A Great Day for a Run?

For a run? I never thought I'd say that!

But earlier this spring, I set my mind to it. The Race for the Cure was June 12 and I was going to participate in the 5K.

I started getting up at 5:30 every morning to run. It took a while, but it's now become a habit that I don't want to stop. I know, scary!

The morning of the race was the typical hot and humid St. Louis summer day. Lexi and I, along with 1,090 teams, 4,500 surviviors, and a total of 71,802 participants raced to end breast cancer.

Lexi, a much faster runner than I, stuck by my side most of the time as we tackled the 3.1 miles. It was hard not to stay pumped as people cheered us on from the sidelines. There were bands on every corner, fire trucks spraying their cool water, and even a bubble machine at the half-way mark.

As we reached the finish line, I could see Scott, my mom, Bella, and Abby cheering me on. It made me proud to be just a small part of the $3.4 million raised to end breast cancer forever!

One Year Down...Four to Go

Can you believe it's been one year since my last chemo? How can it seem like a million years ago and just yesterday all at the same time? Time flies when you’re … well, maybe it actually wasn't much fun.

But really, I am amazed at how quickly the year has gone. Just think, in just four years, I'll be considered in remission! So happy cancerversary to me!

And while this past year hasn't been the best, I am still extremely thankful...

...for my amazing husband who never fails to show me how much I mean to him.

...for my wonderful children who learned far more about breast cancer than anyone their age ever should.

...for the support of my family and friends.

...for the new friends I have made and for old ones I have reconnected with (thanks, Facebook!)

...for the doctors and nurses who treated me, especially my plastic surgeon!

...that my hair is growing back with curls, even though I look like I have an afro if I don't do something with it.

...that I look good in pink--I have a lot of that color in my closet now.

...that every day is one step closer to being considered free from cancer.

Since October is breast cancer awareness month, please pray of all the mothers, wives, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, etc. with breast cancer. Reach out and support them. A call, card, or meal is more appreciated than you'll ever know.

Pink Ribbon Tour is coming to Wentzville

Hey, if you're not doing anything on Saturday, September 19, come walk with us!

The Pink Ribbon Tour is coming to Wentzville and I get to sign the pink firetruck!

For more info follow this link...hope to see you there!

Last Surgery!

Yesterday morning I had what I hope to be the last surgery--the final chapter in a long saga.

So now I am complete again with a brand spankin new nipple on the left.

I'm a little sore where they took skin from my stomach, but feel pretty good otherwise. I tried to talk Dr. Nathan into taking a lot of skin from my stomach, but he didn't really go for that.

It will take about a week for the skin graft to "work," so I have to dry and pretty inactive until next Wednesday. Can't wait to see the final product!

A Great Day for a Walk

Thanks to my amazing family and friends who walked with me yesterday in the St. Louis Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

From what I read, there were 66,0000 people there! It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves. An extra big thanks to Sally and Jimmy for hosting a post-walk BBQ!


See, the race is so easy, even a turtle can do it.




The Wentzville Fire Department were there in pink.

St. Louis Race for the Cure - June 13, 2009

For those of you who are interested, we've put together a team again this year for the Race for the Cure.

Team registration ended on the 24th (sorry), but you can still register as an individual and meet up with us. On the right, you'll see some pink navigation, click on register as an individual and fill out the form.

We'll meet on the stairs of Soldier's Memorial at 8 am to walk together. If you're facing the Memorial, go to the top right.

Thanks in advance and hope to see you there.

One Year, Really

Exactly one year ago, I went through surgery to save my life. While I lost a part of myself that day, I feel I've gained so much this year.

Friendships have become closer and I've reconnected with so many people I had lost contact with. My family continues to be my best comforters and supporters. I was even blessed with two nephews and a niece who came to us from Russia.

Looking back, it's amazing to me that it's really only been one year. In some ways, it feels like it was so long ago. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Happy Birthday, Abby!

