Every day, 70 Canadians will hear the words “you have breast cancer” and I was one of them.  It was back in April 2015.  We (Gerald and I) were in Superstore getting a few things for our dog sitter as we were leaving for Vegas the next day to attend the International Dart Tournament.  The inside of my arm rubbed again the side of my breast and I felt a sharp pain.  WTF is said, I ran my fingers on the side and felt a little lump. I remember thinking to myself, what should I do, do I cancel my trip, do I go and deal with it when we get back......that's exactly what I did.  I told myself don't worry about it, it's probably just a fat deposit.  Well I have to tell ya it was on my mind everyday while we were away and there was no way to not think about it.   When we returned home, I called my family Dr. and get in to see her that day.  She did her exam, and said, yes I feel a little lump and I'm going to send you to the Breast Health Centre for a biopsy.  Ok, the process was beginning, trying to stay positive....they won't find anything I told myself over and over.  Any inner strength I possessed didn't begin to prepare me for hearing the words, "You have breast cancer."  

I got through the lumpectomy surgery and was told when the lump was biopsied it was the size of a walnut and 3 weeks later when I had the surgery it was the size of a lemon.  Chemotherapy was next on my agenda.  I cried and cried for which seemed like weeks and it's funny now but the first thing I thought when they told me about the Chemo was OMG my hair was going to fall out"  not "Am I going to live?"  From the most part, I found I could do it but there were days that were more trying than others.

I remember arriving for my first chemo session and the nurse seen the fear in my eyes and the tears starting to swell.  Gerald sitting beside me holding my hand and telling me it was going to be OK.  She explained everything she was going to be doing and what will most likely happen after the treatment.  I was terrified but knew that I had to put on a brave face because really what else could I do.  I tensed up as she inserted the needle into my chest (this was where my port was).  OMFG that hurt!  

They gave me anti-nausea meds and lots of them and I was so happy because that night I was not feeling the greatest but I didn't get sick!  The next 5 chemo treatments went by and every treatment brought the same side-effects, week 1:  nausea and sweats, week 2:  barley being able to lift my head off the pillow and our week 2 date night to the Emergency Room because my fever was sky high, week 3:  mouth sores, week 4: starting to feel better and then wham, it's week 1 again and it starts again.

The next step was radiation.  28 days of daily visits to Cancer Care (weekend off)  I don't know what was more tiring the radiation or the getting up and going every single day.  Radiation was allot easier on my body then the Chemo was, just some minor skin burn.

Now my body had to heal before the Dr. would be able to go ahead with the mastectomy of my right breast and this was where the cancer was.  A month and a half went by and I was at Health Science Centre for my reconstruction surgery.  Dr. said we are going to use your stomach to reconstruct your breast, OK i thought, this is good I'm going to get a tummy tuck as well. lol  You have to have a little humour when your going through something like this or you will go bonkers.  I'm also going to do a reduction on the left breast.  I said to him I don't need a reduction..... after a few minutes of bickering back and forth I said OK your the Dr. you know what's best go ahead and do the reduction.  The surgery was 8 hours long and I came through it pretty well.  I remember Gerald saying to me that when I came out of recovery the first thing I said was "I HAVE PERKY BOOBS!"  There's that humour again.

The pathology report came back a few weeks later and I had an appointment with the surgeon for the results.  He looked at me and I could tell by his facial expressions and body language that it was not good news.  He said the cancer has spread to your left breast.  Once again there was that feeling of you have got to be kidding.  When he did the reduction they had to send the tissue to pathology and low and behold it had spread.  What if I had won my argument about not needed a reduction, would I be here today?  I don't know and I'm not going to even think about it because he did do the reduction and caught it.  He was my new best friend!  

A month later there I was back in Health Science Centre for my second mastectomy.  This time they had to use my thighs for the reconstruction.  Wow a tummy tuck and a thigh reduction.  Lucky me right?   NOT, this surgery was another 8 hours and the recovery was twice as bad as the first.  I had to lay flat on my back not moving at all as they didn't want my stitches on my legs to open.  Ever try to eat laying flat on your back, not fun I tell ya.  I remember the first night, they brought me beef ribs for supper.  Are you kidding, how am I going to swallow laying down?  Gerald to the rescue again, a shake from Dairy Whip, it was the best.

By now a year had almost passed us by, and Vegas was again coming up in April.  I had 200 staples in my legs, could barley walk or even stand and I was determined to get on that plane and go.  I remember telling my surgeon about the trip and he kinda  chuckled and said I don't think your going to be able to go this year.  Oh ya I thought, watch me.  Gerald rented me a hospital bed for the main floor of our house, my sister flew in from Edmonton to look after me again (she was there for the first surgery as well) my sister in laws Pat, Doreen, Joanne, Sandra & Christine , friends Jeannette, Marty & Jan, and my beautiful niece/nurse Alana were all there for anything and everything I needed.  I did everything I was told to do and a month after surgery I WAS on that plane going to Vegas.

The story doens't end there and I could go on and on, but to sum it up the Cancer has now spread to my bones and it is not curable, but on the bright side, for the past 7 years, it has not spread and I am living my life to the fullest each and every day. My 

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