Whoo Hoo! My counts are way up! Chemo #7 is in the books. Thank you for all your prayers! I am grateful for every one on them.

I want my journey to be real and transparent. I don’t want to hide the ugly parts and make you think that this cancer journey is a breeze. It is rough! This last week was rough! Getting the extra chemo drug Carboplatin, extending the Neupogen shots to three doses and having a surgical cone biopsy of my cervix takes a toll on the body. Surprisingly, the cone biopsy was a breeze. My recovery went very well.  The chemo and Neupogen not so much. As the chemo accumulates in your body, the symptoms get worse. Every bone and joint in my body aches and hurts. It feels like I’m getting the flu. My energy levels are way down and it is hard to tell Levi that I can’t. As a wife and mommy, I want to be and do everything for them. I am stubborn and want to do all the things that I did before cancer, but I am coming to the realization that I must pick and choose what is best. Please continue your prayers as I will now be getting the Carboplatin with the Taxol and the Neupogen shots every week.

Today, March 3, is Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day. It affects about 10% of women that is diagnosed with breast cancer. There is not a targeted treatment yet for this type of cancer; therefore, has a higher risk of returning. I know several ladies that have been affected by TNBC and  want to share a little about them.

Mrs. Sheryl Lowe is a wife, mother, grandmother and a baseball fanatic. She was diagnosed last year with TNBC and we met in Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago. I had just shaved my head and was wearing a scarf, so she bravely came up to me and asked if I had cancer. After I shared what type I had, she floored me with her response. She had it too! What are the odds? It is such a rare type of breast cancer. And now two random strangers are instantly connected. We hit it off and are constantly encouraging each other as we have treatments together. Literally, we sit side by side on Wednesdays and get our chemo. I believe with all my heart that God connected us.

 

Brandi Maige is a wife and a mother of two adorable kids. She has a special place in my heart because I grew up with her. She is like a little sister to me. I hardly remember a time when she wasn’t hanging out with my sisters at our house. Brandi was diagnosed with TNBC October 2014. I have watched and read about her journey as she fought this ugly cancer and won. She is a survivor. Brandi too loves our savior and I have enjoyed seeing the faith in Him that she has. She has been a blessing to me. Her encouragement never ceases. It has been nice to have a #PinkSister that I can go to with questions, as I am doing the same treatment regimen as she did.  If you want to continue being inspired, I encourage you to check out her blog. It will greatly bless you. Brandi’s Blog

 

Becky Bryan was a wife, mother, and a daughter. She was a co-worker that quickly became a close friend. When Becky was diagnosed with TNBC, she was the first person that I was personally affected by with cancer. It was the first time I had heard anything about TNBC. I watched Becky fight her cancer with everything she had. Her faith never wavered and I was amazed by it. I remember at the time thinking, if I was going through what she went through, my faith and trust in God would not be so great as hers. Sadly, she lost her battle to Triple Negative and was called to her eternal home on June 10, 2009. I miss her so much. When I found out what type of breast cancer I had, immediately my thoughts were of my sweet friend. I want to make her proud and go through this as gracefully as she did. I can hear the many encouraging  words Becky spoke during her battle with this cancer. It helps me with my fight.

Triple Negative Breast cancer affects so many people. It is not just the woman diagnosed, but her family and friends as well. I have been on both sides. It is heart wrenching to watch those you love that have been diagnosed and know you can’t do anything about it. You feel helpless. I have watched two sons lose their mother. I once feared my own son losing his mommy.

Ladies, I encourage you to check yourselves. Three out of four of us women mentioned above found our lumps. Do not forget your yearly mammograms. Husbands, brothers and fathers, encourage your wives, sisters and daughters to do a self breast exam. It can save their lives. The link below shows a step by step guide on performing a self-breast exam.

The five steps of a Self-Breast Exam

Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Proverbs 31:29

Nashenna