Friday, December 16, 2011

I'm Done!!! (with treatments)

After 33 treatments of radiation I am finished with all my cancer treatments! My spirits have been up, then down and now they are back up.  I have learned that when going through cancer treatment I had to get rid of all the toxins in my life.  In my case, it was one person I was surrounding myself with on a daily basis.  I know that now more then ever in order to be a cancer survivor I need only positive people in my life.  It took only this one negative person to suck the life out of me and no joke I could feel the pain in my body.  To snap out of my funk I decided to re-read my blog to remember all the good things that have happened this year.  I learned from myself and from all of you that I should only focus on the positive things in life and to distance myself from all negativity moving forward. 

How wonderful this year has been!  You have been there with me and my family from the beginning and we are extremely blessed with your love, friendship, gifts and donations to help get us through.  Today, I started to tear up on my drive to my treatment because I got my strength to fight my long battle from all of you.  Your encouraging words and prayers has helped more then you will ever know.  I hope in 5, 10, 15 plus years I can say that I am cancer free!  Olivia and I made a wish at the water fall at Midwest Cancer Center that I and nana (my mom) will be cancer free forever.


Olivia getting ready to make a wish!

My mother had her surgery to have her ovaries taken out two weeks ago from today.  This was to prevent ovarian cancer in the future.  She is recovering well and she came out with me today for lunch to celebrate.  Thank you for all that you do mom!  Love you!

As for me...I will have follow up appointments and body scans on a monthly basis.  My final surgery to get my implants for my ta ta's will be in 2-3 months.  My right hand is slowly healing but my index and middle fingers are still numb.  The burns from radiation are visible and will get worse in the next week or two.  The good news...my hair is coming back in and it is black!  My eyelashes and eyebrows are coming in and they are thick!



I want to do a few shout outs!

Steve and I went back to his home town of Remsen to celebrate his grandma's 100th birthday over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Her actual birthday was yesterday.  Happy Birthday Verena!




Congratulations to my cousin Leah and her husband Chad.  They had their baby girl Leona Lea on November 28th! 


Isn't she adorable?

I think I am going to have my first glass of wine in over 9 months and celebrate tonight with my husband Steve and daughter Olivia.  Cheers!

35 comments:

  1. Yay! Enjoy your glass of wine tonight, you deserve it :). Love, Jacque

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  2. Emily,
    NO one could possibly know the ups and downs, emotionally, physically and mentally, that you have gone through. You write so beautifully and thank you for taking the time to let us all know how you are doing. Emily, continued good news and enjoy that glass of wine tonight. P.S. Olivia is so cute .. we enjoy the photos ... thanks, dear ... have a wonderful Christmas. Lv Sue P and give our love to your Mom

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  3. Emily, I'm so glad to hear that your treatmeants have ended. You seem just as positive as ever! Throughout everything you've showed amazing strength! What's even more amazing, is how giving and caring towards others you've been during this challenging time in your life. You are such an inspiration to me and to many others. Olivia is so lucky to have such a strong, caring, brave, and fun mom! ;) Happy Holidays to you and your family!
    Angie R.

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  4. Congrats, Emily!! Such a great milestone, especially right before the holidays. So happy for you, and for Deb-such inspirations! Happy holidays! Jill

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  5. Best blog post ever! You have been an amazing inspiration to all of us throughout your battle. I can't wait to see the amazing stuff you do with your non-profit and would love to help whenever you need it! Love, Erica

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  6. Congratulations, sweetie! Have a GREAT weekend! Jen

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  7. I am so unbelievably happy for you, Emily! I will cheers to you and your family tonight and continue to include you in my prayers :) enjoy that vino, girl..you deserve it.

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  8. Elizabeth Fonfara Norris I am so happy for you guys. Enjoy celebrating!

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  9. Megan Misterek So happy Emily!!!! I will call you next week to catch up! Feel like its been forever without our bi-weekly lunches!

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  10. Brea Nelson I am so happy for you! Way to go!!!!!!! About 12 more weeks for me!

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  11. Twilla Westercamp Congrats Emily. I knew you would do it. What an honor to get to know you and your mom

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  12. Anne Crabtree so happy you are finnally finished-what a year !!! Next year will be better-I am sure

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  13. Nicole Zitek Way to go Emily. How exciting. You enjoy that glass of wine. I would say it is well deserved.

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  14. Melissa Choate Driskill That is the best news ever! So happy for you and your family.

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  15. Jessica Pottebaum I was JUST thinking about you this morning.....so happy that you can get on with your life! We will raise a glass of wine in your honor, Em - a toast to being positive, to being healthy, to being happy, and most of all to being LOVED for the beautiful person that you are!!!!

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  16. Gretchen Ballard Chace I'll have a glass in your honor tonight! Way to go girl!

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  17. Angela Giovanni Ross Me too! Cheers to you Emily!

