I'm a mom too!

Today was all good news! It is completely contained, less than 1 cm. and an easy fix. Radiation is an aggressive precaution. I will have a lumpectomy on Aug. 14th, followed by radiation. They will not need to test lymph nodes and radiation is an aggressive precaution.  My cancer is estrogen and progesterone positive. I was told that I need to lose weight and drink less because fat produces estrogen and the liver breaks it down. That was the worst news of the day. :/ They did take my blood for genetic testing but that wouldn't change this surgery. It will just be good information to have with my family's history of cancer. Something else I learned today is that this is an early stage that mammograms 20 years would never have caught. It IS good to live in the 2000s. Here is my Timeline: Aug. 4- MRI Aug. 17-Covid Test and  Radioactive seed placement Aug. 19-Lumpectomy Sept. 16ish- Radiation would start, every day for 4 weeks Sept. 23rd- Considering going to back to wor

Updating: So someone talked me into making an Amazon wish list. My wish list includes things that will help me on my health journey, help with radiation,  or feel good gifts.  Thank you in advance for considering any of these gifts! (I took the list down but it was an excellent suggestion for things that helped along the way!)    I really do hate this question. Especially, during Covid. Here is the deal, you can't really help me. But also, I don't think I need it, yet. Also, I'm not afraid to ask for it when I do. Do you know who does need help right now? Teachers, and admins, and paras, and school staff. The country is in need right now. Everyone needs to help everyone. People need to take care of people. I promise you I can take care of myself so that you can take care of others, like my class, like my substitute, like my team, like my school, like my district. Help with kind words and patience. Help the country with an act of kindness. Help by wearing a mask when you c

Going back to read this post about my mom's cancer in 2013 is a little haunting. I stand by what I said though, Don't live in fear, get regular Mammograms. This is copy and pasted from  https://wendy-nielsen.com/amanda-thompson A DAUGHTER’S PERSPECTIVE: AMANDA THOMPSON Today’s guest post comes from Amanda Thompson and breaks form from the others this month as its author has never been diagnosed with breast cancer. I thought it was important to feature a story from a daughter’s perspective. Amanda’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly fourteen years ago. A heartfelt read. Amanda and I first connected on Twitter about a year ago after I had been tweeting about the breast cancer storyline on Parenthood. Amanda said she could relate to Haddie’s storyline. If you’re a fan of the show, you might remember that Kristina and Adam waited to tell their daughter about Kristina’s diagnosis so not to disrupt her studies at college. Anyway, long story short…Amanda’s pare

In August 2019 my screening and then diagnostic mammogram showed some calcified clusters. They were tiny so not much they could do. They told me to come back in 6 months. I had every intention to go back in February, but we got busy and then Covid19 happened. I finally got around to the follow-up diagnostic mammo on June 25  June 25 diagnostic mammogram--they saw TWO clusters this time July 8 needle biopsy #1 , 2nd cluster was too small to keep trying at this time July 15 dreaded phone call I  have non-invasive DCIS clusters, yes I have breast cancer. July 21 (Today) I had a second needle biopsy of a second cluster they can barely see and gave up on last time--this time really really hurt as the first biopsy didn't bother me. It hurt so, reality set in, as did this moment when they handed me a pink ice pack. That biopsy was benign. :) July 27- Met with genetic counselor and medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists. I learned that it is less than 1cm (they were wrong

And I'm a little mad at the world and honestly I'm not ready to tell my cancer story but I do have a funny story that I don't want to forget. Here is my funny story. The hardest part of a cancer diagnosis is telling your mom. Especially if your mom is a cancer survivor. And she has survived it twice. And you've had to tell her you had a brain tumor while she was still doing chemo treatments. On Wednesday I found out I have breast cancer. I will post details later. I knew I had to tell some people. I told my friends, some who knew I had the biopsy and I added a few more that I needed to tell right away, because I'm a teacher, in a pandemic, and I knew I needed their help. Then I told a few more people, my girls, and my siblings. I begged my sister to tell my mom because I DIDN't THINK I COULD. She wouldn't. So I worked up the nerve. So I got her on facetime and I told her and she said to me. "You know the hardest part for me was telling my mom.&quo