#gingerSTRONG @gingerobin-blog - Tumblr Blog

November 10, 2017 Last weekend with hair.

November 2, 2017 Day 7 - 10 of chemo, white cells are at their lowest. Requires a mask while teaching on those days.

October 31, 2017 A little cancer humor... gotta have a sense of humor, no matter how sick it is, lol

October 28, 2017 Haircut 💇

October 25, 2017 Chemo - Round 1

October 5, 2017 My oncologist explains chemotherapy and the side effects to me....a bit overwhelming and scary. So many possible side effects. This is when I think I started praying for the best. Will I ever be the same? Healthy, energetic, full of life, and no pain when this is all over???

#gingerstrong

Thank you just isn’t enough for all that have prepared me for chemo, and the journey ahead, with these wonderful gifts filled with love... 💗💗💗

#gingerstrong

“Good thing your breasts are so small...”

October 5, 2017

It was time for my post-op visit. The surgeon revealed that the tumor was larger than the ultrasound and MRI had predicted. He also explained that the pathology report showed that there are still microscopic cancer cells in my left breast. In turn he looks at me and says, “it’s a good thing your breasts are so small because The cells are at the back of your cheat wall and they basically have no room now to spread.” So... glass half full??? Lol. That’s why I had the joy of chemo and radiation to look forward to in hopes that both would kill what cancer is left inside. And kill the HER2 cells that linger beyond what any surgeon can find.

Today was also the day I met my Oncologist. She is personable, sincere, and extremely intelligent upon first encounter. She answers my questions, and describes the chemo process in its entirety. This part I hate, but I accept. Next steps... PET scan and Echocardiogram.

Today was a hard day. It was a lot of information to process for anyone. I still cannot believe this is happening to me. After three hours with doctors I was exhausted and more than confused.

At the end of the night I realize my first hard lesson of cancer: Sometimes love and support can be found in the most obvious of places... yet sometimes it cannot.

#gingerstrong #cancersucks

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 Recovering in bed that evening after surgery, I received a text blast from my Rotary friends. Funny how something so simple can warm your heart and give you strength. This is how I latched on to the hashtag gingerstrong and never looked back.

#gingerstrong #dunedinfl #dunedinwaterside

September 27, 2017 Partial Mastectomy - aka Lumpectomy

Last Shot...

September 24, 2017

My surgery was scheduled in three days. I hated the fact that I didn’t have pictures of my body, in particular my breasts, before one was about to change and be scarred forever. I needed some before shots. Perhaps to some that seems narcissistic, or shallow, but I was comfortable with my body and how it looked. The idea of it changing was a scary thought. Thankfully a dear friend at the time took what I needed. I recommend this to anyone in the same situation.

The moment you realize your ginger hair will all be gone…

... and all you want is a hug.

#gingerstrong #cancersucks

Seconds please...

September 13, 2017

Time for a second opinion. Appointment at Moffitt today. I was hoping there would be another solution than aggressive chemo. Surgery I could handle, but I've rarely taken meds throughout my life. The idea of putting pure poison into me, kept me up crying at night. This is when Google is not your best friend. Too much info!

Moffitt was fantastic. If it wasn't an hour or so away, it would have been my choice. As a teacher, I appreciated the time and visuals they created that made it make sense. They were comforting. The facility alone felt like a concierge service at a spa.

Unfortunately, the protocol from Moffitt was the same. Immediate partial mastectomy (aka lumpectomy) and then approximately a year of aggressive chemo. My question to the oncology nurse that day was simply, 'What if I choose not to do chemotherapy?' Her reply, 'Due to the HER2 cells, You'll most likely be back in 18 months to five years with cancer in your lungs or brain and then it's just about quality of life.' Well, f... me. That opened my mind and I knew there was no other choice.

September 5, 2017 Breast surgeon gives me the breakdown...

#cancersucks #gingerstrong

Biopsy Results...

Tuesday, August 29, I was with my 5th grade team at a professional development training. It had been 4 days of waiting, wondering, and hoping for the best. The phone finally lit up around 2:00 pm with an Unknown caller, yet it wasn't unknown at all. I grabbed my phone, raced outside, and answered.

'Well, it looks like you need to call a breast surgeon' were the first words out of her mouth on the other end of the line. My heart dropped. Was this really happening?

Next, a call to my best friend. Then my mom. Finally, when I had the courage, to my son who is away at college. The hardest call I've ever made. We were both in tears. Him and I are a team, a family, and this wasn't going to end that. It's always just been the two of us. He has given me more strength in my life than he knows, and this wasn't going to be any different. He is what I live for, and my hope in beating this is to be around to love and laugh with his kids too someday.

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