Survivor Stories

Wow... that is one powerful question!
While I was going through my "previvor" experience, I was invited to join a group of women breast cancer survivors. Since I have the BRCA gene mutation, I have lived the breast cancer experience with my family members. I can certainly empathize with the breast cancer community, but those of us who have never heard the words: YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER are NOT the same.
This same group invited me to a luncheon that I happily attended to show my support & friendship.
When it was time to check in, I was asked if I was a survivor & I honestly said no. I was told that I could not sit with my group of friends.
At this point, I was just a blog with a huge following. I had over $2000.00 in donations in my purse to present.
Yes...I made the phone call to someone high up (who was expecting me) to tell them what was going on.
At this point, my someone met me, apologized profusely & I vowed that I would start our group for "people like me" and I did. Wow... that is one powerful question!
While I was going through my "previvor" experience, I was invited to join a group of women breast cancer survivors. Since I have the BRCA gene mutation, I have lived the breast cancer experience with my family members. I can certainly empathize with the breast cancer community, but those of us who have never heard the words: YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER are NOT the same.
This same group invited me to a luncheon that I happily attended to show my support & friendship.
When it was time to check in, I was asked if I was a survivor & I honestly said no. I was told that I could not sit with my group of friends.
At this point, I was just a blog with a huge following. I had over $2000.00 in donations in my purse to present.
Yes...I made the phone call to someone high up (who was expecting me) to tell them what was going on.
At this point, my someone met me, apologized profusely & I vowed that I would start our group for "people like me" and I did.

I like to laugh and even more I like to make other people laugh. I was voted ‘funniest female’ in our graduating year of high school and I take pride in that (in fact, I think I had it on my resume for a while [I'm not even joking]). Any time I have faced something hard in life, I usually turn to humour. I have three different instances that still make me laugh when I retell the story.

1. I shaved my head 9 days after my first chemo. I wanted to have some control over losing my hair so after donating as much as I could (about 12 inches) and sporting a short style for a few weeks, I decided to shave it to avoid it coming out in clumps. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react but I loved it. I mean, yes, I wish I had hair but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a shaved head and now I know. Once I stood up to look in the mirror, my boyfriend couldn’t get me back in the chair to do final touches because I was too busy walking around the kitchen letting the air graze through my scalp. I wasn't emotional about losing my hair and instead we just kept laughing because the air felt so good skimming my scalp and my boyfriend could not get me back in the chair to finish up.

2. After chemo #5, I ended up in Emerg. because of a fever that wouldn’t stop climbing. I put the gown on so that it would open at the front. The nurse came in and said ”You have that on backwards”, I said “You don’t want to see my boobs?” in an almost disappointed way. She said “You’re here for a fever, we don’t need to see your breasts”. I took it off and put the opening at the back. I was so used to doctors wanting to see my breasts, I just assumed, fever or not, that this doctor would want to see them too.

3. My sister-in-law’s mother (my niece and nephew’s grandma) had been diagnosed within a year before me and had chemo and radiation, so these kids were not new to the whole breast cancer thing. At my niece’s 4th birthday dinner, we were all sitting around the table and she randomly said, “Uncle Keith’s [my bf] a boy.” and I said, “No, Uncle Keith’s a girl.” She said, “Well, he’s got a boy hair cut.” She had me there. In trying to prepare them for me losing my hair, I said “Auntie Katie is going to cut her hair like Uncle Keith really soon.” My 6 year old nephew pipes up, without missing a beat and says “No, it’s going to fall out.” All 6 of us adults just burst into laughter. To him, it wasn't a big deal, Auntie Katie is still Auntie Katie, with or without hair, he just said it so matter-a-factly. I like to laugh and even more I like to make other people laugh. I was voted ‘funniest female’ in our graduating year of high school and I take pride in that (in fact, I think I had it on my resume for a while [I'm not even joking]). Any time I have faced something hard in life, I usually turn to humour. I have three different instances that still make me laugh when I retell the story.

