I thought I would be able to update you all more, but the last seven months have been INSANELY EMOTIONAL. There are just no amount of words to describe it.
However, after nearly five months of Triple Negative breast cancer chemotherapy, today I finally got to ring the bell to signify the end of chemotherapy treatment.
I could not be more grateful to the Lord, and my Care Team of doctors, nurses, and techs for getting me to a point where I can move on to the next step of getting rid of this cancer that has temporarily taken residence in my body.
But man, shout out to my family, friends, and my co-workers for holding me all the way down, thus far!
My chemo sitting buddies, the home visits, the company through my six-day hospital stay, the calls, the texts, random/special food and juice prep, store runs, my children being my stair-runners, making sure I have every essential imaginary to be comfortable.
EVERYTHING everyone one of you all do and have done for me is appreciated down to my entire soul!
And when I say Edward, my husband, has fulfilled his, “in sickness and in health” marital vows to the fullest, I absolutely cannot express that he has been absolutely SERIOUS about taking care of me and has not missed one consult, appointment, or treatment.
Not one step has been missed in making sure I am taken care of. I say to him often… THANK YOU! He says back to me, you do not have to thank me. There is not anything else I was supposed to be doing. This is what I am here for. Even still, THANK YOU! 🥺❤️
So, after 16 chemotherapy infusions, countless days of being sick, and what seemed like a never-ending hospital stay, my treatment plan for chemotherapy is over.
I move on to surgery, next month, to remove the area where my tumor existed. I chose a lumpectomy, where a portion of my breast is removed, as opposed to removing my entire breast (mastectomy). Then, several rounds of radiation will be necessary to clean-up the area.
The results from my pathology report will determine how many radiation treatments will be necessary. I am a researcher, so I have been preparing myself for this part, and I am very anxious about the number.
However, I am going to do my best to focus on surgery and recovery, for now. Recovery should be approximately 2-4 weeks. My doctors say everyone is different and could be more or less. As mentioned before, I have not been able to update as much as I would like to, but I hope to be back during surgery recovery to let you all know how I am doing. I appreciate everyone for checking up on me and my progress!
If you are going through breast cancer treatment or are mentally and physically preparing to do so and have any questions, feel free to give me a shout.
I have documented everything along the way, for my understanding, and in hopes of helping the next person.
According to breastcancer.org, “exercise may help you have fewer and less severe side effects from treatment. Research shows that exercise can help ease fatigue, lessen anxiety, improve quality of life, reduce the risk of lymphedema, improve physical function, strengthen bones, improve sleep, and ease bone and joint pain.”
Insert record scratch.
Exuding energy you do not seem to have, even a little bit, can help you feel better?
How Sway?
For a good part of a year, I have been wanting to try Reformer Pilates, so I made this my exercise of choice to try and get back into the swing of moving my body.
Prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in the gym regularly three to four times per week and in an Xtreme Hip Hop dance class one time per week. That all came to a screeching halt, and I found myself barely walking up the stairs in my home, without having to take a break.
I felt like yoga and pilates would be low impact options, while still moving for heart health, gaining muscle, or at least not losing muscle during this journey.
I found Moveology Pilates & Fitness, close to my home, so I decided to give it a try.
The Pilates instructor, Shieda (Shi for short), was warm and welcoming. I always look for spaces that are filled with good vibes only energy, and that it was.
The thoughts ran through my head ferociously before arrival. What will I wear to cover my head? Will I be cool enough, because chemo hot flashes are very real! Would I be able to keep up since this was my first time out, in a workout setting since diagnosis? How many people would be in class, so I am not exposed to all the things that people carry along with them. The list in my head went on and on.
My worries were put to rest, the classes are no more than five people per session. Shi moved at my slow pace, but also adjusted me when needed, and pushed me when I said could not do a certain movement. She made me aware that in her classes, you listen to your body, and adjust to what you feel you can handle. Shi said, “if I feel you can do it, I will encourage you to keep going, but you are ultimately in charge.”
We used the reformer’s main carriage. The reformer’s stand-up bar to stretch, which felt amazing. Then we moved onto the Pilates chair. I made it through the 50–55-minute class, very slowly, but I made it! One thing I know for sure, the sleep I will experience tonight will indeed be improved.
I plan on continuing Reformer Pilates. If you are looking to try out the class, Shieda will be having an open house to check out the space, on May 6, 2023, from 12PM-2PM. If you sign-up by the end of open house, the $100 registration fee is waived.
However, you can always sign up for a drop-in class or one of her packages. Find the link in her Instagram bio, @moveology_fitnessaz and do not forget your grip socks.
Location Visited:
4340 W. Chandler Boulevard, #3 Chandler, Arizona 85226
I go scared, figure it out — so you can go with ease.
