The Cancer Sisterhood

This is for a new sister on this journey. We'll just call her "S" (you know who you are)- I'm writing this to her...

I didn't want to bother you with phone calls or details as I know getting used to this diagnosis is very hard. As mother's we try to take care of everyone and when we are the one who is sick, it is difficult to let others see us that way. It's kind of like, when the kids are sick-we take care of them...when hubby is sick-we take care of him...when we are sick-we get up and go about our day still taking care of everyone else until we collapse at the end of the day, satisfied that everyone in the home is safe and well. This is different. You will need to let people help you. I'm not going to tell you that it's easy, it's not...but it is doable...and you will be ok. Having triplets...you've gotten through much more than most of us who only had to take care of one at a time! So I know you can do it!!!

If you want to find something specific (like how I felt before/after the lumpectomy) here are the months they happened in. Just go to the archived area and select those months.

Oct - diagnosis
Nov - lots of dr appts, scans, biopsies
Dec - Lumpectomy, chemo port put in (same time)
Jan-Mar - Chemo
Apr-Jun - Radiation
currently - monthly port flushes, lab work

Anyway...like I said this morning...your journey will be different than mine. I thought you might want to see how my walk with cancer has been. The things I thought, the things that happened, how I felt, etc.

If you want to talk about anything at all...please call. I don't mind at all. If you want to email me, address is 1kellikw@bellsouth.net

Take care and know that we are praying for you.

Remember...God loves you and He wasn't surprised by any of it.

EDITED TO ADD...
This is just a suggestion. You will have many appt's, consultations, labs, etc. It will get very overwhelming. The best thing I did was put a 3 ring binder together. I put calendar pages in the front to keep up with all the appts. I put blank notebook paper in to write down ALL of my conversations with doctors, nurses, lab techs, hospital workers, etc. I used the notebook pages to write questions as I thought about them (then when me and my notebook went to an appt., I'd have my questions there too!) I placed all the results in the book (pathology, etc.). This was so very helpful! It kept me from having multiple biopsies of the same mass/cancer. I took the book to every appt. - even into the hospital, into my rooms.

And before allowing ANYONE to prick, poke, cut or whatever...ask them what they are doing. I had two different situations, one-the nurses showed me having a biopsy of a benign mass that had already been biopsied and two-a radiologist was going to do a node biopsy when I was already scheduled for a better type of biopsy with my surgeon during my surgery that was scheduled the following week. So please...ask what they are doing before allowing people to do whatever they want. You are the patient. You are paying for the services.