A busy week and medical advances

The summer has officially ended in our house with the yearly closing of the pool. There are still some very warm days in the forecast like today’s heat in excess of 90 degrees, but once school starts there is just not enough time in the day. Speaking of school, the fist day was a success for all! Both girls had great days especially our new first grader.

The first day seems like a life time ago already. Saturday morning was picture perfect. Although there was a slight chill in the air, the sun, high in a bright blue sky was warm and comfortable. Our day started with a season opening soccer game with the youngest at 9am. At her age they play 2 fields of 4 on 4, open goal. This is my husbands first year coaching soccer and the first time most of the girls have played together. There were many bright spots. A little girl who just could not keep herself from picking up the ball mid play was not necessarily one of the brightest but the season looks to be fun none the less.

The look of a 3-0 shut-out to start the season!

The travel game with the older child was much better. I think what made this game so much fun was the fact that over the last year we sat through many (emphasis many) bad, down right ugly soccer games. With Megan as the full-time goal keeper this year we feel extra pressure to ensure she plays her best. Saturday the entire team stepped up and played the best game we have seen them play as a team. The final score was 3-0..first game of the year and first shut out of what we hope will be a wonderful soccer year for Megan and team.

The week is flying by with time split between my few hours at the school doing cafeteria and playground duty, soccer practice, karate and everything in between. How quickly our lazy days of summer have been filled with days that just do not have enough hours.

On a totally different note, I caught a few minutes of the news last night as I was getting dinner ready for the girls. The story was about a new pump to help to identify breast cancer up to 10 years sooner than with current methods. I do not know how much data they have collected on it or how accurate it is but I would like to believe that such advances are true and reliable. I think about my young daughters and the very real high risk possibility that they face of breast cancer. I can only hope and pray that the advances continue so by the time my babies have to face tough decisions, like me they will be lucky enough to be able to act proactively.

And a year passes.

Sunday, a year ago today, I was preparing to change my life. I was to be at the hospital by the crack of dawn Monday morning to prepare for my 12 and 1/2 hour marathon surgery. A bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction. Over the year I have discussed at length the who, what and why’s.

One year later I look back and am still very surprised and how much this decision changed my life. Clearly the fact that cancer markers were found and I reacted before cancer, is an obvious reason as to why I would be happy with my decision. It is the rest that really has made me a happier person.

I enjoy every minute. I know that sounds ridiculous and of course there are the normal issues during the day that get on my nerves but as to my family I really can not wait for the next thing. The next wonderful thing that comes out of Madison’s amazingly advanced 6-year-old mouth. Watching my extremely talented Megan as she raises the bar of what is possible with each god given day. My wonderful husband who deals with the frustrations of thankless non caring bosses and the daily grind that allows me to still be home with my girls. I take nothing for granted, I thank god for each day. That may sound strange to many who are close to me since they know that I am not a very religious person. Raised Catholic, non practicing for more years than I can count, I can not deny that a higher being in involved in many of the things that have happened in my life even if I do not always buy into the norms of structured religion.

Unlike my mother and so many woman around the world, I was able to avoid breast cancer. I remember when the most important thing in my life was the next work ranking report, the next inventory, the next meeting blah blah. How small that seems now. Today the most important thing to me in ensuring that I hug my kids daily. So many people do not understand. Many never will , other just do not care.

I am no longer defined by what others think….another change that has come over the last year. Tomorrow we have no set plans. My girls and I will take the day as it comes. I am sure that the events of a year ago will be on my mind often this week. The pain, the struggles, the frustration, the relief that I did not have cancer, the realization that after many years of hate just maybe someone is watching over us.

I guess my mind will be a little full this week. Looks like it will be a great week.

I have never reblogged someone else’s thoughts before but I fully share my friends outrage here! I wonder if the New York Times article author watched her mother die a long and at times very painful death. I wonder if she ever had to stare into the eyes of her children as she was told she had at minimum a 50/50 chance of developing breast cancer, a disease that has no cure nor is one close to being found after millions and millions spent.

My story is different from my friend at “Beatingcowdens” but when it comes to the prophylactic mastectomy we are sisters.

I wish I could have the last two years of my life back. I wish that I did not have to surgically alter my body. I wish there was no such things as breast cancer. I wish those who would like to speak out in judgement would do their jobs and maybe the rest of us could maybe have our wishes come true but since none of these things can or will happen I want to be clear, I have NO regrets in the decisions I made. Those decisions were not taken lightly and the pathology proved with great certainty that I WOULD have developed breast cancer.

I finish with the same line as my friend, “Don’t talk about my boobs until you have walked in my shoes!”

beatingcowdens

“Breast cancer becomes very emotional for people, and they view a breast differently than an arm or a required body part that you use every day,” said Sarah T. Hawley, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. “Women feel like it’s a body part over which they totally have a choice, and they say, ‘I want to put this behind me — I don’t want to worry about it anymore.’ ”

The quote above is the last paragraph from a New York Times article published January 21st. I first read about it here in this blog

Preventative mastectomies under fire

And I must agree with “The Pink Underbelly” as my blood is boiling a bit.

I underwent a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy on March 5, 2012. I had been diagnosed with Cowden’s Syndrome, alongside my 8 year old daughter, just months before. I was presented, in January of…

View original post 677 more words

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: