All Pink All the Time: October 2018 Update

I haven't posted on here in awhile, but I post pretty much DAILY on the Facebook page associated with this blog. That's the main place where I communicate about breast cancer,  recovery tips, funny things, updates about me, and events.  So, if you aren't already following my FB page, please do!  

You can find it at: @bosomthing

Speaking of events.....

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it has been a busy month! There has been a lot going on here in San Antonio and there are still a few more things to come.  If you haven't already, be sure to check your local community calendar, hospital system, and breast cancer treatment centers for things you might like to attend!  

So, what's been happening with me?  Sooooo much to tell you!

Of course, I've been wearing a lot of PINK this month. How about you?  Some women find this bothersome and don't like all the "pink hype", but personally, I feel like anything that catches ones attention and raises awareness is fine by me. I proudly wear my pink shirts and accessories and have been sporting a new car magnet too!

Cute, huh?  Found at The Dollar Tree.

Last month marked the end of the 9-week Overcomers Workshop I previously told you about.  It was a fantastic couple of months with these ladies and I could not recommend it highly enough.  If you are a survivor and local to the SA area, please consider registering for this.  Each week was a new topic and each week was more meaningful.  I have now made some amazing new friends and found new Pink Sisters.  They have a wonderful mission to help women in survivorship and they do so much in our local community to this effect.  Super happy to have found these ladies and to now be a part of this group.  

Getting ready to volunteer at Brighton Collectibles
with the Overcomers to fundraise for a Christmas project

Last month I also had the cool opportunity to be involved in a photoshoot for a local neighborhood magazine. It is published for the area around the hospital where I work and where the big Paint the Parkway Pink 5k Race is held.  It was soooo much fun!  I was on the cover with another survivor, Heather, and two of the ladies who help found the race, Liz Blue Braden and Dr. Jean Holt.

Dr. Holt is an amazing lady who also help found an organization called Women in Medicine and Law for the Cure.  This phenomenal group of professional women hit the 2 million dollar mark in fundraising this year...yes, you read that right...TWO MILLION DOLLARS!  All of that money is donated to a privately funded research grant to find a cure for breast cancer.

Fun for a cause!

The guest speaker was the current
President and CEO of Susan G. Komen!

This doesn't happen every day!  :)

Pink Glove Dance

Over 2 million dollars toward finding a cure!

I was so excited and honored to be invited by Dr. Holt to attend their annual dinner last week. It was an amazing night of fundraising and fun!  And, the most amazing moment of the night for me...made me misty-eyed....Dr. Holt mentioned this blog by name and quoted from one of my posts in her speech!  How cool is that?!?!?  

I started this blog in the hopes of helping other women on their breast cancer journeys and had no idea where it would lead or if anyone would even read it.  Just another way I have seen God's abundant blessings in my life thru this diagnosis.  He can certainly use us when we are willing and in some of the most surprising ways. Even in what seems the worst moments of our lives, He can be glorified and we can be used to minister to others.  How amazing is our God?!?!?

Monday morning at 6am our hospital hosted a Pink Pep Rally to promote the PPP Race!  I was off of work so I joined the fun.  We posed for silly pictures and chatted with everyone about the upcoming event.  And, I have the BEST coworkers who stopped by on their way on shift or coming off shift to say "hi" and to take pics.  I love these folks!

Jennifer has always been a supporter and friend who does so much for our hospital
and our city promoting healthy living and events.
Andrea was my Nurse Navigator thru the Baptist Breast Center

and she is the one who first told me about DIEP Flap Reconstruction

 and introduced me to my fantastic team of surgeons and nurses!

To finish off this already awesome week, Saturday was Paint the Parkway Pink Race day!  
My terrific son was up dark and early with me to head out for the walk.  We did not do the full 5k this year but enjoyed the 1 mile fun walk with my great boss and a sweet new coworker who stayed after working nightshift to walk with us!

Even with the very wet weather we've been having lately, the rain stayed away and we had a terrific pink turnout!

Pheww…..I'm tired!  It has been a whirlwind of a month so far but fantastic all the same.  Looking forward to whatever God has in store next on this new path He gave me!  And, as always, I'm here to chat if I can be of help!