Hot air ballooning had been on my list for years. Not because it looked peaceful, but because it looked terrifying. My husband refused. His logic? At least one parent should stay on the ground to raise the kids.
Fair.
So I found a friend who trusted my research more than her fear, and we booked the ride with Rainbow Ryders anyway.
My research on the company and safety stats convinced a girlfriend to go along with what I felt was a great idea.
From the moment I booked the ride, with Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. (RR), every human sense was stimulated.
An oversized basket, a giant balloon, fueled with hot-air, thousands of feet in the air, with 12 people inside, could we be any crazier? We were willing to see! I booked the hot-air balloon ride about three weeks out. You had the choice of a sunrise or sunset ride. We chose sunset, because getting up before the sun comes up over the horizon and baring the morning coldness was not anyone’s idea of an enjoyable start to a day.
There was no individual weight limit with RR, but they will ask what the total weight is for the individuals booking in your party. They placed us in a basket according to the other 10 riders that rode in the same basket with us, to give the balloon an overall safe balance.
Per RR, there were other requirements that we needed know before we booked our ride, such as being able to get in and out of the basket (similar to getting on and off a horse), standing for three hours, since we did have to stand the entire time, no on balloon seating. Wear comfortable clothes and closed toed shoes.
We checked in one day prior, to confirm our attendance for the next day. We arrived one-hour prior to flight time on the day of the ride to get an assigned basket, pilot, and van.
The ride from RR headquarters to the launch-site was about 45 minutes. Once the balloon chasers located an idea space for take-off, they began set-up. Set-up took an additional 45 minutes. We filled the time with a photo-op and observing the process of the crew inflating the balloon. They process is all manual, from pulling the basket out the back of a pick-up, unraveling the balloon to make sure it is flat and ready to be inflated with large fans.
In the air with Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co.
Once the logistics were in order, it was time for take-off. Nail-biting and wonder started to take over. However, the hot-air balloon ride was the most serene, relaxing, and enjoyable time that you can have at approximately 3,000 feet in the air. Surprisingly so quiet, just the sounds of whispering chatter from our balloon neighbors, and the sound of the fire fueling the balloon. Our pilot pointed out some landmarks and gave us some short personal stories about his flying experience over the last 30 years.
After about one hour and a half in the air, we prepared for landing. Landing was bumpy, but not rough. We skipped a few times, but our basket did not tip over, like we were warned could happen. There are small steps etched on the inside of the basket. We used those to climb to flat ground. We had a or few celebratory glasses of wine, and all the riders received flight certificates. Our balloon chasers met us at the landing site and chauffeured us back to the RR Headquarters. Overall, our experience was 10/10.
And yes, we are a little bit crazier since scratching hot-air ballooning off of our bucket list. Would not have it any other way!
Our total price paid was $390, for two riders, not including tip.
Have you been hot-air ballooning? Who were you able to talk into going with you? Tell me about your experience. If you have not been hot-air ballooning. would you try it?
Location Visited:
Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. 715 E. Covey Lane, #100 Phoenix, Arizona 85024
The blog world says that a good blog post should be at least 500 words, and that is even short if you want true engagement.
I am willing to risk it for this blog post, because Crust Brothers Pizza does not need 500 words to get the point across that their pizza is piping hot, crispy pepperoni, thin crust goodness!
Ya’ll, Crust Brothers Pizza is 30-miles from our home, and we have been to Crust Brothers quite a few times. We drove to their Scottsdale location not knowing we would be overjoyed with the oohhh… ohhh… ahhh… ahhh… juggling and burning in our mouths from their simple pepperoni pizza. Let us be clear, my use of the word simple is by no means to say that their pizza is boring. It is so simply good that it is superior to many of the over-complicated pizzerias around the valley.
Crust Brothers Pizza has 4.7 stars out of 5 on Google, that is what drew me to Crust Brothers in my search for the best pizza around. I can confirm that the reviews are real. Well, I cannot confirm that they are real, but from our experience they are very real. Even if they are not, my review is certainly real and worth a drive.
Crust Brothers Pizza has a full menu of pizza, salads, baked subs, and so on but I am a pepperoni pizza girl.
I would ask that you to let the folks over at Crust Brothers know that I sent you, but they do not know me. Laughs Out Loud!
We ordered a 16” pizza for $20 with pepperoni for an additional $2.50. We shared it amongst 2-3 people each visit, with leftovers each time.
You can visit their Scottsdale, Arizona location and my fellow pizza connoisseur sister informed me that they have a new location in Tempe, Arizona.
Let me know your favorite pizza spot in the comments, so I can add them to my list to try!
