Early Stage Favorite Blog Posts



Getting a Mammogram...Probably Saved My life

My Journey Beyond Shock

The Cancer Card...If You've Got It, Play It

Blessings in Disguise

How Do We Tell Our Children I Have Cancer?

Keep Calm and Hurdle On

The Thought of Losing My Hair

Breast Expanders...What-are-They-and-How Do They Work?

Preparing for a Mastectomy...Care Package Ideas








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Bravery in the Moments of Brokenness

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What is Bravery? Dictionary.com says that bravery is an admirable quality of being able to confront frightening things. I think everyone has the capacity to be brave. You are really only confined by the walls that you put up around yourself. Those who may not feel like they are brave, probably have amazing bravery within that maybe they just haven't had to face yet.  I have many people say to me, I don't know how you do it.  You are tougher and braver than I am, or could ever be.  Well that is just silly...I really don't think I am tougher or braver than you or anyone else.  I just have to be.  As you know, this year has been rough.  I had a new breast cancer tumor removed in April.  In July, I started having new pain in my sternum which led to changing my treatment plan.  I was unable to get in the clinical trial I wanted. Meanwhile, two new cancer spots on my ribs began to grow. So I started Xeloda, a c...
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Finding Grace in the Midst of the Next Storm

Sometimes the fog begins to fade, the strings holding the stress slowly loosen. The medicine is working, and the body has adjusted the best it can to the side effects.  Some kind of new normal has gradually settled in, but then suddenly in one long day, you find yourself broken again, trying to find grace in the midst of the next storm.  Cancer has no boundaries.  Cancer takes no consideration of your feelings.  Cancer takes on your strength as it opponent.  Cancer has challenged me for four years now.  It has challenged my body with treatments and surgeries that have left me to continue to rebuild a body that is broken. It has challenged my emotions, taking me to dark places of brokenness that only God and the love of my husband, kids, family and friends can pull me out of.   It has challenged my feelings as I have learned of the new cancer diagnoses of two friends and mourned the lo...
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Breast Expanders...What are They and How Do They Work?

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Breast Tissue Expander What in world are breast tissue expanders and how exactly does that work?  I answer these questions often. As many of you know, I am going through this process right now. Like so many others, I wasn't even aware that this was a possible step in breast reconstruction. I had my bilateral mastectomy on February 14, 2013. After my breast tissue was removed, my plastic surgeon put in tissue expanders. Expanders are implant like devices that are used to expand the breast tissue and muscle to eventually comfortably fit breast implants, creating a more refined breast shape and better symmetry. When the tissue expanders are first positioned on the chest wall, they are partially filled with saline. A few weeks after surgery, the expansion or "fill'er ups" (as I called them) are started.  As you can see in the picture above, the expanders have a fill port that is built into ...
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