Shirley+Rob+Alex+Aiden
10 years ago
Thursday, January 1, 2009
MK Update 1/1/2009
Happy New Year!! I hope this e-mail finds each of you having a wonderful start to the new year. I was certainly more than eager to end 2008 and look forward to a very healthy 2009!! Tomorrow will be one year since I first received the breast cancer diagnosis--and what a year it WAS!! It seems so long ago that on the first Friday in January 2008 I walked into White River Medical Center with no worries or fears and walked out of there paralyzed by fear and negativity. Wow--that is certainly a feeling I care not to experience again!!
When I started this journey in January, I made a list of several goals for myself to help me maintain a positive focus. The number one goal was to finish all surgeries and treatments in one year. I DID IT!!! I managed to complete 5 surgeries and 6 chemo treatments in just under one year. My last surgery went well and was by far the easiest of the five. I still have a few cosmetic procedures left--but those are elective and outpatient and nothing major.
Along with goals, I decided to find one verse to help me as well. I picked the following verse and have recited it over and over during good days and yucky days. My Mom even found a t-shirt with this verse!!
Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I finally feel back to "normal"! I have energy and feel so very good. I have enough hair that I can create crazy spiked up styles and new boobs that are just awesome!!!
I have used these updates as a way to purge all of my feelings and I thank each of you for "listening" to me throughout this journey. I thank you for your prayers, for your support, and for your love. For the first few weeks of this journey, I seemed to only be able to focus on the negative aspects of cancer. But, with your continuous prayers I quickly was able to focus on the positive aspects and with the exception of a few days that were really yucky (I think the steroids played a major role on those days) I have maintained that positive focus. I feel very, very blessed to have had the opportunity to experience such a life-changing experience at such a young age. For those of you that know me well, you know how very competitive I am. I have been a part of some wonderful victories, but let me just say there is no feeling like the feeling of victory over cancer!! I am thankful that each of you have been a part of my team and hope that you will share with me in this glorious feeling. I have posted a picture slideshow on my blog. The slideshow basically chronicles this past year. It is kind of long--but I hope you can all take the time to see how your prayers were able to sustain me throughout this past year.
I will have repeat scans in January and every six months for the next two years and then annually for three years. I still have to take an oral form of chemo (tamoxifen) for five years. It doesn't have major side effects--the only one I am experiencing is difficulty maintaining a comfortable body temperature. I go from really hot to really cold. I hate the term "hot flash" so I have starting referring to those episodes as my own personal summer. If I could only figure out how to induce a personal summer during a period when I am freezing--that would be great!!
I can't begin to express in words how much each of you mean to me. I continue to thank God for each of you. I am eternally blessed to be loved by such a wonderful "Army of Angels"!! From doctors and nurses, friends and family, co-workers and perfect strangers--I have been blessed!! I ask that you continue to pray that the cancer will not return and that I will always remember the many lessons I have learned from this experience. Remember to check out my blog: http://mkupdates.blogspot.com and that you forward this to everyone you know that has been a part of my "Army"!! I would also love to get your mailing address. I have something I would like to send each of you via snail-mail--so please send me your mailing address.
I will continue to keep you posted after scans and appointments. Thanks for everything!!
Big hugs, Big tears, Big smiles--lots of love!!!!! MK
When I started this journey in January, I made a list of several goals for myself to help me maintain a positive focus. The number one goal was to finish all surgeries and treatments in one year. I DID IT!!! I managed to complete 5 surgeries and 6 chemo treatments in just under one year. My last surgery went well and was by far the easiest of the five. I still have a few cosmetic procedures left--but those are elective and outpatient and nothing major.
Along with goals, I decided to find one verse to help me as well. I picked the following verse and have recited it over and over during good days and yucky days. My Mom even found a t-shirt with this verse!!
Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I finally feel back to "normal"! I have energy and feel so very good. I have enough hair that I can create crazy spiked up styles and new boobs that are just awesome!!!
I have used these updates as a way to purge all of my feelings and I thank each of you for "listening" to me throughout this journey. I thank you for your prayers, for your support, and for your love. For the first few weeks of this journey, I seemed to only be able to focus on the negative aspects of cancer. But, with your continuous prayers I quickly was able to focus on the positive aspects and with the exception of a few days that were really yucky (I think the steroids played a major role on those days) I have maintained that positive focus. I feel very, very blessed to have had the opportunity to experience such a life-changing experience at such a young age. For those of you that know me well, you know how very competitive I am. I have been a part of some wonderful victories, but let me just say there is no feeling like the feeling of victory over cancer!! I am thankful that each of you have been a part of my team and hope that you will share with me in this glorious feeling. I have posted a picture slideshow on my blog. The slideshow basically chronicles this past year. It is kind of long--but I hope you can all take the time to see how your prayers were able to sustain me throughout this past year.
I will have repeat scans in January and every six months for the next two years and then annually for three years. I still have to take an oral form of chemo (tamoxifen) for five years. It doesn't have major side effects--the only one I am experiencing is difficulty maintaining a comfortable body temperature. I go from really hot to really cold. I hate the term "hot flash" so I have starting referring to those episodes as my own personal summer. If I could only figure out how to induce a personal summer during a period when I am freezing--that would be great!!
I can't begin to express in words how much each of you mean to me. I continue to thank God for each of you. I am eternally blessed to be loved by such a wonderful "Army of Angels"!! From doctors and nurses, friends and family, co-workers and perfect strangers--I have been blessed!! I ask that you continue to pray that the cancer will not return and that I will always remember the many lessons I have learned from this experience. Remember to check out my blog: http://mkupdates.blogspot.com and that you forward this to everyone you know that has been a part of my "Army"!! I would also love to get your mailing address. I have something I would like to send each of you via snail-mail--so please send me your mailing address.
I will continue to keep you posted after scans and appointments. Thanks for everything!!
Big hugs, Big tears, Big smiles--lots of love!!!!! MK
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