29 Doctors appointments 
1 mammogram (ever in my life!!) 
1  3-hour long ultra sound 
4 areas biopsied (that crap hurts)
2 CT Scans 
3 MRI’s
A 15 CM Mass
4 Echocardiograms 
1 Infusion Port placement surgery
16 Blood draws
4 rounds of Adriamycin (aka The Red Devil)
4 rounds of Taxol (3xs the normal dose given each time)
16 rounds of Herceptin and Perjeta. 
Chemo side effects - fatigue, skin rash, severe leg pain (no nausea, barfing or bowel issues!!!)
A bald head 
19 lymph nodes removed
Double Mastectomy surgery = 3 days in the hospital 
Infection from mastectomy surgery = 6 days in the hospital - barfing. 
33 radiation treatments. 
Open sores and pain like no other after radiation. 3 Physical therapy appointments with lymphedema checks /sleeve fitting and in home exercises to get back my range of motion in my arm
0 CM Mass!!!!! CANCER FREE!!! 
32 extra pounds and lost all my endurance
Tingling in fingers and toes!! 
Ugly gray, curly, short hair. 
1 more minor surgery to remove my port in August!!

What a CRAZY year!! But it’s Done. Over. Behind Me!!! 

Friday I went to Ann B. for my LAST infusion 1 year and 1 week after my 1st infusion. Blood work at 7:45 am - during this entire year my blood work stayed in the “normal” range - through all that chemo!  Amazing. Thank you Jesus!! After blood work I had an appointment with a nurse practitioner because my oncologist is on vacation. The appointment was uneventful because all is well! I meet with my oncologist in August to discuss follow up appointments and what is needed now that treatment is done!  Then I headed upstairs for my last treatment. Also uneventful!! In and out!!! 

I was joined by Kelly my sister/nurse! Kelly went to all of my appointments with me leading up to chemo as my interpreter. She explained all the medical stuff to me in normal people terms!! She also handled all the blood and guts part of my surgery since I don’t do blood and guts!! Kelly was my last infusion friend out of 22 infusion friends!!! Once I realized that I had to go to all of these hour long infusion days at Ann B. I decided it would be fun to have a different person join me each time! Never the same person twice!! I was going to create a sign up genius for my appointments but I never needed to!  Lots of friends contacted me and asked to join me!!! Thank you all so much. I did ask my friend Heather to stop by and join us yesterday. She went to my very first chemo treatment with me BUT that was before I started taking pictures of all my chemo buddies. I needed a picture of her!! 

The Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute is an amazing place. There is a fountain in front of the building. I decided last summer while going to a million appointments and passing that fountain a few times a week that I was going to run through that fountain when this was all over. July 19, 2019 seemed like it was FOREVER away and NEVER going to get here!! Well it finally arrived and I got to run through that fountain!!!

After treatment and running through the fountain I went out to a celebratory lunch with some of the best people I know!!! I received some celebratory gifts too!!! It was a great day!!!

Last year after my 1st chemo treatment we headed to Ocean City, NJ for our family vacation that was planned long before we knew anything about cancer. Today I’m writing this post as I’m sitting on the beach again at Ocean City, NJ!! This year we purposely planned it for right after my last treatment. Last year vacation was so different and scary!!! I wasn’t allowed to get in the ocean because I had just had my port surgery and the dr didn’t want it to get infected!  This year I look different and have to be covered from head to toe but it feels WAY better to be on this side of the diagnosis!! I even got in the ocean already!! I already like this year so much better than last year!!!! So I’m going to go and enjoy this time with my family! 

I have only one more thing to do before this journey is completely behind me and that is a minor surgery on August 9th to remove my medi port! So unless I actually die this time from that surgery (funny story behind this, if I haven’t told you it, ask me about it!), this will be my official last Caring Bridge post!! If I do die, I’m sure sister/nurse Kelly will post on here to let everyone know!!!😜

Thank you all so much for the prayers, cards, gifts, texts, calls, meals, financial assistance, yard work, house work, childcare, husband care...the list could go on!!  Thank you all for your love, support and friendship during this crazy time!!

I LOVE this phrase that a close friend told me so I’ll end with it:

I HAD CANCER BUT CANCER NEVER HAD ME!!!!!!