Rosie's Cancer Journey

I have been terrible about updating ya’ll on my progress. I’m sorry. There really isn’t much to report except that I am almost done with treatment! I am here now waiting to receive my *second to last* infusion and I am so excited to put this behind me. At the next appointment, I will ring the bell again and this will signify the end of this chapter!

I will get a mammogram next month to check that it hasn’t come back – this will happen annually. I will get clinical breast exams every six months for the next five years.

I will not be getting scans. They say I don’t need it. They use the clinical exams and the mammogram to tell if it has come back. This scares me a little and I need more info on why. The area is still tender from radiation. I’m glad someone else will be checking me because I avoid it. My port even gives me the heebee jeebies! That reminds me that I need to find out when I get to have it removed.

Now. Let’s talk about my hair!! It is coming in thick, silvery, and curly. I use Nioxin Shampoo. It works wonders!!! I have decided not to color my hair, at least for now. I look older than I feel. But here’s the thing… if I saw it on someone else, I would admire it. So I’m keeping it this way. And I’m not planning to keep it short. I have gotten a lot of compliments on it this way but I really want it longer than it is now. Maybe not as long as it was before, which was shoulder length. But if it stays wavy or curly, I think it will make for a cute bob and totally match my personality.

Now let’s talk about processing. Whoa. I have cancer. I had cancer. Have? Or had? I think I am at the point in this journey where I can say “had”.

I don’t think about it a lot. I push it out of my head and shove it away. Is that healthy? I don’t know, I’m guessing not. Ask me what kind of cancer I had. I couldn’t tell you that. I would have to go back and reread this blog or ask my husband.

I started attending a support group through a church (I do not attend church) to process everything from the last year and a half. I felt I needed a dedicated time to revisit and process my feelings.

And sitting here in this infusion chair is *not* that dedicated time. That’s probably why I haven’t spent time updating ya’ll. I have a lot of other things I would rather think about! Like how I plan to celebrate the end of this journey.

One of my nephews and his adorable fiance are getting married on the weekend of my 51st birthday. I will be with my husband and all of my kids and our extended family. Sometimes family means stress, but not in this case. I can’t waThe day we return, I have my last infusion. Two days after that, I have a girls weekend with some of my bestest girls. All of this in one week! There is SO much to celebrate. I am so full of happiness when I think of all of this. I am so grateful. So incredibly grateful to be here.