1. I shaved my head 9 days after my first chemo. I wanted to have some control over losing my hair so after donating as much as I could (about 12 inches) and sporting a short style for a few weeks, I decided to shave it to avoid it coming out in clumps. I wasn’t sure how I was going to react but I loved it. I mean, yes, I wish I had hair but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a shaved head and now I know. Once I stood up to look in the mirror, my boyfriend couldn’t get me back in the chair to do final touches because I was too busy walking around the kitchen letting the air graze through my scalp. I wasn't emotional about losing my hair and instead we just kept laughing because the air felt so good skimming my scalp and my boyfriend could not get me back in the chair to finish up.

2. After chemo #5, I ended up in Emerg. because of a fever that wouldn’t stop climbing. I put the gown on so that it would open at the front. The nurse came in and said ”You have that on backwards”, I said “You don’t want to see my boobs?” in an almost disappointed way. She said “You’re here for a fever, we don’t need to see your breasts”. I took it off and put the opening at the back. I was so used to doctors wanting to see my breasts, I just assumed, fever or not, that this doctor would want to see them too.

3. My sister-in-law’s mother (my niece and nephew’s grandma) had been diagnosed within a year before me and had chemo and radiation, so these kids were not new to the whole breast cancer thing. At my niece’s 4th birthday dinner, we were all sitting around the table and she randomly said, “Uncle Keith’s [my bf] a boy.” and I said, “No, Uncle Keith’s a girl.” She said, “Well, he’s got a boy hair cut.” She had me there. In trying to prepare them for me losing my hair, I said “Auntie Katie is going to cut her hair like Uncle Keith really soon.” My 6 year old nephew pipes up, without missing a beat and says “No, it’s going to fall out.” All 6 of us adults just burst into laughter. To him, it wasn't a big deal, Auntie Katie is still Auntie Katie, with or without hair, he just said it so matter-a-factly.

There is no going back after a cancer diagnosis. That's my opinion. I fight cancer every moment of my life with a very strict diet (Although I would say it's delicious, diverse and more how humans used to eat), exercise, good sleep and dealing with stress in a healthy way. I am ever mindful of my risk for cancer having the MYH gene pair defect for colon cancer.

Being able to thwart cancer despite my genetics proves to me that cancer is curable with diet. I am very planful with my eating and prepare to take my own food when I travel or even go over to friends. People (and restaurants) are very willing to accommodate me and I have found that many friends are now changing their diets. Bottom line: my life is very different after cancer and I feel its better by far. There is no going back after a cancer diagnosis. That's my opinion. I fight cancer every moment of my life with a very strict diet (Although I would say it's delicious, diverse and more how humans used to eat), exercise, good sleep and dealing with stress in a healthy way. I am ever mindful of my risk for cancer having the MYH gene pair defect for colon cancer.

Being able to thwart cancer despite my genetics proves to me that cancer is curable with diet. I am very planful with my eating and prepare to take my own food when I travel or even go over to friends. People (and restaurants) are very willing to accommodate me and I have found that many friends are now changing their diets. Bottom line: my life is very different after cancer and I feel its better by far.

Right now I'm on Xeloda, an oral chemo pill. So far, the symptoms have been limited to hand/foot syndrome (dry, discolored skin). I've been off an on chemo since my metastasis, but I've been in good health; it has not altered my lifestyle. In fact, I think I'm healthier now than I've ever been.

Coping? I try to take things one day at a time and appreciate all the blessings in my life. Right now, I'm visualizing my future. Writing and interviewing other cancer survivors in my situation (or worse) who have beat the odds has really helped. I have hope, and to me, that's the best medicine. Right now I'm on Xeloda, an oral chemo pill. So far, the symptoms have been limited to hand/foot syndrome (dry, discolored skin). I've been off an on chemo since my metastasis, but I've been in good health; it has not altered my lifestyle. In fact, I think I'm healthier now than I've ever been.

Coping? I try to take things one day at a time and appreciate all the blessings in my life. Right now, I'm visualizing my future. Writing and interviewing other cancer survivors in my situation (or worse) who have beat the odds has really helped. I have hope, and to me, that's the best medicine.