About Me


image

I have been a criminal lawyer for 25 years and a breast cancer survivor for 27 years. I hold the record at my Cancer Clinic for having the greatest number of breast cancer recurrences or new primary cancers (they aren’t sure which it is) of 4 bouts of triple negative breast cancer. I have been extremely lucky as none of my cancers have metastisized so I am still here to tell the tale. I am BRCA1 positive (the Angelina Jolie gene) and all my cancers have been triple negative (very aggressive). I inherited this from my mother who had 4 different kinds of cancer – breast, ovarian, and 2 separate types of colon cancer in a 12 year period.

I am a single mom to 2 young teens and an ever energetic black lab dog. I like to read and write. This is my first blog so it is really a work in progress.

I try to write honestly and realistically about the breast cancer experience which is quite different from the sanitized pink ribbon version found so often in mainstream media. Still, there is always a ray of hope in my writing plus practical tips for dealing with common problems. I hope you will freely share your comments as that is such an important part of the blogging experience.

Has your life or that of a loved one’s ever been touched by cancer? Let me know in the comments.

image

37 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. I am a 2X survivor of BC, 1998 and again in 2013. The second bout was less severe and after my lumpectomy, I only had to have radiation. Cancer is all to familiar to me. I lost my husband to lung cancer in 2009. I never really followed blogging before but your’s caught my attention.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Sorry to hear that cancer invaded your life. Relapses or recurrences or new primaries years after the fact bring a whole new layer of fear to long term survivors.Hopefully, this will be the only setback.

      Like

      Reply

  2. Thank you for stopping by my blog. It led me to yours! I was diagnosed right after my 49th birthday. Well before my 51st birthday I had completed active treatment and lost my sister and husband both very unexpectedly. Blogging was a great way to make sense of all that was happening in my life and certainly cheaper than therapy.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I find for myself that I have to do both therapy and blogging. I am sorry for the losses of your loved ones on top of cancer treatment. Blogging does seem to help get rid of pent up emotions that in my case have been building up for years. Glad that we found each other’s blogs!

      Like

      Reply

  3. survivor TNBC😜 StageIIB Grade 3, no nodes. Took part in Avastin clinical trial 07-08. Killer (almost) Chemo, BMX and feel so blessed to have had no recurrence thus far. God Bless YOU!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I can only imagine that’s what they told you at 29, especially almost 30 years ago! Nope I tested negative for a mutation and have no family history. Although seeing that you tested positive after testing negative it makes me think more that maybe I am…

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It seems in the last year or so that they are testing for more genes, not just the BRCAs. I don’t know how readily available testing is but at your age, it is worth checking out. I found it a relief to learn about my true BRCA status as it provided an explanation for why cancer hit so young and so many times.

        Like

  5. Thank you for your words and thoughts! I am sorry you have had the experience to write a blog about cancer but I’m thankful you allow us to listen in.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. I can only imagine the experiences that accompany a diagnosis of Cancer…I have had a few uncles fight that battle many years ago. One of my girlfriends is a survivor… There is a special kind of strength and courage to meeting the unknown each day of life. I admire your spirit! It is very nice to meet you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Its good to meet you too! We all are fighting the unknown in some area of our lives every day. Cancer just happens to be one of my particular challenges, for reasons I don’t really understand. I just hope sharing my experiences can help someone else who is struggling, as I struggled each time I was diagnosed with cancer. Thank you for your very kind comments.

      Like

      Reply

    1. You and I have a very similar history with multiple new primaries but we are still long term survivors. I am BRCA1 positive. Do you have BRCA mutations too? Congratulations on 20 years of survival! If I’m a warrior rock star, you are too!!

      Like

      Reply

  11. You have the heart of a warrior and an inner strength I admire so much! Your last article touched my heart, I felt the need to give you the warmest hug and to tell you how brave and honest is the way you think, how generous it is to share your story, offering encouragement to others, opening your heart the way you do…Thank you so much for following my blog and giving me the chance to “meet” you here, I’m honored!
    Best wishes and all the positive thoughts for you, in my eyes you’re a winner!
    Carissa

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Your kind and supportive words have me blushing. Thank you so much. You are a very talented lady with words. Your posts always provide great stories with a deep theme running through them. Thanks for adding me as a friend on Facebook.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. As tough as it comes! That is the least I can say about you and what you have been through. I lost an auntie to uterine cancer, which had spread to her lungs. I believe that you will continue conquering all the challenges coming your way! Wishing you well.

    Like

    Reply

  13. Congrats on your courageous battle and best wishes for continued success! Cancer is a subject that has haunted many people close to me since I was a child. Pretty sad to learn about cancer as a youngster while watching family members wither away, before even being old enough to tie my own shoes. Even more unfortunate, the cycle still continues to this day (at least I can tie my shoes now 😉 ). I have lost almost 20 people in my life (family and friends) due to cancer with the most difficult being my mom 2 years ago. No matter what the age, losing a mom is something you never get over. I have been lucky and only “personally” dealt with having pre-cancer. I also commend you on being honest and vocal about your cancer path, education and open communication is so vital in our society in order to help stop the horrendous cycle.

    Like

    Reply

    1. It must be awful to deal with the death of those close to you when you are a child. Close to 20 people lost to cancer is a lot to lose. I hope the cycle has stopped for you and that you continue to remain cancer free.

      Like

      Reply

  14. Wow, 4 times?! I am so glad you have beaten it every time. I think it is nearly impossible these days to find someone whose life has NOT been touched by cancer in some way. My daughter lost a teacher in grade school to cancer. That was her first real knowledge of death, I think, and she took it very hard. She has lost a childhood friend a bit over a year ago after a very long battle and 2 other friends (who were siblings) to 2 rare cancers. I can probably tick off quite a list of people who are gone due to cancer.

    Like

    Reply
  18. Pingback: About Me | 4Timesandcounting

Leave a reply to jules7611 Cancel reply