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       Today was my first doctor’s appointment in 12 days. And, let me tell you, the past 12 days of no appointments have been so nice. It felt like a small taste of my life before my diagnosis. Chemo starts one week from today so that taste of my life pre-diagnosis is pretty much over. But, good news! I had an ultrasound today to follow up results from a CT scan and results were good. The CT scan found some potential suspicious lymph nodes so I had an ultrasound scheduled to make sure I didn’t need to have a biopsy of my lymph nodes. Things look good and I don’t need a biopsy.      I arrived at the West Cancer Clinic, what feels like my new home, at 7:15 this morning. I was injected with a radioactive substance, through an IV, so that my bones would appear on the pictures. After the injection, I had to wait two hours before the bone scan. During these two hours, I walked across the building for my ultrasound.      After the ultrasound and good news that I didn’t need a biopsy

       My mom came with me at 8:30am to freeze my eggs on Friday, January 14.       I finished the self-injection process after 7 days, which was sooner than I expected! I was thrilled because, even after 7 days of practice giving myself a shot in the morning and evening, I still didn’t enjoy it. Getting to harvest my eggs earlier than expected was a win. Really, the timing of all this is a win. I am so thankful there was a cancellation at the fertility doctor so I could get in last Thursday. I am thankful for where I was at in my cycle to be able to go through this fertility process and egg harvesting before chemo begins.      Not only has the process included giving myself shots in the morning and night, it has also included taking three 7:30am trips to the fertility doctor for bloodwork and an ultrasound.      I am still amazed and shocked by how fast all of this has gone. 8 days ago I first met the fertility doctor and discussed my options. Now, I’ve been through the egg retrieval

I’m not sure how many of you have heard much about the side effects of chemotherapy. One thing is for sure – my immune system is about to become weak. So I’m doing everything I can to strengthen my body as much as I can. Here are some of my goals based on studies proving that white cells react to food intake, the environment, physical activity, and emotional state: Eat grass-fed, organic animal products Eat more salmon Eat more turmeric Eat more sweet potatoes Eat more blueberries, cherries, and raspberries 1 glass of red wine a day :) Eat least contaminated fruits and vegetables: bananas, oranges, tangerines, pineapple, grapefruit, watermelon, plums, kiwi, mangoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, avocados, brussel sprouts, spinach Drink more green tea Spend 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity per day (even if it’s just a walk) Expose yourself to sunlight for 20 minutes each day Practice yoga Eat mediterranean and Indian cuisine Laugh as much as possible Please join me in

       Grief. What a word. I read a description of the word in a book that resonated with me: “Think of the word grief as a kind of picture frame that fits around all of the different things you might feel when you experience loss. For instance, you’ve probably heard about different ‘stages’ of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance – based on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s well-known theory of bereavement. But try not to think about grief as a series of fixed steps. Instead, think of these five emotions and the many others you are experiencing as the swirling paints on a collage framed and entitled ‘Grief.’”      Since my diagnosis on December 7, my emotions have been a rollercoaster of ups and downs. It’s interesting what topics, moments, and experiences cause me to become more emotional. Some of these things include impending hair loss and not being able to do activities I enjoy like running and dancing.      When I was initially diagnosed, everything was so overwhel

     Trust me, I did not want to add another procedure to my already full schedule. However, I at least want to have the option of *potentially* having my own genetic children one day.      Today I went to the fertility doctor. Another four hour appointment (my appointment with the Oncologist yesterday was four hours too). Not exactly my ideal way to spend my Memphis “snow day”.      I went to discuss egg preservation because it’s highly likely that chemotherapy could make it so that I can never have my own genetic children. Because of the timing of my first chemo, however, the doctor said I had to decide today if I wanted to go through with freezing my eggs. He literally said, “I’ll give you 10 minutes to think about it”. Never did I ever foresee myself in this situation.      But I’m going through with it. I want to do whatever I can now to have genetic children of my own one day rather than look back and wish I had tried. But, phew! It’s been drinking from a fire hydrant of informat

Today was a big day. Today was the day I met my oncologist for the first time. Today was also the day I received some next steps and a treatment plan. The plan is to start with Chemotherapy. I will be doing 6 cycles of TC (Taxotere and Cytoxan) once every 3 weeks. After that will come a mastectomy. But, before chemo can begin I will be going to the fertility doctor to discuss egg preservation. My first chemo is set for Thursday, February 3rd.