Author: c cawston
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ptsd
As I have mentioned in a few blogs, learning to live as a cancer survivor is something that requires adjustment. Cancer takes you from a point of innocence, throws you into a whirlwind surreal existence as you battle this enemy, and as you hopefully emerge victorious (battered, beaten but alive) you must now learn to…
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one year
One year… a mere 52.143 weeks, 365 Days, or 8760 hours if you like to get really down to the nitty gritty. This is how much time has passed since I had surgery to remove the unwanted invader in my right breast. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, yet it has been a…
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bumps
So cancer has officially been a part of my life vocabulary for a year now and it is fair to say that I have learned a lot during this journey. One of the most important things I have brought away from the experience is that I will never be able to return to the life…
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the bell
On December 1, 2022 at 5:06 pm, three hundred and thirteen days from the day that I first heard the words Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, I rang the bell. For those who are unfamiliar with the bell and it’s significance, please allow me to explain. The bell is rung when a cancer patient has successfully completed…
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burn
The most significant side effects of my radiation treatment are fatigue and the burning of the skin. The fatigue issue started to kick in at the start of the first week, however this was something that I have been dealing with for months so really….it is not like dragging my bottom was new to me.…
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signs
Signs….they are everywhere. I’m not talking the kind of signs that tell you where to turn or stop, or even “suggest” a speed limit. No, I am speaking of the kind of signs that get your intuition tingly and encourage you to take note. For me, my path to my radiation treatment has been full…
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it’s okay
I am going to start this blog saying that I am very aware that I have had what could be considered a very positive cancer journey. The fact that I can say that I am free of cancer is something that brings happy tears and through all of this I have been surrounded by people…
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pants
When I take a moment to look back on my journey through breast cancer so far, I need to recognize how much positive I have actually had through this fight. Now, don’t get me wrong…I am in no way the new spokesperson for a “Get Cancer Because It Has Positives!” campaign. I have had my…
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surgery
Two weeks ago today I had breast cancer surgery. Seems so easy to say now but the day was long one. As much as my surgery was the primary event on this part of my path through this breast cancer journey, the day actually had two additional procedures that were required in order to prepare…
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chemo, the gift that keeps giving
So remember that post I did just a few weeks ago…you know about being done with chemo? Well, it appears that I was slightly over confident about having to deal with the impacts of chemo and I annoyed the “chemo gods”. Yes, they have provided me with a reminder of the power they have even…
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twenty two weeks
Well at 4:20 today (August 1, 2022), I completed my last chemo session…..yup…I am DONE! It has been twenty two weeks since I started on this portion of my journey through breast cancer. Twenty two weeks and sixteen chemo sessions. Twenty two weeks that have pushed me to mental and physical limits, but also shown…
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ac is not short for air conditioning
May 30, 2022, marked a milestone on my chemo path as it was on this day I moved away from my weekly chemo to a new three week chemo cycle complete with two new medications. Now that I have had two sessions with my new drug buddies, I feel like I can share a bit…
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tumor, oh tumor, what size art thou?
There has been many a conversation had to whether size counts and I am fully in the YES camp. Wait, let me quickly clarify that I am talking about tumor size related to breast cancer! When I was originally told that my tumor was 3.2 centimeters, I really did not have a point of reference. …
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how to “talk” to someone with cancer
So, it is not uncommon to hear someone say that they don’t know how to “talk” to someone who has cancer. There can be an uncertainty as to what to say or not to say that results in stress and anxiety and as a result conversations are well….uncomfortable for at least one side. As someone…
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hug a neutrophil
For those of you who are not familiar with the chemotherapy process, blood work is done prior to chemo session to assure that your body is able to manage the poison, or shall I say the medication to come. Actually to be honest, poison is a pretty good descriptor for what a chemo patient is…
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for some, the path ends too soon
This week a dear friend lost a family member to cancer and it was a reminder that with every positive step on the path for some, the path ends way to soon for others. Each week, as I go through chemo or am seeing one of my many incredible medical team members at the Cancer…
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genetics – the results
So if you happen to remember from my initial Genetics blog, several weeks ago, I put (well to be correct Lifelabs did) four vials of my chemo boosted genetically filled blood on a plane to California. The goal was not for my blood to have a vacation, visiting places like Disneyland or trying to get…
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ray of light
I think it is finally time that I share a bit of an update with you all. But first a few details on where I am on my chemo path. As of 5 pm today (May 2, 2022), have completed 9 chemo sessions out of a scheduled 12 with the first cycle of chemo meds.…
A Path Through 