Hello!

Greetings everyone!

Today I am typing courtesy of the Dragon software. It is pretty cool to use this. Although, it is a bit strange because I feel like I'm sitting here talking to myself. However, my fingers certainly appreciate it. I should note though that they are actually feeling better these days. Of course, had we not purchased Dragon sure they would still be hurting a lot right now.

I know I've been missing lately and I'll try to catch you up. I started radiation treatments about two weeks ago. Today I will go in for my 13th treatment (out of a total of 28 or 33 treatments). Radiation isn't too difficult – nothing close to how chemotherapy was. It does however, suck the energy out of me. I'm starting to think that I will never feel not tired again! The hardest part about radiation is that I have to go every single day. Okay, okay, I do get the weekends off and that's nice but still going to the hospital everyday? Not exactly my idea of fun. The good news his the appointments are brief – I'm there for a total of 15 min. each day. And the first appointment after lunch so I never have to wait which I also appreciate very much.

Things are so much better now than they were over the summer. And and while I'm grateful things are better, they are still not normal. I still struggle with those days where it all just feels like too much, where it's hard for me to believe this really is happening, and where I just can't wait for it to all be over. Those days come less often now, but they still come. Things are better. But they're not great.

And yet, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Soon enough, most of this will be behind me. My energy will come back, my hair will start to grow, my fingers will lose their tingle, my skin will start to heal from the damage, things will be normal. Not the normal they were before all of this, no, I know this has changed everything. We can't go back to where we were. Scars have been left, both scars you can see and ones you can't. But we will find a new normal, a place where our old normal in this new reality will meet.

For today, we will get dressed up, we will eat too much candy, we will hang out with friends, and  enjoy Halloween. I will take too many pictures and the kids will beg to go to just a few more houses. And it will be a great day!

6 Months

It may be hard to believe, but it was 6 months ago today that I received that fateful call from the doctor. It's a bit strange in that in some ways I can't believe 6 months has flown by and in other ways I'm pretty sure it's been 6 months.

I do have more to say about this. I've had a lot to say recently, but you haven't heard much from me. That's because I'm having issues with my fingers and typing has become at best hard to do and at it's worst, it's painful.

But I'll be back again soon. Promise! =)

WIWOMH 10/17

So today I am wearing this cute hat

This hat was made for me by grannie. Grannie is LouCeeL's mom. Grannie was the first person to knit me a hat and has given my quite a few of them. And then Lou kindly delivers them to me. My 9yo also loves grannie's hats and tries to steal mine all the time! {Also, Lou has a lovely picture of me modeling another hat grannie made for me here}

Anyway, in very cool news, last week Grannie opened an etsy shop! She has a lovely purple scarf in there now and I hope she'll add more things. And that you'll go check out her shop. Because she is very nice and her knitting is wonderful! =)

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness

Today is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. So over on twitter, I am sharing a tweet about MBC every 15 minutes. This was a great idea started by a friend from twitter (who also is responsible for compiling this list of information!). Over here, I'm just listing all the tweets/links I and others will be sharing over on twitter. I hope you'll take the time to learn more about MBC. Women are suffering from this, and I've learned recently that so many people are unaware!

Sink the pink, start to think! Today is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Learn
about BC METS today! http://ow.ly/6V3w4

Learn more about Metastatic breast cancer from @ccchronicles. Read & RT http://
cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/05/mbc-needs-you.html

Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body: bones, liver,
lungs and brain. http://ow.ly/6V3Mi

An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer.
MBC accounts for ~40,000 deaths annually in U.S.

Public service announcement on metastatic breast cancer from the Metastatic Breast
Cancer Network http://ow.ly/6V4ya Watch it and RT

Learn about Metastatic Breast Cancer today! http://ow.ly/6V4Qx Time to talk about
this devastating disease. #BCSM #MBC

Make a difference in the #MBC community. Donate to MBCN.ORG in honor of
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness day: http://ow.ly/6V5pf

155,000 people are living with metastatic breast cancer in the United States. Learn
more: http://ow.ly/6V5Ea

Learn more about Metastatic Breast Cancer from BMJ: http://ow.ly/6V5Qi

Check out www.metavivor.org for more information on Metastatic Breast Cancer.
It's time to make a difference!

Put your pink $ to better use this Oct! Donate to Metavivor & make a REAL
contribution to the breast cancer cause: http://ow.ly/6V68V

Great resource from Willow breast Cancer Support in Canada on #MBC http://
www.willow.org/metastatic

Median survival after diagnosis of #MBC is 3 yrs. There has been no statistically
significant improvement in the past 20 years - ASCO

Watch the Faces of Metastatic Breast Cancer 2011 video from MBCN.org http://
ow.ly/6VaAo Learn more about MBC Pass it on

Median survival after diagnosis of #MBC is 3 yrs. There has been no statistically
significant improvement in the past 20 years - ASCO

Want to make a difference in the Metastatic Breast Cancer Community? Register now
for 2011 MBCN Conference: http://ow.ly/6Vbrf #BCSM #MBC

Check out @facesofMBC Learn more about #MBC today: http://
www.facesofmbc.org

Genetech will donate $1 to #MBC initiatives for every view of @facesofMBC videos
TODAY Let's get them to $20K http://ow.ly/6VeL1

YSC is partnering w/ CSC for special webinar for young women diagnosed with
metastatic breast cancer. Tonight 7 pm!http://ow.ly/6Vf42

What is metastatic Breast Cancer? Learn about it here: http://ow.ly/6VhAt from
www.advancedBC.org Change the pink conversation

Amazing women in the @faceofMBC video -highlighted here: http://ow.ly/6Vh3y Be
inspired to do something today!

Round up of excellent Metastactic breast cancer awareness resources: http://ow.ly/
6VhZp from advancedbc.org

Information on 2011 Clinical trials for Metastatic Breast Cancer. #MBC NEEDs
MORE TRIALS! http://ow.ly/6Viad Let's make a difference!

Excellent support community from @teaminspire for Metastatic Breast Cancer
survivors. http://ow.ly/6Vip2  Pass it on!

Time to refocus the breast cancer conversations on Metastatic Breast
Cancer. http://ow.ly/6ViS8 Read more from our friend whymommy.

WIWOMH 10/12

Today I'm wearing a new scarf I bought at Target the other day

It's kind of silly looking I know, but with a bit of fall in the air, not only is my head getting cold, but so is my neck (which is also used to having hair on it!). So I pick my bigger scarves and wrap them over my head and my neck.