A Challenging Journey...

...in my Journey in Life occurred this year. On April 20, 2021, Dr.Phillip Ley, Oncological Surgeon, called me to inform me that I have Breast Cancer. BOOM! His call opened with, "First, you're not going to lose your life. Second, you're not going to lose your breast." He proceeded to tell me the type I had, etc. However, I heard very little after those two statements! Blown away would be an understatement! 

June 21, 2021, Dr. Ley performed my breast surgery successfully. I went home with drainage tubes and bags installed to my breasts. My precious husband helped "drain" (empty) the bags. I returned on Monday and saw Rebekah Reynolds, NP-C, the angel who has taken care of me since then. She pulled my tubes out, and I thought my husband was going to faint. I didn't feel much at all! However, when I saw how LONG those tubes were, I was quite surprised!

 The saga continued with complications on my SKIN. I developed itchy lesions on my breast, and because FIBERS (like threads of material) started erupting from those itchy spots, I thought some stitched were coming out. I DID have one long stitch that eventually emerged. I couldn't pull it all out, so I cut it as far as I could. It was very thick--which informed me that the threads from my lesions were NOT stitches.

 Well, they continued to spread out from my breast, to my chest, stomach, underarms, left arm, and I even found a few on my feet, at the worst point. NO ONE could tell me WHAT this was, what caused it, nor how to treat it. I began removing the threads, which alleviated the itching. I also began saving the threads, which I showed to all the doctors and NPs I saw. After a year and a half, I finally eliminated it by taking Doxycycline for four straight months! 

 Because of this complication, my radiation had to be delayed. However, we were able to start it in October 2022. 33 treatments were my prescribed regimen. FIVE days a week, for EVERY week until NOVEMBER 18, 2022--my FINAL treatment! AND, my BELL-RINGING DAY! I dressed up in ALL PINK--even my HAIR! What a joy!