My life since the last blog post:
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Seriously.
Tell you what though, it's hard to believe that today it's been one month since my last chemo (yay!!!), and I am one week away from my BMX (that's shop talk for Bilateral Mastectomy). I am in a much better place than I was during what I will fondly look back on as, "the darkest 5 days", but it's still a roller coaster my friends. I am feeling a bit better, and I joke that I am done with chemo but it's not done with me. The side effects of chemo definitely don't end on your last treatment. They lingeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr. For example, the neuropathy in my fingers and feet may just end up being that way forever, so that's neat! Although on a positive note, so far I have counted one eyelash growing back, three new eyebrow hairs, and about ten really whack peach fuzz hairs on my head that are almost an inch long. Funny how excited I am about that!!!
Speaking of healing, I had this a-ha moment in the shower the other day, (where all of my most amazing a-ha moments happen), that the loss of my breasts isn't about justifying, it's about acceptance. I had been spending a ton of energy negotiating with myself to get to the point that I could cope with my loss. I don't care if I get fabulous new boobs, or what society thinks of me without my boobs, or whatever "benefit" comes with the surgery. It's about mourning over losing a part of myself, and not only that, grieving over the person that I once was, and accepting the new normal. And then thriving. Being happy. Really effing happy.
Obviously, cancer was not in my life plan. Although I had always known that I had higher than normal odds of getting cancer. Since I was young, I would joke that it wasn't if I was going to get cancer, it was what kind would it be. Well tell you what, even though I carried that burden with me, when it actually happened, I was like, "Wait!!! What?!?!? This can't really be happening!!". Totally. Unprepared.
Especially since last September when I had my mammogram, I felt completely invincible. Healthy. Vibrant. At the top of my game. This has been a major course change and it has taken me a while to adapt to the headwind and the sun in my eyes.
So here we go on the next journey! I felt a few weeks ago that physically I have tackled the hardest part as I wrapped up my chemo, but I am feeling a little less confident of that as I head into four surgeries that will take me just about the next year to complete. That's a lot! It's a marathon, not a sprint, right? That's been a point of frustration for me because I tend to be impatient with myself and not give myself a lot of grace. Working through that.....
So, I have been preparing my body for this next hurdle. I am so excited to start exercising again! I have been slowly digging out of this chemo hole and getting my physical strength back. It's been hard because my endurance was greatly reduced by the chemo (thanks to Adriamycin) and my body has been in pain (thanks to Taxol) and climbing a flight of stairs could kick my ass. But every day it gets better!
I appreciate my body, no, myself, so much more now. I am amazed by my strength and what my body, mind, and spirit, have been able to endure, sustain, and survive through. Reflecting not only on now, but really my entire life. Today I feel like a warrior. Tomorrow I may not, and I won't trust any part of my body, and that's OK too. Welcome to the roller coaster that is cancer.
And are you as happy as I am that spring is here?!?! I am so energized!!!! There are daffodils and cherry blossoms and it's amazing!! I looked at the weather forecast for this weekend and it's going to be soooooooo nice and I think I am going to try to knock out a hike before my surgery and I am down for the count again. I mean granted it's going to take me twice as long to do, but I really can't think of anything that would make me happier, and I promise I will take it easy and make one of the kids babysit me. Love you all, gnite!! XOXO
