Yesterday was 02/20/2020. Seems like a good date to have something memorable occur…

So, how about this: Yesterday, I completed my 36th - and FINAL - radiation treatment!

It’s difficult to believe we made it to this milestone. When I think back to June - when the treatment trifecta of chemo + surgery + radiation was laid out for me - it felt do-able, but daunting. And there were certainly days and weeks since that time when it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

But here we are. Feb 20, treatment complete (mostly...I’ll get to that...), all signs of breast cancer gone from my body.

It is truly amazing. And I’m reminded of something that’s stuck with me since the beginning: God is good, all the time.

I am SO thankful for this outcome. I know, firsthand, that not every breast cancer story ends this way, and I don’t take for granted that this may not be over for me...recurrence is a reality that I may face someday, which makes the NOW - the cancer-free present - even more valuable than ever before. 

For now, today - and hopefully forever - I celebrate being through the worst of the journey and having a success story to share. 😊 

Speaking of celebrating…last week was my 40th birthday, and I had the surprise of a lifetime when my sneaky husband, along with my incredible friends and family, orchestrated a celebration that I never saw coming…I am still at a loss for words to describe the amazement of being surrounded with SO. MUCH. LOVE. We have been incredibly blessed and are beyond grateful for the army of people who have shown unrelenting support, kindness, and generosity throughout this journey. The birthday/cancer-free celebration was beyond anything I could have expected or imagined, and it’s humbling that so many family and friends came from near and far (very far, in some cases!) to help celebrate. Thank you to each and every one of you who showed up - I loved every minute and, honestly, am still a bit stunned by the magnitude of what it meant. It was truly an unforgettable event - an event that speaks to a life-truth that I’ve become convinced of over the past 8 months...

Cancer sucks. For sure, it does. But the hell that is cancer is not what lives in the forefront of my mind when I reflect on this experience. Instead, it’s this: People are amazing. Love triumphs. The fear and pain of cancer doesn’t stand a chance against the goodness that humans are capable of showing to one another - it is a remarkable life-truth.

As far as what’s next for treatment, between now and June 3, I will continue to have Herceptin infusions every three weeks. Herceptin is an immunotherapy used to treat breast cancer that is positive for HER2 hormone receptors - this article does a nice job explaining it, but in a nutshell, Herceptin blocks the cancer’s HER2 receptors and alerts the body’s immune system to fight cancer by destroying the cells. According to my oncologist, studies have shown that receiving Herceptin for one year has reduced recurrence risk for patients with HER2+ cancer. So, we’ll keep on truckin’ with Herceptin until June 3, but that will be easy enough - I’ve had no side effects from it, thus far - the biggest pain is having to disrupt my work schedule with appointments every three weeks.

I will continue to update this site with anything pertinent to my journey (stay tuned for info about the Komen 1-day walk in Minneapolis this August). And, though I’ve said it before, THANK YOU for all the prayers and gestures of support you’ve all given to me, Tyrone, our kiddos, and our parents. It means the world to us and we truly couldn’t do this without you - every little thing has added up to an immeasurable amount of love that has truly carried us through.

For my prayer warriors, these beautiful women continue to fight with courage and grace: Grandma E, Emmy, Jenny, Sarah, Brianne, and Molly. May we find ourselves celebrating their cancer victory sooner rather than later!

Love, hugs, blessings, cheers!

Kelly