12 hours later and I was sure I was going to die tomorrow and the master bathroom sink broke! It was the perfect storm. It turns out my cancer is just staying in my LB and our amazing friend Vern, showed up at 730am Friday morning to fix our sink so I don’t have to brush my teeth in the shower. An amazing gift!

Anyway, I feel I need to say a few farewell wishes to LB. At this point, she’s making it real hard to say nice things because most of the time I feel like I’m giving birth to a shard of glass through my nipple. SO SORRY! TMI! But there’s no other way to describe what’s happening. Seriously, I think God was thinking the best way to guide me through this ordeal was for me to wish this bad angry breast so long was with pain!!! I’ve had enough pain in my life so on Tuesday I will be happy that LB is signing off in this world. She gave me a solid 47 years. Breasties for sure! (oh, the puns…sorry about that. LOL!) There’s nothing like your first love or breast. But I’m ready for new things so LB will be laid to rest in a petri dish and dissected in the lab so she can save my life. Literally, she’s offering herself up so they can study her in the lab and figure out the chemo concoction that will save my life. Isn’t that amazing? And her replacement will be a much younger model but we will love her fiercely cuz we don’t discriminate against boob age. Life is too short. And quite frankly the girls were getting too long! LB, thank you for 47 beautiful years. Thank you for throwing a huge party and getting me and the doctors to pay attention. It’s been an incredible ride. I love you for giving yourself completely to save me. Warrior on sweet LB! I’ve donated you to research so you go teach them something new!!! You’ve already proved to be brilliant and rare. Keep on living and fighting for truth, love and all things breasty! Amen.

Our schedule has been jammed packed with absolute loveliness! We have open houses at an amazing property and our clients have been nothing but supportive and work continues to be life giving. I worked my last lunch with adorable kiddos and an amazing kitchen staff. I couldn’t ask for better co-workers and friends. Tonight girlfriends powered around for a PJ Paint Party with hilarious shenanigans and stories.Tomorrow Steve and I head out on our Staycation in Seattle. We will give LB a Seattle night to remember! 

Cancer is something. Today I had to really adult and wrote advance directives and a will. WTF? I know! Super adulty. Have you done this? I used the 5 Wishes form and it was very easy. I cried much harder when the sink broke. I guess I could see this whole thing as a curse but it has yet to be that. Day after day, miracle after miracle, this illness has taught me that love and friendship has no limits. This sweet breasty o’ mine, as troublesome and painful as it has been, has given me a gift. I have never felt so loved and cared for EVER! It’s like having a living funeral. Thank you all so very much for the overwhelming support. It truly leaves me speechless. 

#lovewins #cancersucks #StellaandBud #Tellyourstory

---

Journal Comments

• Claire: You are amazing! What an outlook! ❤️💪🏼🙌🏼1heartsMoreHeart•Reply•1/27/19
• Sue Frost: RB needs love, too! She is really hanging in there! (Had to follow your pun lead😜) Have a great night and know you are loved AND appreciated! xxoo,
• Toni: It is truly amazing to hear you describe your journey and perspective. You have a gift in the way you talk about it. Your positive attitude and humor will be your strength through all of this and all of your friends will be there beside you forever! So glad to be part of your world! Hugs and love!
• Jo: Awesome news on the pet scan. Isn’t perspective amazing? You “only” have cancer on your lb? “The love you take is equal to the love you make”. (Beatles). You have so many people supporting you on this unexpected journey so soak in all the collective healing power. Go team flamingo — will be thinking of you tuesday.