So much has happened! I didn’t realize it had been so long since my last entry until I started to write this!

The biggest news is that we moved into the townhouse in Fairlington! It took a while to unpack, and we’re still not quite done, but we are finally settled enough that we’re able to really enjoy the new place. It is so perfect for us and we couldn’t be happier. Having the extra space has made it even more unfathomable that we previously lived in 800 square feet. How did we accumulate so much stuff while we were there?? One of my favorite new things is that it’s so nice to not have all the toys in the living room and the kids’ bedroom—now they all stay in the basement (for the most part). I also love how much natural light we get. And the fenced-in patio is amazing. We furnished it with a giant umbrella and a water table for the kids so we spend a lot of time outside. We’ll get some patio furniture when we can take advantage of upcoming Labor Day sales. 

Leaving Brian’s parents’ house was definitely bittersweet. I miss Grandma and Poppy’s good company and I have a feeling we’ll be visiting them quite a bit when they’re back from the beach. We are forever grateful to them for their generosity and hospitality for such a long time! I’m sure they’re happy to have their house back. It’s the first time it’s been just the four of us (and Sophie) since January, which is hard to believe.

As I packed up my stuff in Annandale, I took some extra time and reread all the cards people have sent me since my diagnosis. It was such a boost to remind myself how many people were thinking about me and sending well wishes. I’m still just so grateful for all the support!

I mentioned in my last journal entry that I was planning to go public with my cancer diagnosis on Facebook by making a plea to people to wear (or continue to wear) a mask. Well I did it and I was blown away by the response! I posted to my friends first and after some encouragement I made it public. I also posted to a private group I’m part of where it got a ton of visibility and shares. In the end, the post was liked 8,000 times and shared 384 times. I’m not sure how many hearts and minds I changed, but I gave it my best shot. What I didn’t predict was how supported I would feel by all the comments from both friends and strangers. So many women reached out and said they were cancer survivors and they would wear their mask for me. I was nervous that I would regret it, but it was a rewarding experience and I’m really glad I did it. 

Medically, things have also been going really well. I’ve had several check-ins with my plastic surgeon and everything looks great. I’ve been going to weekly physical therapy and it’s been going really well. I’m very pleased with how well I’ve recovered from the first surgery. And I haven’t had any problems with lymphedema so far. The worst thing I have going on right now is that my weakened nails keep splitting below the nail bed which makes my fingertips hurt, and my cuticles are still recovering.

My next procedure is September 17th, to have the tissue expanders removed and replaced with implants. It should be a much easier surgery than the mastectomy. Everyone who has had TEs really didn’t seem to like them and are very happy to have the implants put in. I really haven’t minded them too much, so I hope that means I will LOVE the implants. My parents are coming back to visit and help which I’m very excited about because it feels like it has been an eternity since I last saw them. 

I’m still getting used to having zero sensation in my breasts. I knew this was going to happen but that didn’t make it any easier. It feels like I have stuffed my bra with padding...like, I squeeze and feel nothing. It’s literally padding under my skin. I’m still getting used to it. At least they look really good. 

It seemed like my hair growth was starting to “take off,” but then for couple of weeks it slowed down a bit, and now it finally is starting to show more encouraging progress. I’m hoping that by the end of summer I’ll be able to go hatless. My lashes are coming back full, but they are growing suuuupeeer slowly so they are very short. Fortunately I’m not putting on much mascara these days anyway, so I’m not terribly bothered. I’m excited to have a treat coming up: I’m getting a facial the week after my surgery—a sorry-we-had-to-meet-under-these-circumstances gift from my plastic surgeon—which I’m really looking forward to because my skin could really use some help after the Poison Concerts. 

We spend most of our free time unpacking and settling in, but on some nights we get an hour of TV. Most recently we have been finishing the German show Dark on Netflix. We still have a couple of episodes to go, but it has been phenomenal. If you like anything in the sci-fi genre, it’s worth a try! And when the kids watch Bluey, an Australian children’s show, we are more than happy to watch with them.

Because I don’t have enough going on, I decided to take up a volunteer post as an admin for a Facebook group called the Buy Nothing Project (https://buynothingproject.org/about/ ). The group was losing both of its admins, and apparently I was their best option. I had loved being part of this group when I lived in Old Town and immediately joined my new group when I moved to Fairlington. It has already been wonderful for gifting to and receiving items from my new neighbors. It felt like the right opportunity to give back to this group that’s been such a great help to me. I also thought it would be a good hobby to distract myself from 2020 and try to keep my brain more active. If you have a group where you live, I recommend you check it out! It’s a refreshing change from many other groups that are buy/sell or first-come first-served. 

Olivia has been doing some Outschool classes which so far she’s doing very well with. (I don’t have a teaching bone in my body so eavesdropping also helps me!) She did one about letters that was every day this week (only for 25 minutes each day), and her reward at the end of the week was a “Jedi Training” PE class. Perhaps someday the elementary school in our district will call us back about virtual pre-K for the fall. And James has been talking up a storm but it’s 80% related to the ice cream truck that frequents our neighborhood or his cousin Aidan’s 7th (family-only) birthday party last week. He continues to be the funniest person I’ve ever met.