Hey YOU, I'm talking to YOU!

Komen team kick off was this week and it was amazing. Our honorary race chair this year is Leslie Ezelle, former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, and design star contestant and passionate breast cancer survivor. Talk about energy! She's got it and she's a genuinely nice, caring, concerned person. Watch her on Design Star, HGTV (which I've been watching too much of in my recovery mode...but it's like crack for the immobile).

I heard an alarming statistic at this rally - 50% of women who have health insurance and access to health care and who are over 40 DO NOT GET THEIR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS. And then I got to thinking about some of you near and dear to me (you KNOW who you are) who don't get your regular mammogram and this is alarming. (Here's where I get to pour on the Catholic guilt thing I learned from my upbringing).

I was diagnosed at 41 and then again at 50. I started having mammograms at the age of 35 because of my family history and a wonderful doctor (thanks Dr. Mendez) who was vigilant about screening. Both times, the lumps were too small to be detected by feel alone. Both times caught early and treatable and here I am to tell you about it.

You may think you don't need to be screened because you don't have a family history of breast cancer. NOT TRUE! The biggest risk factors for getting breast cancer are being female and getting older. Yes, if you have family history BE MORE VIGILANT - but everyone get screened regularly! Of course, this isn't just mammograms...get your colonoscopy when you turn 50, do blood work regularly, have your stress test (watch Dr. Oz and you'll learn all the tests you should be doing). Being proactive about your health is key to surviving and thriving in this life.

A lot of my volunteer time is spent assisting women who want and need education and screening but can't get it because of resources. Their breast cancers are typically found at stages III and IV when they are harder to treat. So for those of you that have access to these, please, please, please,utilize them. THEY ARE YOUR SILVER LINING. Grab some friends and make a day out of it.

OK, off my soap box and back to C2...ME. I feel like there are a couple of people in my chest having a boxing match. It's not painful but is super uncomfortable. I'm regularly working and driving and getting around, but I still can't lift more than 4 pounds, can't work out and I'm watching a lot of HGTV. We've had the hottest July on record, no rain and August is following suit...a cool day is a 100 degree day. Whaaaaaaaaa...

My silver linings - meeting amazing new warriors and having the ability to be an advocate and mentor for the women around me.

Pictured here are two of Lauri's daughters, Shaz and Madeline with me at last year's race for the cure, a family tradition. This week Madeline and Lauri's other daughter Sara were visiting me. These three young women are amazing human beings and I know their Mom is smiling down from heaven on the extraordinary strong, independent women they are becoming.

Now get off the computer and get on the phone...schedule your mammo. It's your best ammo.

Here we go again

This is my beautiful buy-one-get-one-free daughter with her baby Lee. Her dad and I didn't stay together but she and I cannot be separated...it seems we are joined at the breast. She is 31 years old and last week she discovered a small lump. Even though she's not related to me biologically, she too has a family history of breast cancer in her family. Luckily, she was informed enough to go directly to the doctor to get it checked. He confirmed that it was a suspicious tiny lump and suggested watching it.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?

NEVER! She lives in Houston and is fortunate that her mom works at MD Anderson - the famous cancer center. She has an appointment today to have it completely checked out and C ruled out. I'm proud of her for taking charge of her health - she is Major Tom and everyone else is Ground Control.

Prayers that all is clear!

Silver Lining: Talking, talking, talking about breast health and breast cancer makes a difference not only to our peers, but to the generations below. They are watching us.

Tears of Joy...Sighs of Relief...NO NODES!

For all of you who stormed heaven with your prayers; who meditated and chanted with me for "No Nodes;" who held me up through all the dark uncertain days; who nourished me with food and company and yes, even my country neighbor who assured me if anything needed shot, he was my man...A GREAT BIG COSMIC THANK YOU.

Pete and I went to visit Dr. McSmarty, the Plastic Surgeon today. We arrived at his office at 11:11 am. For those of you who have been on this journey for many years with me, you know that I lost my younger sister Lauri to breast cancer at the age of 43, and my wonderful mother to Ovarian cancer when she was 62. When Mom passed away, Lauri got into numerology and would point out that whenever the numbers 1111 or 111 would show up, it meant that an angel was watching over you. She would see these numbers in weird places, like on a license plate, when she was thinking of my mom. To her it meant mom was saying "HEY. Look at me. I'm here." When we lost Lauri, we started seeing these numbers too. So of course today, when the appointment started at 11:11 - it was surely a sign my sister who had walked with me through this disease before, and my mom, were certainly with me now.

Dr. McSmarty assured us that everything was healing perfectly and was looking better than expected. He gave me a couple of more exercises to do (YAY!) and told me that next Tuesday he hopes to have all the fills done. With this appointment completed, we went over to our Happy Place for lunch, Two Sisters, and had some great nutritious salads. Then over to Dr. Grant's office to find out the pathology of this most recent cancer. Tension was high.

Boy, Dr. Grant was chit chatty today. Taking his time feeling up the new boobies, marveling at his masterwork and giving me more exercises (with weights! YAY!); talking about his vacation and what he was reading. BLAH BLAH BLAH...HEY, what about those nodes? He was getting there which I thought was a sign there was bad news coming.

Then he said - CLEAR! Nothing in the nodes. Nothing in the breast tissue from either breast. The teeny tiny cancer that could not be felt but only seen through amazing new diagnostic mammography equipment at Baylor was contained. What this means, is NO CHEMOTHERAPY. Having been down that road before, I was braced for a re-run but dreading it. People who have had chemotherapy, I know you feel me. It's not as bad as it looks on TV or the movies but trust me it's no walk in the park either. I still have long term effects from C1 Chemotherapy.

Then Dr. Grant hugged me. I know what this means - parting is such sweet sorrow. I will see him occasionally but he is moving on to a new steadier girlfriend. I wish them both luck. Pete and I were teary eyed - and we were Facebook posting and text messaging the good news simultaneously from Dr. G's office. We were keeping it together pretty good, until check out time and Pete looked over at the little label holder on the nurse's desk pictured above - 11:11. Then I lost it...and his staff was all looking at me weird until I was finally able to explain the connection. The office manager said her husband was into the 11:11 thing too.

I've never cried in Dr. Grant's office before - I've cried in the elevator and in my car. I've hugged many crying people in the hall and the elevator from Dr. Grant's office. I'm sure the waiting room people thought I had just received some horrible news with my sobbing...but how do you explain tears of joy? Tears of relief? Tears of grief - knowing a sister and a mother left you here on earth but continue to watch over you in heaven? I know for sure today that angels were walking with me.

And if you've ever had any disbelief that positive energy, prayers, good karma etc. work...I am here to tell you that this energy could move mountains and change the world. I feel lucky to have friends, family and strangers who were willing to pray with me for this great outcome. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I hope I can be there for you when you need a friend, a prayer, a chant.

So next steps...

Next week I go for my final fill in the expanders, then will talk with Dr. McSmarty about when the exchange surgery will happen and we'll swap out the expanders for the perkier implants. Size C. I'm enjoying being a smaller girl this time around.

Silver Linings:

Reaffirmed belief that people are basically pretty awesome and will come together for a common cause. We have more in common than our differences.

Early Detection has been life saving for me and I thank God I have the knowledge, the discipline and the health insurance to get my regular mammogram.

Have you gotten yours?