Irrational Dragon
Greetings my friends. How is it possible that more than a year has passed since my last post? As per usual, I will start with a WARNING!!! If you do NOT want to see Penny and Clover in all their recent glory TURN BACK NOW! It’s okay. Now that is out of the way, let me bring you up to speed. My last surgery was in October 2022. If you have read the blog in the past, you might remember,…
Penny and Clover 2.0
WARNING!!! There ARE photos in this post. If you don’t want to see them…turn back now! Hi there! If you have been following my blog, you may remember me mentioning in my last post that I was heading back to surgery in September for another round of fat grafting and scar revision. Well, in late August at exactly the 90 days post Covid point, I along with several others in my tribe tested Covid positive (for the second time this…
Church, Cotten & COVID
July 26, 2022 I was not sure if I was going to continue to blog; however, after a series of events, I have decided to continue with sharing my thoughts with anyone who might be interested. The reasons for this decision will unfold throughout this post, but first an update on how life is 15 months post mastectomy. Towards the end of recovery from my Preventative Double Mastectomy last April, I stared to notice pain in both of my thumbs.…
Vert. The. Ferk?
12-13-2021 As I prepared for my third and final surgery within 12 months, I thought…. I have made it through two surgeries thus far, this one should be a piece of cake. I had waffled back and forth with the decision to do the fat transfer. I was not thrilled with how my foobs had settled but pondered whether or not to put myself through the process again. I try to be as truthful and real as possible on here;…
BRCA BRCA ONE NINE
11-03-2021 Since the very first time my husband and I talked to our son about my BRCA1 status and the fact that, as my son, he had a 50/50 chance of inheriting the mutation, he often raises his right hand as if holding a CB radio and mumbles (like a seasoned truck driver) the phrase “this is BRCA BRCA ONE NINE.” I have been waiting for the appropriate time to add the quip to my blog and this feels like…
Awareness Rising
9-28-2021 With summer officially ending, the month of September focused on raising awareness of Ovarian and other Hereditary Cancers, followed by October raising awareness for Breast Cancer, I have found myself in quite the reflective mood. I have pondered what my existence was like before finding out I carry the BRCA1 mutation (which was exactly 1 year, 7 months and 27 days ago), what life has been like since finding out and what interesting things lie ahead for me as…
THIS IS BRCA POSITIVE!
August 2, 2021 It’s been 4 months since my Double Mastectomy. I am happy to report that I continue to heal and am doing quite well. Thankfully my recovery has gone as smoothly as it has, because approximately 2 weeks into it, we found out my husband has a rare bone disease called Kienbock’s Disease. Never heard of it? Us either! In a nutshell, the blood supply to the lunate bone in his wrist became ineffective and over time, the…
April Showers, Bring May Flowers
5-12-2021 It has been almost six weeks since surgery and I wanted to take this opportunity to check in. Penny, Clover, and I seem to be adjusting fairly well to each other. They have not revolted, and I have not tortured them too often with ill fitted bras. I am confident that in time, we will learn to co-exist in harmony and perhaps one day, I will make it through an entire 24-hour span without being reminded of their falsehood. …
Hot Mess Express
4-22-2021 Well, hell. Here we are one day shy of the three week point and today I am….. a Hot Mess, Spicy Disaster, Blazing Mayhem, Scorching Chaos, Sizzling Disarray, Peppery Shambles, Stormy Jumble, Intense Wreck……more simply, today I am a heap of extreme emotions. The only way to get over a mountain is to take it one step at a time. I think I have been putting so much energy into tackling each day, that I haven’t looked behind me…
Cope NOT Hope
4-9-2021 Happy Friday! I am one-week post-surgery! Woo Hoo!! All seems to be progressing well. I just finished my first virtual post-op appointment and the plastic surgeon’s PA is happy with where I am. She reminded me that I have to take it easy for the next two weeks, I can’t lift anything over 5 pounds and while I can walk and engage with the world around me, I should not raise my heart rate. She assured me that I…
It’s TWINS
4-4-2021 WARNING ~ There WILL BE pictures! If you don’t want to see them, close your eyes and turn back now. ~ Additional Warning ~ I am still medicated and this may not be the best grammatical post I have done! Here we go…… And, just like that, surgery is over! I want to say THANK YOU to every person that has called, texted, messaged, sent something, cooked a meal etc. You have walked this entire journey with me and…
Boobvoyage!
3-31-2021 ~ WARNING ~ Proceed with Caution (or sunglasses). If the site of a boob scares you, turn back now! After 14 months of researching, thinking about and planning for a Prophylactic Double Mastectomy, the time for it is pretty much here. In two days, I will walk into Magee Women’s Hospital and place my boobs into the hands of a team of physicians who will work their magic and take my risk of developing Breast Cancer from greater than…
N.I.P.P.L.E.
