Living with Breast Cancer

Well as many of you know during this summer, July 16, 2009, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I can truly say that I was only slightly shocked when they confirmed what I had kind of figured from an ultrasound earlier that week. You know working in a doctor's office has its downfalls. Anyway, I have decided to start this blog so that my friends and family can check in and see how things are going and see what else it is that Brandon and I are doing.

During the weeks leading up to my decision to have a mastectomy my mind was filled with a million questions but some how I was at peace for the tough decision a head. I knew that no matter what decision I made that the Lord would be there to help me through it. I am only sharing my thoughts and feelings about this is hopes to help others that may be going through or have to go through this. It is SCARY! It is TOUGH! and it truly SUCKS!!! Sorry mom I know you don't like that word, but it does. After my decision was made I felt at peace and knew that I would be ok and that no matter what I could make it through anything. Right after I was told about the cancer, I received a blessing that let me know that as long as I continued to keep praying and have faith that things would be ok. I knew that things would be hard and that it wouldn't be easy, but I have been given a purpose here on earth and it is not yet fullfilled. Well anyway I know that we are all sent here for a purpose and reason, mine is yet to be fullfilled according to my Heavenly Father.

It has been about a month and a half since my surgery and I was blessed to have my parents here for that, THANK YOU!!!! and I was able to travel to Utah for Alli's wedding, AWESOME!!! and the family reunion. I couldn't have asked for a better break right before my treatments start.

I have 8 sessions of chemo treatments. The treatments that they are giving to me are called duodense. They pretty much give me rat poision and then try to make me better again with daily shots the week after chemo. If you truly want the names of the drugs just let me know. Anyway, I go in every other week and set in a very comfortable chair and then I get to go home. I am pretty tired that week after and I truly feel like I have been hit like a freight train. I have heard it said that it get worse each time, but I think that if I try to do the same thing each time then I will just keep going the way I am and that will be that, after all It Is What It Is!

Well I have a lot of things to do and not a lot of time to do, until later!

Hat Party

Family and Friends

Wow! Who is this Handsome Fellow??

Well they always said that I had a nice shaped head!Do I have this one on right?

Thank you all so much! Love You!!

Well there have been many that have been waiting for this. So here it is....

Brandon and I met in Cedar City, Utah at Southern Utah University. We had several mutual friends, we just always seemed to be dating others. Well in the spring of '97 Brandon finally decided to make his move. He took me for a motorcycle ride and there we found that "Think Clots" would tie us together forever. After a few short weeks of dating, a girls choice dance was our actual first date. We decided to wait until school was finished for the year and my world traveling was finished. It was a very long enagement, but we made it through. We were married in the Manti Temple July 18, 1998.

We have loved our lives thus far together and are always excited to see what is around the next corner. We have had some fun adventures and have moved from one end of the state of Utah to the next. Brandon and I have moved over 20 times in our marriage thus far and are now living in Wasilla, Alaska. Where many of you probably remember I said I would never, never, never, never, never ever live. Those words have come back to haunt me many times over. I truly am learning to love it here and I am very grateful for the family and friends that love and support me here and far.