Finally started chemo!

This is a picture Alan took of me sitting under Delicate Arch last May when we went to visit Arches National Park. :)

I started this blog a few times but hadn't quite gotten around to finishing. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but this will cover the past few weeks.

After my appointment with my surgeon, I called to schedule an appoitment with my oncologist at Farmington. Dr. Molin was really pushing for me to start chemo immediately. So, I met with him last Tuesday and heard what he had to say about the medicines he wants to use (Taxotere and Cytoxan) and when he thinks I should start.

He had talked with Dr. Molin and said felt differently about my need to start chemo right away. He wanted to me to look into getting a second opinion from another surgeon because Dr. Molin wants me to have a mastectomy. He doesn't want me to have to go through that because I'm so young. So, while they each have their own opinions about what I should be doing for surgery, all I know is that I want to start chemo right away. Enough with the waiting.... But even after I told Dr. Khomani that I wanted to start chemo right away and he said I could still wait a week or two, I told him, "No, I want to start now." He said, "Okay, you can start Monday or Tuesday. You choose." Of course I told him Monday.

So.. I could've started today, but I didn't. I choose to move to Minnesota for the summer. Yes.. I finally came to decision. :) I've been here in St. Paul since Thursday night. My cousin Nicole picked me up from the airport and brought me to her mom's house. They've been taking good care of me and I felt welcomed right away. My aunt took me shopping, out to dinner, and to see Minnehaha Falls. And Nicole took her daughter Sophia and I to the Mall of America today. So, I want to thank them for doing all of those things with me. :)

Nicole's friend Dayna took me to my first appointment here in Minnesota on Friday. I met with Dr. Mathew. He gave me a very direct, straightforward plan of chemo. Apparently, because my tumor grade is a 3, it means that I have one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. However, he told me that more aggressive cancers respond better to chemotherapy. He also showed me a website, which when he enters in my information: age, overall health, estrogen receptor status, histologic grade, tumor size, nodes involved, and chemotherapy generation regime (his treatment plan) he was able to show me a graph of how many women are alive and without cancer in 10 years, how many women relapse, and how many die.

Dr. Mathew's mother had breast cancer. So, knowing that he has dealt with this cancer on a personal level was comforting. He told me that he wants to fight this cancer aggressively. He wants to add 60 years to my life. And though he said, "It won't be a walk in the park.", at least I feel confident in his ability to help me.

So, after my visit with him, I met with a surgeon. He told me that basically I could choose whether or not I wanted to do a mastectomy or another lumpectomy. And I also could choose whether or not I wanted to do the surgery before or after chemo. This was stressful for me because I'm not a doctor and I didn't know what was best for me. But I had to trust that he wouldn't have given me those options unless he really supported them.

I chose to start with chemo and will follow that with a mastectomy after treatment. I would rather not have to risk a fourth surgery by going for another lumpectomy and woud rather have the piece of mind that comes with knowing that that diseased tissue is out of my body. Starting with chemo was really important to me and I'm glad I chose to start that right away. It will be eight treatments done every two weeks. So, it's a much faster and more aggressive treatment plan than Dr. Khomani had made. But I trust this plan. I want to fight it aggressively.

I've had x-rays done and an echocardiogram to get a base heart rate for me. The Adrimyacin medicine that I will be on for the first 4 sessions has been known to cause heart damage. On top of blood work, I will have an echocardiogram done every two weeks, before I have another treatment. If for any reason, my heart appears to be damaged or not working as well as it was, then they will stop using the medicine. But they told me my hearts in good shape, so hopefully it will continue to stay strong.

My aunt and I went to Easter mass on Sunday and I'm really happy that I went. It was the day before I started chemo and I was extremely nervous about it. The priest spoke of how when we suffer, God suffers, too. And that the more we love someone, the deeper we hurt for them. And most importantly, that we are never alone. God is always there. The entire mass I held back tears but the moment I was out of there I couldn't help but cry. I am scared and have been since I was diagnosed. But I found so much comfort from that mass that I plan to meet personally with this priest to talk with him about my illness and hope that he can guide me and pray for me.

I went in for my first chemo treatment on Monday. Nicole and I sat and talked with the pharmacist who answered all of my questions. She was very patient because I know some of my questions were one's that I should've asked my oncologist, but she answered what she could and was a really nice lady. I also really liked my nurse. Everyone was great. :)

I'm starting my first four treatments on Cytoxan and Adrimyacin. My last four treatments will just be on Taxotere. So far, all I've really felt is nausea. The first night I had extreme anxiety and fear of the side effects that should show up by the end of the week. Luckily I have a lot of people there to help calm me down and just tell me that I'll be okay and what I was feeling was just anxiety.