Location visited: 7342 E. Shea Blvd., #11 Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
New Location: 5100 S. McClintock Dr., Units 101 Tempe, Arizona 85282
After nearly a month of testing, I learned the results on January 26, 2023. I have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma-Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). It is stage 2 and grade 3.
Insert the classic Lifetime movie time rewind we see at the bottom of the screen. If you are not looking when it flashes, you are lost. Anyhow, approximately 30 days before official diagnosis, I discovered the lump in my right breast. I usually do my breast self-checks top of the month. Randomly on December 30, 2022, my husband and I were playing around, and I brushed against my breast. I felt the lump and I completely freaked out. I was used to feeling small, squishy, water-filled cysts because I have had those for years. I get them tested, along with my annual mammogram, and they are always benign. This day was different. The lump felt different, hard, not moving at all, and a pretty good size. About the size of a small plum. I had not noticed it at all before this day, and of course I questioned myself tirelessly, how not? That is how prominent it was. My oncologist assured me. The lump might have just surfaced so I could finally feel it. It had been developing for quite some time. That STILL did not change my devastation.
I have cried more than I have ever cried in my entire life. This has all happened in just these last four months or so. And I still cry. After I had physically calmed down that evening, I snapped this photo. I could not believe my life was changing in an instant. In the photo above, I wore contacts and cried until they fell out. So, I had to put on my glasses. I wanted to capture who I was. I knew immediately I would not be the same person through this, years later, or if ever, beyond this experience.
Because of my diagnosis, I have learned A LOT about all things breast cancer. I will share just a fraction of what I have ingested. I have processed this information in a short time. Yet, I am learning more every single day. TNBC accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. The term triple-negative breast cancer refers to the fact that the cancer cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors. The cancer cells also do not make any or too much of the protein called HER2. The cancer cells test “negative” on all three tests, thus triple negative. This cancer tends to be more common in women younger than age 40. I am 42. It is also more common in women who are Black. Lastly, it tends to be more common in women with a BRCA1 mutation. Although, TNBC can affect anyone! I fortunately DO NOT have the BRCA1 mutation, meaning I did not test positive for the hereditary gene. Thank goodness for my daughter (sons as well).
My chemotherapy schedule is every week for the next three months. After that, it will be once every three weeks for another three months. A total of six months of chemotherapy. I will have surgery to remove the area where the tumor existed. Then, I will undergo radiation to eliminate any cells that may have been left behind. The next year or so will be grueling, but lifesaving. By the time I make this post public, I will be in week seven of 24 weeks of active treatment.
There are days when I do not feel strong. I am not the breast cancer warrior everyone expects me to be. That is ok. If you are here, or know someone who is, it does not mean you or they have less faith. It means we are human. The next day you may feel like you can take on anything, with all the positive and good vibes radiating. When we need encouragement and comfort of all sorts. Taking one day at a time, has been my motto thus far.
I am grateful that I caught my tumor in its “early” stage. My family and friends have been close and comforting. My work team has been incredibly supportive. Everything about my treatment center is AMAZING. I am grateful. There is an incredible fighting chance. Doctors are equipped with all the knowledge, medicine, and technology available these days. Am I still scared, yes. Absolutely. It’s natural to feel this way. If you are reading this and are in a similar situation, rest in the unknown. If you know someone who is, let them rest in the unknown. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to be positive all the time. It can be exhausting and honestly, it doesn’t help. Feel all the feels, as you feel them. CANCER SUCKS and it is ok to feel it, think it, and express it. At times, or even often, I do not feel strong enough to endure another moment. Yet, it is nothing short of amazing what our bodies can endure, even when you think it cannot.
The good news is that my tumor is already responding to chemotherapy! When I found the tumor, testing and biopsies began immediately. During this time, my tumor more than tripled in size before even starting treatment. That is how aggressive this is. I still have a long road ahead. Surgery and radiation are to follow. Now, the size of my tumor is less than half the size, to touch.
It has taken me three months to publicly talk about my diagnosis. Sharing it aloud with folks outside my close friends and family was challenging. It is still a struggle at times to speak about it. I do believe that I have this platform for a reason.
I am not going to scream from the rooftops about ensuring yearly routine mammogram screenings. However, I will quietly remind you, whenever it fits, do not miss your mammogram screenings. It is LITERALLY a matter of life and death!
If you want to keep up with my journey, you can find updates here. I will post when I am up to it. It is an outlet, and I hope it inspires but most of all informs.
Sign-up as an email subscriber at the bottom of the website. You can also subscribe in the right-hand column. You will be sent an email when I post an update of my journey to survivor! There is actually some fun stuff, like wigs, eekk… I am not too savvy with a lace front, but I am going to learn. I will also explore cute scarf tying, cancer comforts, and ways to keep a bald head healthy. Also, my regular posts about cool things I find joy in, that you should also give a try.
