Hope For a Cure

I can hardly believe it!  October 1st marks the 1 year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis.  It seems that was a very long time ago.  This has certainly been a very long year for me (and my family), a hard and challenging one in ways, but also one that has made me grow and learn a lot.  I don't wish it never had happened to me.  I've never asked 'Why?', but I think I know why.  I know that we all experience trials to test us and strengthen us, and through trials, blessing do come and I've experienced that.  So I would have to say I really am grateful for this experience, but I pray that I don't ever have to go through all that again.

So through the past year I've had 4 surgeries with 1 more to go, 6 hard chemo treatments, and a lot of easier chemo treatments of which I'm still getting every 3 weeks until Christmas, and a bajillion doctor appointments.  I will be SOOOO glad when all the treatments are done.  However, it's not all torture.  I have loved going to the Cancer Center - love the people, love the place.  It's usually a very light-hearted happy time with plenty of staff to bring warm blankets, and ice-cream (my two favs), program my television and chat with me about what I've been up to since my previous treatment.  I do enjoy it!

And the people who have helped me pull through it all are my family and friends.  This would be extremely difficult without the love and support of Tyson; Collin and Mackenzie to keep me distracted, and extended family and friends.  I'm so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!

So here's hoping that this next year is better than the last, with fewer doctor appointments, longer hair :), and some fun!  I have a new motto I came across that says, "Breast Cancer didn't take my life, it made me live it." 

The New Do!

It was January 1, 2010, nearly 9 months ago that all my hair fell out and Mackenzie and Tyson took the clippers to the rest of it.  We told Mackenzie it would grow back, so after a few minutes she came to me and asked if it had grown back yet and was then sad to realize it wasn't growing back for a very long time.  And a VERY long time it has been, but finally I am saying 'So long!' to the scarfs (although I have loved them and they are super cute). 

I went to the salon and sought desperate help in trying to do my short hair, and I think it turned out the best it possibly could.   The slowest growing hair and shortest hair is all along my forehead hairline, where I need it to be the longest, so it is going to take some time to get it looking a bit better.  It is coming in very curly, although it is hard to tell because it is so short.  I have to say it does look better in real life and I do kind of like it, but don't think for a minute I'm going to convert to short hair, at least not this short. 

Nine months later...a full (short) head of hair, eyelashes back in tact, eyebrows kind of there...things are looking up! :)