I've had my neulasta shot to help my bone marrow produce more white blood cells. I was told I might feel some discomfort today from that.. but thankfully I haven't felt anything. The nausea has really been the only thing that has remained mild and constant. But I have all top of the line nausea meds, so if I just let myself calm down, then I'm sure I will eventually be able to cope with that! :)

Last week, Nicole took me the Aveda Salon so I could cut my hair short. They were so amazing there, I couldn't believe how nice everyone was! The haircut was normally $100, but they gave it to me for free. And once my hair does start to fall out, I can go in to get my head shaved. They also will style my wig and give me massages, pedicures, manicures, etc. all for free! And the American Cancer Society gave me a wig made from real hair for free before I started treatment. I just have to get it styled, but it's a dirty blonde color about shoulder length.. I think it's pretty. :) And they also gave me a few hats to sleep with so my head doesn't get cold at night. I have to say that cancer patients are treated so incredibly well. People just want to help make things easier on you. I really hope that all sick people recieve care like I've been getting. Once my hair does grow back, I'm going to donate it to the American Cancer Society. Hopefully someone else can use it while they go throught treatment. :)

And I'm still recieving lots of phone calls, gifts, cards, postcards, flowers, candy, meals, transportation, books, etc. A guy my mom works with signed me up for 3 months of Netflix to entertain me while I go through treatment. I am so very grateful for everyone that is trying so hard to show me that they care! I can't even begin to describe how much it means to me. So, thank you so much!! And if you haven't heard from me, please bear with me! I'm not ignoring you, I've just had a lot on my mind. But just know that I do appreciate everything you're doing to help! :) Just keep praying for me!!

I will be okay. :)

Positives!

My family and friends have been so supportive!

My boyfriend is amazing!

I have finally started chemo! One down, 7 more to go!

Spring is here!

My birthday is coming up!

I know I'm loved by so many people!

I trust in the Lord to get me through this!

so many choices, so little time

This is a picture of Alan, Alex, me, and Rachel in Cody, WY last summer. That was a really fun day. :)

Just another quick update because I met with my surgeon yesterday in Portland.

The day my surgeon called to tell me that I needed a third surgery after chemo, she told me she wanted to sit down face-to-face with my mom and I and go over what she knows about my cancer. So, we drove down to Portland and met with her and another nurse to hear what's going on.

The nurse took the time to show me how to get the range of motion back in my right arm. Right now, when I raise my arm up in front of me, I can't lift it completley straight up over my head.. almost, but not to the extent of my left side. When I lift it up from the side it's even worse. I can barely get it up over a 45 degree angle. So, I'm working on the exercises to try and get that back to normal.. and that should take about a month.

Okay..now the part that makes me the most nervous. She wanted to meet with us to go over what the pathologist had found after my second surgery. In the margin, there were very few cancer cells except right on the edge there was a 2 mm tumor. Now, they consider that very small but she said that a cancer cell is 17 times smaller than (and she used her pen to make a dot on a piece of paper) that dot. So, it has been growing.

Not only that, but I have lymph vascular invasion. This means that (according to breastcancer.org), "the tumor cells have acquired the ability to invade the walls (blood vessels) and may spread to my lymph nodes or beyond." It's also, "associated with higher recurrence in the breasts, as well as a higher risk of lymph node involvement." I already have lymph node involvement, so the part that worries me is that cancer cells were evident in my blood vessels. The cancer cells use the blood vessels and lymph nodes to travel throughout my body and attach to other organs or my bones.

So, when she looked at my incisions to see how they were healing, she said they were healing really well. And then she asked me when I was going to meet with my oncologist again. When I told her March 30th she said, "No. That's bullshit. You need to start today." (My surgeon is the funniest doctor I have ever encountered. She's from the Bronx and has an accent and swears. I think it's great! She talks to me like I'm a friend, not just some cancer patient.)

But she is worried about me and wants me to get started with treatment immediately. I will be put on some aggressive chemotherapy drugs and hopefully it will kill all the cancer cells in my body. I pray that once I'm in remission, I will remain cancer-free for the rest of my life.