It's Summer 2018!

This time last year I was eagerly awaiting my second surgery...scar revision, fat grafting, and nipple reconstruction...on July 25th.  This year, I just got back from our longest road trip vacay ever...3,682 miles from SA to the Florida Keys and back (with stops along the way).

My son turned 16 and this trip was his birthday celebration request and we made the most of it.  We were gone for 11 days. It was so fun!

As far as the new me is concerned, there were no issues.  I have a couple of tiny scars on my chest that show (small round ones from the fat grafting cannula) but aren't really noticeable to most folks.

I did apply extra sunscreen to the scars when we were out in our swimsuits because my PS warned me that the scar tissue is extra sensitive.  His nurse told me that the scars can become dark and then won't ever fade if exposed to too much sun.  Really don't need polka-dots on my chest so I went with a little 70spf on there. :)

A few highlights from a Survivor's Vacation:

Now that we are home, life is getting into Summer-mode. I'm back at work (and we are busy!), my son is working on Driver's Ed (eek!), and I am staying busy on my days off with my craft business.

Even though Summer has just begun, we all know it won't be long before Fall is upon us. And, I am super excited that I have the opportunity to attend the Overcomers Fall Workshop this year!  If you haven't read up on this group yet, please do!  You can find their page here.   A couple of their members spoke at the last PRMA Pink Ladies event I attended and told y'all about in a previous post.

I registered today for the 9-week Survivors Only Workshop here in San Antonio!  It starts on Aug 1st. so if you are interested, get signed up now.  Looking forward to telling all of you about it when I get started.

Hope everyone has a wonderful start to their Summer!

Origami Cranes, Pink Ladies, and Diagnosiversaries

Two days ago was my first diagnosiversary...one year since I received the biopsy results that said "you have breast cancer".  (Here's the post I wrote about that life-altering phone call.)  Some days, it all feels like a long time ago and other days, it feels like it just happened.  I crammed a lot of stuff into 2017!!

Yesterday, I was asked to come back into my PS office to re-take my "after" photos. They have a new backdrop wall and wanted some extra shots to use on their website.  Yep....that's me..."before & after" model.  Granny asked if I was posing for Playboy next?!?!  Ha!  

Last night, I went back to my PS main office for a Pink Ladies event.  There was quite a turnout for this one and it was good to get out and meet some new pink sisters.  I sat next to a woman who is coming up on 5 years cancer-free and three others who are less than 6 months into their journeys....we all have stories to share.
  
The guest speakers last night were from the local group Overcomers: Daughters of the King of Kings.  It is a neat organization that focuses on breast cancer SURVIVORS.  This is a much needed ministry and I was excited to hear about it.  Overcomers realized (like many of us) that the journey is NOT over after surgery and reconstruction and treatment is done.  While I am very blessed to be cancer-free, my life is not the same as it once was and how I feel, think, act is forever changed.    
All of the small group leaders are fellow breast cancer survivors. They host a 9-week workshop every Fall and Spring that I am really hoping to take part in soon.  (Go to their website to register for the one starting 02/21/18 if you are interested and available.)

Great tips no matter where or who you are!

After we heard from the Overcomers group, a sweet Pink Sister shared with us her participation in an organization called Cranes for Cancer.  According to Japanese legend, anyone who receives 1,000 origami cranes will have good luck. If you read the story on the website, you'll see why they have chosen to mail a box of 1,000 origami cranes to people battling cancer.  There are also photos of some lovely art installations done with these cranes.

After giving us a little history, she taught us all how to make the cranes last night...it was challenging. I cannot imaging making 1,000 of them myself....it's harder than it looks to make just 1!  But, it was fun to learn and to laugh with those around me as we attempted the folds.

My first attempt at an origami crane!

If any of you are local and are interested, PRMA Pink Ladies have events every 2-3 months. Each one is different and they always have one of the nurses available for any one who has reconstruction questions while they are there. Check out the PRMA Facebook page (@PRMAplasticsurgery) for more details.

So, while this week of anniversaries has brought up a lot of emotions, most of all it has reminded me of what a blessed story I now have to share and how much God has taught me throughout this tough year.

Have a terrific weekend!