My youngest baby turns four today. The drama of the past year has been the hardest on her, which in turn, made it harder on us. She's extremely stubborn, but in some ways act much older than her mere four years. We tell everyone she's a passionate child, only sometimes that passion is misdirected.

She's pretty much outgrown Dora, but still loves Barbies. The Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana rock her world, but she also loves to sing "Band on the Run." Oh, and she just got a big girl bed, but we're still working on nighttime potty training.

She's loud and crazy, but is the first one to run to us with a kiss and squeezer hug.

This year, I vow to slow down, be more patient, and enjoy her.

Happy Birthday, Abby Doo! Mommy loves you!

The Beginning

It was this week last year when we discovered the lump which quickly turned into the downward spiral that ended with a cancer diagnosis.

Sometimes I still can't believe this has happened. It's almost as if I've been watching a movie of my life for the past year. I guess it was easier than dealing with the reality of the situation.

I'm not considered cancer free until its been five years from the end of treatment. But I feel cancer free and I guess that's what matters. I kicked cancer's ass!

Almost Normal

Tomorrow will be two weeks since the implant surgery and I'm slowly getting back to normal.

Surgery went well, but I was surprised at how painful my right side was. The left is still pretty numb from the mastectomy and has not caused me any pain at all. I was on painkillers and muscle relaxers through the weekend after surgery and slept most of the time.

I got the drain out on Wednesday (such a relief!) and am now limited in my activities for the next six weeks.

I'm pretty pleased with the results and feel more like a normal person again. I see the doctor again on Monday to check my progress and to talk about the last step.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and well wishes--I am eternally grateful for such loving people in my life.

Out of Surgery

Sue got out of surgery around 4:15pm - about 20 minutes quicker than Dr. Nathan originally thought. He said everything went great - both implants were put in and the port taken out. We got to see her in recovery around 5pm. She was awake, NOT throwing up and in a lot of pain. The pain was isolated on the right side just as Dr. Nathan said. The nurse in recovery - Wendy - gave her some pain meds and she seemed to feel better. She made it up to her room around 6pm and got something to eat. Currently she's laying in bed on the edge of sleep with a half-eaten chicken salad sandwich on her plate. The meds are kicking in!!

More later ... Scott.

New Boobs, New Date

Well I don't have to wait quite as long for surgery. After a call from the doctor's office on Thursday, my procedure was changed from Thursday to Wednesday afternoon. Trying to get a lot done this weekend in anticipation of being down for a few days.

I'll have Scott send an update after surgery.

Counting Down!

In a little more than a week, I'll have new boobs!

I've visited the plastic surgeon and oncologist and have a clean bill from both of them. Paperwork is filled out and I'm pre-registered at the surgery center. Now I just wait...I've been patient for so long and I'm looking forward to being normal again.

David R. Sassmann

Yesterday was a very sad day. I had to say good-bye to one of my greatest supporters--my father-in-law, David.

The loss was unexpected and my heart is aching.

David and I met over 17 years ago. I don't recall our exact first meeting, but it may have been at the furniture store in Belle during one of my visits from school in Springfield. What I do recall is being welcomed with open arms from the very beginning.

Though he may not have liked every decision Scott and I made, he let us live our lives. Did we mess up sometimes, sure. But he was always there with suggestions, ready to lend a hand if we needed it. He was proud of us and never failed to let us know that.

He had so much left to do and see and I'm sad, mostly for the girls. There's so much he'll miss and it's so unfair.

But I know he'd expect me to be strong. We'll reminisce over photos and I'll remind the girls often of his love and generosity.

Pop, you will be greatly missed. I love you.

Happy New Year

The new year is in full swing and I'm extremely happy to say good-bye to 2008.

With all of the pain it caused, I can say that having cancer brought me closer to my family and put me back in touch many of those I have missed--for that I am grateful!

Happy 2009! I look forward to a much better year!

Full to the Brim

The last fill is complete and my left breast is huge! I have to stuff the right to keep up!