So right now, I'm trying to find a place to stay during treatment that is close to a hospital where I can get insurance coverage. Going to Minneapolis, Minnesota seems to be the place where my surgeon thinks I'd do best because there are so many good hospitals in the Twin Cities area. And I have relatives (aunts, uncles, and cousins) on my dad's side of the family who are more than happy to help me. My cousin Nicole has done SO much footwork to find a hospital that will take me and find ways to help me pay for it.

The one that she found in Minneapolis is Hennepin County Medical Center. I have contacted my oncologist to have him do a referral so I can start my treatment out there as soon as possible. I know my oncologist has already been talking to the doctor that he knows personally down in Augusta, Georgia, but it's been tough finding someone to stay down there with me. I'd need at least two people because anyone who has wanted to stay with me has said they'd need to find work. So, if I had two people, they could alternate. Either way, I have to figure it out by Monday at the latest.

So, that's all I have right now. Just trying to find a place where people can take care of me while I go through chemo and by next week. There's a lot for me to choose from!! But I can always transfer hospitals if I need to. So, keep praying! And thank you for the continuous support! :)

I will be okay. :)

Positives:

I finally got the okay to start chemo.

Everyone is doing everything they can to help me!

I feel pretty good.

The weather has been so warm lately!

ups and downs.. but mostly ups!

This picture is of Alan and I at Artist Point in Yellowstone last May. I didn't have a car so being the nice guy that he is, he offered to take me exploring. I had so much fun that day! :)

*sigh*

Ok, so I have some updates.

The most frustrating thing by far is that my surgeon called me this morning. And guess what? I need to have a THIRD surgery. At this point, I am seriously considering a double mastectomy. Having that done reduces the risk of it coming back by 95%. And that is to the lowest degree. I plan on meeting with my surgeon next week to go over my options, including discussing that surgery. ugh..stupid cancer.

Second, I won't have that surgery until after chemo. My doctor told me I can't put chemo off any longer and I need to start as soon as possible. So, when I was hoping to be done with Step #2.. I have to backtrack to Step #1 before I can go on to Step #3 Radiation.

Third, I can't seem to figure out where I want to do chemo. I have options and picking just one has been really stressing me out. I can stay with relatives in either New York or Minnesota.. or I can go with my sister down to Georgia.. or I can try and transfer to Boston....or I can stay in Maine. Why is this so hard for me to decide? :(

And finally, my Breast Health Nurse in Farmington called to tell me that my oncology doctor was very pleased to hear that I was interested in going to Georgia for care. It would be relaxing living amongst the palm trees of the south.. but I'm worried that it will be a huge burden on my sister to take care of me for 4 months. However, both of us have talked about the fun we would have traveling around Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida on the days when I'm feeling healthy. :)

My CT scan last Friday went well. I had to drink this nasty highlighting fluid before I went in.. and they accessed my port to draw blood and put the contrast in (to highlight my insides). It took less than 5 minutes for them to get the pictures of my chest, abdomen, and pelvis. I got the call this afternoon from April (my favorite oncology nurse!) and they didn't see anything indicating that the cancer had spread to my organs. So, that was really great news! :)

How am I doing emotionally? Not gonna lie.. this is REALLY starting to get to me. Trying not to cry has been very difficult. I'm trying to stay as strong as I can. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.... Breast cancer in younger women is far more aggressive than it is with the elderly. And to have to endure a third surgery, after I thought that part was over, is like being kicked in the face when you're already down.

Soooo. To think happy thoughts and tell you all about my wonderful family and friends is the most important part! :) I have a lot of thank you's to say!

I have recieved cards, donations (including a $100 check to just go out and have fun with! And it had a note on it that said, "Montana misses you!"), flowers, a bookset, framed pictures, a handmade scarf and hat (pink, of course!), a necklace, a bracelet, gone out to dinner a few times, a soft blanket, a pink snuggie, a book on the National Parks, a Nintendo DS with games to use while I sit through chemo or in a waiting room, food, phone calls, text messages, e-mails, relatives offering me to stay with them during treatment, and another friend started a blog to help raise money and is running in the Race for a Cure this May in Salt Lake City! Also, thank you to those former breast cancer patients who have listened to me, given me advice, and answered all of my questions. Your knowledge and understanding of what I'm going through is so comforting. And you are on the survivor side, so it gives me hope!

