Best Christmas Gift Ever: "It's Not Cancer"

It's no secret that I haven't been feeling right over the last year. Anyone that has popped in through the year may have been privvy to my very up and down, roller coaster-esque health this year. Over the summer I found a lump in my breast. The lump was basically in the same spot that my mother's cancer was in, that she battled against earlier in the year, just the opposite breast.

I knew no matter what the case was, that I would be alright.

After waiting for an eternity, I received my referral letter for my mammography. I do not envy anyone that has had mammo's in their life. Although it wasn't nearly as painful or uncomfortable as I thought it would be, it's definitely not something I'm eager to do again.

I had to wait for the results, and when I received results, they were all kinds of confusing. The doctors office said that it was inconclusive, and that they would likely have to run more tests. Then I got a phone call from the doctors office the next week that said they basically found a lump, but need to have a sonogram, and then I got a letter from the mammography place that said that they had found a mass, but that most of the time masses are non-cancerous and that I would have to follow up with my doctor and undergo more testing.

Needless to say, it's been one hell of a year.

I went for my sonogram on Thursday, and got the best news of my life. The sonogram was clear. The tech felt the lump, went over it every which way, and it was clear. The shape and size of the lump, she said, sounded like tissue, and that the doctor would have to confirm, but everything looked good.

Even though the three words were not said, ("It's Not Cancer"),  I heard, "It's Not Cancer".

I know that I still have to watch it through the years, and make sure that it doesn't grow, or change, but I'm going to be ok.

In the meantime, I now need to figure out how to find out what's going on with my body, as I'm still not feeling right. If it's not cancer, I need to find out what it is, because I can't continue to live like this. But for right now, I am celebrating. Celebrating the fact that my sonogram was clear, and that everything is going to be alright. For now.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

If you've been following me on Facebook, you may have noticed that I've been extremely apologetic lately for not being "up to par" regarding my blog. There hasn't been timely announcements of winners, and new winners are being redrawn in mass quantities instead of leisurely and random, but I admitted I had a ton of stuff going on by me.. and that when I was ready, I would open up.

There's a lot of stuff on my plate right now, but the largest by far concerns my health. A year ago on September 29, my mother found her lump. One year, one surgery, chemo and radiation, my mom is a survivor. This year, on September 29, I had my doctor confirm that what I've been feeling is not a gland, that it is indeed a lump.

 

My extended family does not even know about this yet, and might be finding out as they read this blog entry. Call it the coward's way of announcing that I'm broken, but I can't stand to hear the pity in anyone's voice anymore as I tell them. I cannot stand to hear anymore that "it might just be a cyst", "or fatty tissue", or whatever the heck they think it might be. I am trying to be optimistic, and know that it very well may not be anything.. but it might be something.


For me, it did not feel like a pea, or a bump. It feels like a flat piece of hardened rubber.. like from an old tire, that can't bend. It's small, thank God, but it's there. The next step for me is a mammography. I will have the official date of that this week.

Whatever this experience brings for me will be exactly that- an experience. If it's nothing, I will be ok. If it's "something", I will be ok. I have two beautiful children, and a husband who loves me for me. I am an over comer.

I urge you to go home and give yourself a self exam. If you don't know how, just try. Find a local clinic or doctor and ask them to help you know what bumps are supposed to be there, and tell if there's anything that's not supposed to be there.

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Design a Hanes Pink T-Shirt for Your Chance to Win!

While preparing for the launch of our Back to School Bash next week, I happened to find an email from Hanes. I love Hanes, their products, their mission, their morals.. And their current promotion!

Right now you can design a Hanes Pink T-Shirt that will be judged on the following:

• 45% Design best shows the campaign theme "Passion for Pink"
• 35% Design best shows creativity and originality
• 20% Number of "I like it" votes

Twelve weekly winners will be selected, (based on the above criteria outlined in the Official Rules), and awarded a $100 Hanes gift certificate!

They will then select one lucky winner from the twelve finalists to have their T-shirt design printed! In addition, the grand prize winner will receive a $250 Hanes gift certificate and a $5,000 donation in their name to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Head over to the HanesPink.com gallery and support some great designs, and be sure to create your own! With your creativity and support, together we can help find the cure and spread breast cancer awareness.

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Make Your Miles Matter!

In my quest to get healthy, walking has proved to be a very essential component of my daily routine. I definitely notice the difference in my mood and energy level on days that I do not walk, or walk very little outside of my normal motherhood activities. Walking is not only beneficial for your heart, but many studies show that walking can alleviate depression symptoms, boost cognitive function in your brain, and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer.

From now through October 31st, Bumble Bee Foods will donate $0.15/mile for every mile logged at BeeWell Miles (up to $200,000) to help Breast Cancer Network of Strength to provide emotional support to those who can't wait for tomorrow's cure. I recently signed up to participate and have already logged in 20 miles-which is the equivalent of $3.00- that will be donated for cancer research. If that isn't motivation to stay on my path to becoming healthy again, I don't know what is!

There's no more excuses to stay on your couch, because Bumble Bee Foods gives you the resources you need and the inspiration to stay motivated. Get a couple of neighbors or friends to join you and calculate how much of a difference you'll be making on your waistlines for a great cause! Bumble Bee Foods makes it easy to log in your miles every day, read inspiring articles and interact with healthy living experts & other guests to share ideas and tips on getting healthy and staying there. You can Map Your Route, (which provides true satellite images of your neighborhood!), and all you need to do is click to set the markers on the route you walked and it automatically calculates the miles then click to log those miles. Plus, each day you log miles or game codes from pink Bumble Bee cans you could instantly win one of 15,000 prizes!!

What are you waiting for?! Go check out BeeWell Miles and sign up now to lose those inches and make a difference for breast cancer!

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