November 5th officially marks my first "Cancerversary" -- the day I got the dreaded phone call I never thought I would receive. At least not at this point in my life. Looking back, it seems like it was just yesterday -- but at the same time, like it happened to someone else and in a different lifetime entirely. But, I guess I've changed a lot since then. And I'll never be exactly the same person I was "pre-cancer".

I'm sure the next few weeks (and maybe even months) will bring back a flood of emotions and memories, but instead of dwelling on how terrible that time of my life was...I'm going to focus on the positives. 

Starting with another big milestone -- I am officially PORT-FREE! I had an outpatient procedure yesterday to have my port removed. It was fairly easy, with local anesthesia, so I really got to go about the rest of my (Victory) Monday, as usual. One more step in the road to getting some normalcy back into my life again.

For those of you not on Facebook/Instagram, the Ravens (yet again) surprised me with a couple very special moments in the last few weeks. First -- they honored me on the field during the National Anthem alongside 40 other cancer fighters/survivors prior to our "Crucial Catch" game against the Bengals in October. And then, just last week, Wink Martindale (our Defensive Coordinator), Head Coach, John Harbaugh, and Executive VP of PR, Kevin Byrne, presented me with the game coin from that game. I'm continually left speechless by all the endless support that I have here and how incredibly thoughtful people have been. 

Next up on the medical checklist is a procedure to remove my ovaries on 12/16. Since ovarian cancer is related to the BRCA gene mutation, it's another preventative measure we can take to avoid having to go through this nightmare again. Fortunately, the process of freezing my eggs means I can still have a baby of my own. And, at least for the time being, I have the option to carry it myself since my uterus is being preserved...for now. That procedure is laparoscopic and I'll only need to be out of work for a couple days. 

But for now, we'll celebrate another milestone! 

xoxoxo
Laura