One Year Ago.......

On January 27, 2009, I received my 2nd cancer diagnosis. I remember everything about that day. What a punch in the gut! We were definitely not ready to hear those words again. We were shocked. That wasn't the way things were supposed to happen. The breast cancer I had two years prior was the non-invasive kind. No lymph nodes were involved. I had the radical mastectomy to just make sure it was gone. I remember thinking, "How on earth did this happen?".

I was most worried about breaking the news to Rachel. She was at Hoover playing in her first 5th grade basketball game. Rob had to go to the game and act like everything was fine. He avoided eye contact with my dad because he didn't want to tell him the news. My mom and grandma stayed home with Kendal and me. What a terrible night!!!!

My first oncologist painted a grim picture for us. He said I could try chemotherapy, but with Stage IV Breast Cancer in the Liver, it was very advanced and aggressive. He predicted that I could be dead in 3 months.

We wouldn't accept that. Dr. Williams suggested another oncologist that he thought we would like, Dr. Gupta. He gave us hope. I'll never forget his words, "Your cancer is not curable, but it is treatable." He confirmed that the cancer was advanced and aggressive, but he said we would treat it aggressively. He also stressed quality of life. He wanted me to be able to be a mom to my girls. That was so important to us.

With a lot of hope, faith, and prayers, I am still around. My tumors continue to shrink. I have not had chemo since the first week of July. My liver function is normal. Overall, I feel really good.

Please continue praying for us as we are on this journey. Thank you so much for praying for us and keeping us in your thoughts. I think it is fitting to end the post with this: Nothing ahead of you is bigger or stronger than the power of God behind you.