The Long Hard Year

On December 1, 2006, I had my first chemo treatment. Boy, were we dumb and innocent then! One year later I had my last Herceptin treatment today, ending my cancer treatments. We went out to eat to celebrate after the treatment and reminisced about the many things we’ve gone through this year.

My breast surgeon, Dr. Alison Laidley, told us the first time we met with her “I think we can save your life, but it’s going to be a long, hard year.” Little did we know what all that meant. But I thank God constantly for the medical heroes who have guided us through all the treatments and surgeries and side effects.

We’re still seeing my plastic surgeon, still inserting additional saline into the tissue expander in the right breast until it is sufficiently expanded to accept the real silicone implant to be inserted next year around March or April probably.

One of the blessings out of this year is the opportunity to tell people about breast cancer and have hopefully planted some seeds of action in lives to do self-exams and get regular doctor visits and mammograms. But the most precious blessing is the women who have come to me asking questions because they have gotten their news that they, too, have breast cancer.

One year later I’m glad to be here and be cancer free. Dr. Laidley was right and now the long, hard year is over.