Fantastic News all Around

Dear Friend and Supporters,

I am so pleased to be writing this blog post (I know it is three days late).  It has taken some time for the news to settle and be fully accepted within my crazy chemo brain.  So....first let me take you back.

On June the 8th, 2012 I got the terrible news that I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer with not a very good prognosis.  Needless to say I was stunned, and so began 15 months of chemotherapy, 28 days (over six weeks) of radiation, followed by the most horrific nine hour surgery (a DIEP flap reconstruction) that I have ever had.

A few weeks ago "Mork" my port-a-cath decided he was done and began pushing his way out through my skin on my chest wall.  It was decided he needed to come out immediately, despite the fact that I still had to get chemo done.  The surgery was simple (I slept through it all LOL), and now I only have a small scar on my chest that should heal quite well.

All in all, I could never imagine a worse year, and hope I don't ever, ever have to go there again.  So, as with all cancer patients, I am constantly monitored by blood tests, heart scans (because of the chemo I am on) and CT's, MRI's or PET Scans.  On August 2nd, 2013 I had my very first PET Scan.  This was a full torso, in depth scan to see if there was any cancer still residing in my body after being bombarded with chemo and radiation.

It was Thursday August 8th, 2013 when I got the good news.  They found no evidence of cancer cells in my body.  I am now officially NED (no evidence of disease).  You have no idea how good that feels after all I have been through.  It is still very difficult for me to truly believe it.

I want to thank my wonderful network of people who have looked after me through this journey.  The love I was shown has been incredible.  I especially want to thank my amazing husband Wade for everything he has done every single day to get me and my children through this.  I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for him to look after me, come to all my many chemo sessions, doctors appointments, radiation treatments and to sit beside me in the hospital every day for a week.  All the while, he has to manage his own loss and fears that I was going to die and leave him alone.  I am truly grateful for his love and caring, so much so that I promise to be here to bug him now until the end of time.  May that be a long, long way from now.

Thanks to everyone for continuing to follow my journey.  As promised, there will be a follow up book to "The Year I Died", but it won't be out for a little while.  I am going to enjoy life now and relax before I go back to work.

Hugs as always,
Michelle