Funny, but it's not uncomfortable like the other fills.

To ensure the skin and muscle is completely stretched, the fully expanded expander has to stay in place for six weeks.

I scheduled the implant surgery for February 19 and I can't wait.

It will be a little less than a year and I'll be back to the new normal that has become my life.

Oh, and take a look at this...my hair is growing back pretty quickly. And yes, it's way dark. I also have eyebrows and eyelashes again. Life is good!

Fight Pink Feature

Hey, check this out--my story is now on Fight Pink's website!

Fill 'Er Up

When Dr. Nathan put in the expander, he filled it up about 40%. I went in yesterday and got my first "fill."

I was a little nervous going in, especially after seeing Annie walk in with two huge vials of saline. Dr. Nathan immediately put me at ease and reminded me that we could do this reconstruction as fast or as slow as I wanted. I'm opting for the faster route, but not too fast!

At the top of the expander, there is a port. Different from my "chemo" port as it doesn't stick out. You find it be placing a small tool with a magnet on my breast and marking it. I didn't want to see the size of the needle and opted not to watch.

To my complete amazement, it didn't hurt at all. He finished with one vial and asked if I wanted to go ahead and put in the other, noting that it would be tight and be very uncomfortable later that night. I felt brave and let him add the other vial.

To quote my new friend, Stacy, "it is like filling a water balloon and you know when you know it is full but you think just a little more...and you are hoping it doesn't break? Yea..thats me right now."

I only took a few Aleve yesterday afternoon because I had to drive home from work, but once home, I dug into the pain meds. It doesn't so much hurt, it's just very uncomfortable and I had a hard time sleeping.

Two or three more and I should be filled to the brim. Then a six-week wait until surgery. I planning for sometime in early January. Hope it works out!

After Surgery

I'm feeling more complete these days. The prosthethic seemed like part of my life for so long and now I no longer need it. I can wear a bra and look normal! Of course, there is still much to be done, but I'm well on my way.

I spent a good week recovering from surgery. My right breast looks awesome since the lift and will be even better after the implant. This side never bothered me after the surgery.

The left side looks much better than it did, but still has a ways to go. I left the surgery center with a pain pump and a drain. The pain pump was attached by a thin tube under my left armpit. I carried the actual pump in a small bag around my waist. Very strange. I'm not really sure how much it helped, but it continuously provided a numbing medication similar to the Novicane you get in a dentist's office. It even had a button for that extra shot if I needed it. I never really felt the need, but Abby and Bella thought it was fun to push. Don't worry, it was set so that it could never give me more than I really needed!

On Saturday, the pump ran out and Scott had the honor of removing it. Thank goodness he's not bothered by such things. After a quick tug, it was out and I didn't feel a thing. Now to just get rid of the drain!

Everyday I had to empty the drain and record the amount of fluid I collected. I called Dr. Nathan's office on Friday and Debbie said I may be able to have it removed on Monday. No such luck. I was right on the border with my numbers. I even asked her bribe them, but no luck.

On Tuesday, I met with Annie (Dr. Nathan's nurse). She had me breathe deeply three times and then cough while she pulled out the drain. This was a little different from the last time. For my last surgery, the drains were more toward the top of my skin so I could actually see them come out. This was more inside. Didn't hurt, just felt different. It felt great not to be tethered to anything.

I went back to work on Wednesday and felt pretty good by the weekend. We had another successful Halloween and I have pictures to bride Alexis when we start letting her date (like around age 25 or so!) I'll post soon!

My Angels

Before I started chemo, a friend who went through a similar situation, turned me onto this site. So while I went through 16 weeks of treatment, I had two angels who went through it with me.

Crystal filled my mailbox with handmade cards and notes to brighten my day and Barb sent gifts, not only for me, but for the girls as well. They followed my progress via this blog and encouraged me along the way. I was so lucky to have them and inspired to become an angel once I complete reconstruction.

Check out their site and it may inspire you too.