9.11.2007.  A day which is forever engrained in my memory.  For others and myself, September 11, is not such a good day and carries a ton of memories.  For me an extra event plays into the day.  The day I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Once I finally accepted the fact I had cancer I got my booty in gear and found the best team of doctors ever.  I met with a few surgeons before I walked out of an office and said this is the one.  For me Georgetown was the only place I would allow to put me under and operate.  I knew going into this I was having a double mastectomy for a few reasons.  I did not want to allow any other breast tissue to turn cancerous and I wanted my new rack to be as good as it could be and for me this was re-doing both sides.  Thank goodness I had the best doctors on my team. Heck, my plastic surgeon, Dr. Spears, was experienced in the nipple sparing procedure and I qualified for it.  

October 30th is the day of operation.  Nervous I head for Georgetown to get the operation.  After a double mastectomy, sentinel node biopsies (Ouch, these were painful and made me cry)  and tissue expanders I finally wake up and am taken to my room.  Drugged in all I climb into my bed and fall asleep.  I soon learn one lymph node was positive (a river of tears, knowing more chemo would be given to me) and the other breast had cancer in it as well.  Enough said, I wanted out of the hospital and fast.  The sooner I was out the faster I would heal.  

Hears to healing, six months of chemo and a ton of shots to boost my white blood cell count later I learn I earned myself radiation.  Yes! Okay, this is not how I felt but I did it with a smile and was starting to grow some hair.  hala fliiping luah.  

Chemo stops my period and gives me stupid hot flashes.  It finally came back and yet here I am not knowing what to do.  I always thought I would be a mama of three babies.  Er/Pr positive cancer will try to put a stop to this.  At first I was totally willing to take the risk.  As the days pass I fear if me being pregnant will re-kindle any stupid cancer cells floating around inside me.  I do not know where I stand on all of this junk and frankly I do not think I should even have to think about it, but I do.  I do know I love my Jackson and want to see all of his moments in the future.  Does this mean I talked myself out of future children?  I do not think so yet.  I do know as the days pass I am not as obsessed about the whole thing.  

SInce cancer, I am a health nut and only eat organic, okay most of the time.  I am totally into the ph of my body and what the ph miracle has to say.  I do not follow it to a T, but I stick pretty close.  I am just not able to give up chocolate and some other foods yet.  I eat a ton of green things and love to juice a salad in the morning.  One day at a time and one foot in front of the other I am making lemonade with my life and stuffing the stupid lemons which get in my way into my bra.  Here is to walking with a bounce, wearing a lot of pink and being spunky.  

Gena

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