3-21-2021 There are certain words in the English language that have a tendency to make one cringe. Some of these words are: moist, phlegm, crevice, mucous, damp, discharge and smear. Added to my own personal collection of wince worthy words are breast and nipple. I can not tell you why I loathe these words, but for nearly 30 years my husband has heckled me by singing the “nipple song” any time the word nipple has been uttered. If you remember…
What the F is Tubthumping?
2-23-2021 Hi there! I originally planned to wait until after my appointment with the plastic surgeon to write my next post. But here I am two days before the appointment flinging my fingers across the keyboard like a 1950’s secretary trying to keep up with an overly wordy boss. At this point, I have exhausted all my tricks to help keep the anxiety at bay and am currently near a point of hyperventilation, so I figured I might as well…
Shields Up
1-11-2021 Happy New Year! Although the holidays were different for many, I hope love and optimism found their way into your homes throughout the holiday season. There is nothing more precious than the love of those you hold dear and no star brighter than the one of hope. I am currently 4 weeks and 5 days past my surgery. While the physical recovery has gone well, the emotional and hormonal aspects are starting to take a toll. I feel as…
Hot Blooded
12-17-2020 A week ago today I had my uterus, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. All in all, the surgery wasn’t awful and recovery is going as well as I could hope for. I had a fabulous surgical team and I have a strong support system at home. I consider myself lucky on both accounts and recognize the fact that some ladies are not quite as fortuitous as I am. Jim and I walked into Passavant Cranberry Hospital on time…
Prepping for a Shit Show
Prepping for a Shit Show 12-13-2020 Good early morning! Since I can’t sleep, I figured it is a good time to write. I successfully made it through surgery and wanted to take this opportunity to chat about the day of prepping prior to surgery. I will follow up with an additional post abut the actual surgery and recovery (thus far), but if I wrote about it all at once, we’d be here for longer than you probably want to be. …
Eviction Eve
Eviction Eve December 9, 2020 It has been an interesting 5 weeks, but it is finally Hysterectomy (Eviction) Eve. I think I am as prepared as I could possibly be. I have been stressing about this for so long, that reality feels more surreal than anything. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 tomorrow morning. Since the hospital is almost two hours away, Jim and I will be hitting the road at 3:30 am. We considered staying in Pittsburgh tonight, but the…
So Close…..Psych!
11-02-2020 Today is supposed to be my day to prep for surgery. Unfortunately, 2020 continues to show me who is in charge. You see, 13 days ago Jim and Jacob set out and a once in a life adventure. They loaded up two vehicles with 4 other guys and headed west to Colorado. Before you judge, please know they have had this trip planned for 2 years. They took all necessary precautions and were heading to a totally isolated area. …
Pink or Teal Worthy?
10-23-2020 Happy Friday! I have a very long list of things I wanted to get done today. Writing this blog post was on my list, but I wanted to get some things related to life and the world of Tallulah’s Diner (my first published Children’s book) done first. Instead of knocking those things off my list, I opened my Facebook and came across the new song entitled “Pink” by some pretty kick ass ladies. Since it tied into what I…
Chief Squared
Chief Squared 10/05/2020 Happiness ~ The official definition of happiness is: the quality or state of being happy. ~ good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy. Although, many things bring me an abundance of happiness, this post will focus on two things specifically and how blending them together has brought me, not only happiness, but unexpected, yet perfectly timed friendships. One is my husband and the other is Eric Church. Now, before you roll your eyes and blow out a puff of exasperated…
Laundry ~ $2 a Load
September 20, 2020 It has taken me longer to write this post than anticipated. I wanted to share my experience with the Gynecological Oncologist from Magee’s in Pittsburgh, PA on August 26th; unfortunately, life got in the way and it has taken me until today to have the time/attitude to write about it. Lately, my thoughts and emotions have been all over the board. Somedays, the inside of my head feels like a washing machine is rotating endlessly on a…
Boobs or Prosecco?
August 20, 2020 I am 16 days past my first in person High Risk visit. It was a good and informative visit. Most of it was reaffirming what I had already been counseled on, but the gal did a fine job and helped me separate some facts from fiction. She also reassured me that, no matter what decisions I make in the future, they will be the right ones for me. As the Counselor was reviewing recommendations for diet and…
Bliss or Power?
August 3, 2020 If ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power…which would you choose? Up until January of this year, I was blissfully unaware that a genetic mutation lurked silently within my cells. Although, I always knew that part of me was “Jewish”, I had no idea that a known genetic mutation was popular amongst people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. I have never set foot in a synagogue to pray and know little about my father’s lineage. My father was…
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A River Girl's Reflections on Life with BRCA1 