This is how I find the courage to keep going! I feel so loved!! So, THANK YOU!! to: Mary, Lexi, Jake, Mike, Tess, Denise, Glenn, Caleb, Derek and Barb, my brother and his hockey team, Sandi, Becky, Greg and Lynne, Liz, Aunt Marianne, Aunt Stef, my cousins Nicole, Standish, and the Wappetts, Uncle Paul, Uncle Eric, Mel, Rachel, Alex, the Frost family, the Kerr family, Janice, Kyla, Jenn, Lynn, Katelyn, Marion, and everyone else who has left me a comment or message on Facebook. :) I appreciate and love you all!

And of course a big thank you to my family for all that they're doing to help! I know my pain is their pain. It's not going to be easy at times, but it will all be worth it in the end. I love you guys! :)

And Alan, thank you for your patience and optimism with all of this. Like you keep saying, I'll be back before you know it! :) I love you and miss you! Can't wait to see you again!

So, at the end of the day, even when I'm knocked down again.. I always get back up. I have a million hands offering to help me and this is what life should always be like. Thank you all again!!

I will be okay. :)

Positives:

See above. :)

On to the next step

This is a picture that Alan took of me when we were at Arches National Park last May. :)


Monday was a very busy day. I had to be at Maine Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. to have a mediport put in. I was extremely anxious about this because it is a foreign object attached to a major vein and then left in my body until I am through with chemo. Not to mention I had it put in while under conscious sedation. HA! Not doing that again.... Feeling the doctor tugging and stitching me up was awful....not to mention I listened to them talk about the Oscars while doing all of this. It was weird.

That procedure was over by 10:40 a.m. and then my mom rushed me to my surgery in Scarborough. Dr. Molin happened to arrive at the same time I did, so I was able to talk with her for a minute before I had to get ready in pre-op. I asked her about the pathology report involving the extra lymph nodes she had to take out. Only 2 out of the 21 she took out had cancer cells in them. Good news! :)

Within 5 minutes of getting in the building, I was prepped for surgery. I was much more laid back for this one because I was just there a week ago and knew what to expect. I even gave my anesthesiologist crap for being a BYU graduate. I told him not to "accidentally" overdose me with anesthesia because I'm a Utes fan. :D

The surgery went well. I woke up a little more sore, but it's probably because she cut open the incision again. My mom said that after the surgery, Dr. Molin came out into the waiting room with a smile saying she thinks she got all of it this time. Yay! :)

Today was my first appointment with my oncologist. This was a very overwhelming, 3 hour appointment with a lot of information thrown at my mom and I. He wants to wait 3 weeks for my incisions to heal before I start chemo. I also have to go in for a CAT scan on Friday to check my chest, abdomen, and pelvic areas for tumors. I honestly had no idea how involved this whole treatment of cancer thing was....

One of his major concerns for me right now is that my mom lives 76 miles away from the nearest hospital. He said that if I get a fever while going through chemo, I need to be at a hospital within an hour. Even though I will be staying with our friend Becky in Mt. Vernon (which is about 30 minutes from the nearest hospital), he is concerned with me not having someone there to take care of me during those times when I am really weak or sick from the chemo. Becky and my mom both have to work. So this is something we are trying to figure out..I will need someone to stay with me, at least for the few days when the chemo is hitting me the hardest.

My doctor is a very nice man and he felt really bad for me. He was very sympathetic because I'm only 26. He said several times, "I'm so sorry you're going through this. This shouldn't be happening to you." Dr. Rasmussen and Dr. Molin have also said this to me. I definitely wish I didn't have to worry about chemo and could go out and do the things I planned for the summer. But after all the treatment is done, I can go on with my life!

On a very generous note, he offered for me to stay at his house in Brunswick, GA for the summer while I went through chemo because it's only 3 miles from the hospital. He said that he's paying the mortgage on it, the utilities are paid, and he'd take it off the market until I was done. So if I can't find a closer place to stay here in Maine, then I could just go there. HOW NICE WAS THAT?! Both the nurses in the room were shocked that he offered that to me and said that he must really feel sorry that I have to go through this. People like him make this SO much easier!

His other concern was my fertility. There's a good chance chemo, radiation and the hormonal therapy will completely sterilize me. He wants me to meet with a fertility doctor within the next three weeks to discuss my options (freezing my eggs, etc.). This is obviously tough for me because I have always wanted to have children. I would definitely adopt if I can't have my own, but I'd still like to try.

Insurance issues are still a factor as well. I have pretty much used up my insurance coverage ($50,000) after all the tests and two surgeries. I'll be applying for MaineCare, but I definitely have to start applying for grants and scholarships..something I'll do this week while I'm healing from surgery.

