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Last night I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Soroptomist International Club of Harrisburg. I attended to accept the award for Making A Difference for Women, which is an annual award given by this group to recognize a local women who's work is helping to improve the status of women in our community. As part of the award, I was given a check of $200 to contribute to my favorite non-profit -- which of course is the Feel Your Boobies Foundation!! This money will help us continue our current initiative of sending free How To Cards to college organizations.
I was honored to have a group of women recognize the work I'm doing with FYB to be worthy of this award. I truly am committed to making a difference for women through my efforts with Boobies, and I want to thank the Soroptomist women for their vote of confidence in me. It means so much.
Gettysburg College students held their first ever Relay for Life on Friday April 13th, and Feel Your Boobies was on board to help with the festivities. Liz, Kelly, Tara, and Rebecca showed off their "boobies" while supporting this great event. Great job guys!
Rachel Troxell is my newest young survivor friend. She was diagnosed just under two years ago with Stage 3C breast cancer -- at the age of 34. She recently got married to Jason and lives in Philadelphia (what a hot couple they are!!).
She is one of the founders of LympheDIVAS which is an awesome company that makes funky compression sleeves for those fashion conscious survivors whose breast cancer surgery results in lymphedema, the not so funky side effect that causes your arm to swell due to the lack draining of the lymphatic fluids. Anyway, their stuff almost makes a fashion conscious survivor like me wish I had lymphedema -- almost but not quite :-)
Well on Friday I got an email from Rachel telling me that her cancer had returned in her liver, lungs, bones, and soft tissue. This news made my stomach upset and still does. I spoke with Rachel today and her spirits are high. I thought by posting about her on the blog, maybe some others could send some positive energy and thoughts her way as well.
She keeps a blog of her journey -- so feel free to check it out and post some words of encouragement. A miracle is in the works for her -- I feel it.
I recently met a young survivor during my visit to Ithaca College -- her name is Stephanie Vann and she's so full of life it's contagious! She was diagnosed in June of 2005 at age 39. She went to get her first mammogram because of a lump she assumed was scar tissue from a previous breast reduction. It turned out to be one of a total of 7 tumors in her left breast.
We met up after my speech in Ithaca and had a great time getting to know each other and I have a feeling we'll continue to keep in touch as time goes on -- she's just one of those cool people who makes you feel good inside.
This is me sporting the very first FYB tshirt -- still bald -- this was probably sometime in August 2004.
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Over the weekend I celebrated my 3 year anniversary as a survivor -- April 7, 2004. That was my diagnosis day which seems like an odd day to celebrate -- even my parents and boyfriend said -- "Don't you think the end of treatment is a better day to celebrate?" Well, they may have a point -- but for me, it's not about remembering my day of diagnosis as a day of gloom. It's more about recognizing what the power of time combined with a cancer diagnosis can do. My life is remarkably different than it was 3 years ago -- starting Feel Your Boobies is part of that, but my life has changed in so many other ways as well -- all for the positive.
That's not to say there haven't been rocky times. For me, the cancer treatment itself was less difficult than the adjustment back into my "normal" life afterwards. I felt anything but normal, even though on the outside I looked like my old self. On the inside, I was finally digesting this crazy news. It took time, therapy, anti-depressants and extreme self-compassion to repair myself -- but I did. I'm attaching a story I wrote back in 2004 after I found out I had to do chemo -- I hope the story will help others who face this same news. Click here to read it. Download file
In the past three weeks leading up to my "anniversary date", I found out that two of my young survivor friends who I've met through FYB learned that their cancer has metastisized -- each of them are less than 3 years from their initial diagnosis. So as I celebrate my 3 years of being cancer-free, I hope to be cancer-free forever -- but the fact is, I realize I may not be. But for every day that I am, it's a better day than before - and for that I'm thankful. My cancer diagnosis has brought so many positive things into my life -- people, life lessons, patience, love.
Sure to make anyone smile -- she's pure love. So here's a dose of Janet for you just in case you need a pick me up today.
I'm finally making an effort to bring on some additional help to respond to the various daily requests I receive. Kim, another young survivor, is helping manage our events schedule, How To Card requests, and Official FYB Teams. You have been a godsend, Kim. Below is a little about her.
KIM'S STORY
In November 2004 at age 39, I went to my OB/Gyn for a palpable lump. I had just been in to see him for my annual physical the month or so prior so I really didn't think it was anything to be alarmed about. After checking me, the doctor agreed that I had a lump and I needed a mammogram and to see a surgeon. I had the mammogram and an ultrasound within three days. Upon reviewing the films of the mammo and ultrasound himself, the Radiologists told me that my lump was benign and that I should have it checked again in 3-6 months. I had already made plans to see the surgeon that was recommended, so against the advice of the Radiologist, I kept my appt. That surgeon ordered an immediate biopsy of the area which I had 4 days later. To my dismay, on December 16, 2004, the sugeon called and told me "It is cancer." It was initially thought to me a Stage 2, Grade 2 cancer. "Slow growing" was what I remembered - "We caught it early."
After my mastectomy, I found out that I was Stage3C, with 15 positive lymph nodes and a very aggressive form of Invasive Ductal Cancer driven by a protein called HER2neu. As a result, I faced 8 rounds of chemo, a year of herceptin, 6 weeks of radiation and a lifetime of worry.
Fifteen months later, I found out that I had thyroid cancer as well. After surgery and radioactive therapy, I am considered cured of the thyroid cancer.
I still see my breast oncologist every 4 months, have an MRI annually and a mammogram 6 months after the MRI. I feel my boobies regularly in between to make sure that if ever this is a "next lump", it will be found immediately.
I'm now 41, a stay at home Mom to three children, two sons ages 11 & 9 and one daughter, age 4 and wife of 15 years to my wonderful husband. I love working with Leigh. She is an inspiration and a joy to work with. I hope my involvement in FYB helps Leigh to have more time to get this life saving message out to women of every age. Feeling your boobies can save your life.