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  18. Jacque Hesse Bailey Woohoo!! I suppose I could drink a glass too ;). I'm so happy for you!
    5 hours ago · Like

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  19. Pamela Pottebaum Best news I have heard in a long time! Congrats and can't wait to see you guys Christmas! We will have to celebrate!!

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  20. Emmy Reilly Congrats Em! Cheers to you! Have a blessed Christmas!! We are so proud of you and your strength!!!

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  21. Erica McMahon YEAH!!! I'll join the others...cheers to you!

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  22. Annette Buchanan Hansen That's so awesome Emily! I'm so happy for you and wish you and your whole family a very blessed holiday and new year! :)

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  23. Jody Leffler Bartunek Em, it was so good to run into you and your Mom today.....on your very special day......the day you had your last treatment. You are looking wonderful and every day has to get better from here!!!

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  24. Judy Delperdang So Happy for you Emily! You are so brave! Praying for continued good health for you! Thank you for teaching all of us how staying positive can get you were you need to go. Love you!

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  25. Congrats on another milestone tomorrow my brave friend! You inspire me to be a better person! There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I am proud of your battle, your grace and your kind heart! Love you
    Lyndsey Foster

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  26. I am jealous of your hair! We are all so happy for you.

    John Bode

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  27. Congrats Emily! So glad to read the good news. God bless!
    Jane Beermann

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  28. It is so wonderful to feel the treatments come to an end for you. You truly have shown so many people how staying positive can help you through a very hard time. As an outsider looking in, I can only imagine the strength it has taken to get this far. Know that we are behind you praying and asking God to continue to give you strength and healing. Wishing you the best. Merry Christmas. We are excited to see you this weekend. Love you lots! The Delperdangs

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  29. Jenny Howe
    Hooray for you, so happy enjoy the holidays!

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  30. How strange -- I was thinking of you and how things were going as I was driving home yesterday!!! And you were probably posting this! I am so happy! What strength you have. Here's to a cancer free 2012 and beyond!!! --Sara Rogers

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  31. You are beautiful inside & out!! We wish you all the love & health in 2012. Keep up that positive energy & we'll send some out as well. Love Erica, Pat & Apple Sullivan

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  32. Awesome Emily! It was so great to see you at thanksgiving! Glad you can finally have that wine but you deserve more than one glass! Love you girl!
    Melissa Pottebaum

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  33. Gail Oneil
    Congrats Emily - kudos to you for staying strong and fighting the fight. Merry Christmas and a very, very Happy New Year to you and your family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  34. MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2011 11:57 PM
    Hi Emily.  You don't know me, but Jenny Hare sent me to your blog.  She also introduced me to Brea.  My name is Shannon Garcia, and  I was diagnosed with breast cancer on on Sept 20,2011.  I am 36 and have 3 children. I went in on Sept 7 for my yearly exam and mentioned to my doctor that I had had an itchy right nipple for a year.  She was not too concerned, but sent me for a mammogram anyway.  She truly saved my life.  I had a bmx on Oct. 10,2011 with 12 lymph nodes removed.  I had one come back with tumor and one come back with cancer cells,  I was diagnosed as IDC, Stage IIa, Grade 3, HR/ER+, HER2+.  I tested negative for BRCA 1 & 2.  I started chemo on Nov. 29 with a regimen of Taxotere, Carboplatin, and Herceptin every 3 weeks for 18 weeks.  I get the hard stuff every 3 weeks and Herceptin weekly.  I have my second hard chemo tomorrow, so I will only have 4 more to go.  I am so glad Jenny sent me to your page.  You are an inspiration to me.  I really hope you don't mind me writing to you.  You are such a strong, beautiful woman.  I am so very sorry you are on this journey and now your mom too.  I will add you both and your families to my prayer list.  It is growing so fast!  Jenny and Brea have been amazing to me and have become like family to me and I would do anything for those amazing women.  Maybe someday we can meet?  I don't know if that would be something you would be interested in, but I have to say meeting Jenny and Brea has been my greatest blessing so far.  My hair started falling out on Thursday, so on Saturday, my hubby and my daughters helped me cut it off down to a buzz cut.  Hardest day of my journey since hearing the words, "You have breast cancer."  I just wanted to write to you to let you know you have another warrior on your side.  You are so beautiful.  I also had long, beautiful brown hair, and I have cried for 5 days over losing it.  Hopefully that will pass soon.  If you are bored and need something to read hear is my CaringBridge page.  www.caringbridge.org/visit/shannongarcia.  I am sincere when I say I would like to meet you.  I am sending you hugs, love and prayers.  God bless you and yours.

    Sincerely,

    Shannon Garcia  the_garcias07@hotmail.com If you ever want to email me.  xoxoxoxoxoxo

    Shannon Garcia

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  35. yes but i have something nicer she can suck on

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