On a happy note, my brother and his hockey team raised over $1,500 for me!! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! Another incredible act of kindess! :) It means the world to me! I appreciate all that you guys did to put the game together and for showing your support all the way from Pennsylvania! :) You guys rock!

I will be okay. :)

Positives!
Only 2 out of 21 lymph nodes had cancer.
Chemo will start in 4 weeks.
My mom is superwoman and I want to thank her for everything! :)
My brother and his team are awesome! Thank you guys again!
Thank you to my sister for being with me before and after surgery.
Thank you to Mike G. for starting a blog to help raise money!
My oncology doctor is a very kind and generous man!

How this all started

This blog will be longer because I'm covering a 5 month period! It goes over what I've been through and where I'm at now.

"This isn't supposed to be happening." -Dr. Rasumussen's first words to me. (I was his second youngest patient that he had worked with.)

I'll start from the beginning....

In October, I first noticed the lump. I wasn't doing a breast exam. I just happened to notice it, and thank God for that! My first thought was, "That's not good." But breast cancer was really the last thing I expected. Initially I was just going to hope it would go away. But Alan was the one who said to call about it. I think he was more concerned than I was. And I'm so glad he was.

The next day I called Planned Parenthood to see what they recommended. They gave me the number to the Cancer Research Center in Salt Lake City, UT. I called there, they told me to, "wait two cycles to see if it goes away." Although Dr. Rasmussen said that they did nothing wrong in telling me to wait, I am going to advise you to get a second opinion.

After waiting just over two months with absolutely no change, I called back and left a message. Here's where I should've been more on top of things. When they didn't answer, I waited about 2 weeks for them to call back. The lump was still there and now I was getting nervous. I called back again and left a more urgent message and Darlene called me back. She wanted me to come in and get a breast exam.

I went in for the breast exam with the hope that maybe it was just a cyst. I told the nurse how cysts run in my family. She said, "It feels like a cyst but I want to make sure that's all it is. I'm going to schedule you for an ultrasound."

A few days later, Alan brought me to my ultrasound appointment. I started to feel uneasy even being there. As the nurse was doing the ultrasound, she got a look on her face, stopped what she was doing and said, "I'll be right back. I'm just going to get Dr. Kendall." I knew then it was more serious than I thought. Dr. Kendall came in and as he was doing the ultrasound he also got a look on his face that showed concern. With my last bit of hope I said, "The nurse thought it might be a cyst." He followed that with, "I can tell right now that it's not a cyst." This is where things began to snowball.

Dr. Kendall told me he needed to do a biopsy but first wanted me to have a mammogram. So, I went right from the ultrasound, down the hall and in for a mammogram. It was awkward and uncomfortable. When that was done, I went back down the hall for my biopsy. Because I'm young, the mammogram turned out to be pretty useless because my breast tissue is so dense. Now for the biopsy.

I had no idea how bad this was going to hurt. He showed me the huge needle he would use to numb my breast with lidocaine. Then he showed me the needle he would use for the biopsy. Yeah.. Then he demonstrated the sound the biopsy needle would make. No joke, it makes a sound similar to when you cock a shotgun. I almost threw up.

He numbs me (or tries to) and after poking around with a needle, determined I was numb enough to procede. I didn't feel that huge biopsy needle go into me. But as soon as he pulled out that sample, I was writhing in pain. He might as well have just lit my breast on fire. His response as he looked at me surprised was, "You weren't supposed to feel that." Through tears I mananged to say, "I felt everything!" He numbed me with more licodaine and gave me an ice pack. But I was still in shock. What the heck is going on?! I was just supposed to have an ultrasound.... He was supposed to take a few more samples, but decided that the one he got was a good one and he wouldn't put me through anymore. Thank God!

From here, I waited for the call that would determine my next step. Waiting for this call was THE worst. Of course the day I was supposed to find out, the lab hadn't gotten the results back so I would find out the next day. And I did.

I was at work when I got the call. Dr. Kendall called and I KNEW just from the uneasiness in his voice I had cancer. My heart started to race and my eyes filled up with tears. He was trying to make small talk about the ultrasound and jokingly asked if I had recovered from that experience. Then he finally told me what I already knew. "We got the results back from the biopsy..and uh.. they did come back as cancer." Instant tears. He tried to be as comforting as he could but all I wanted to do was go home and cry. And I did.

Telling Alan was incredibly difficult. I didn't want to put him through this. When I told him, he said, "Are you serious?". He sat there stunned and then he just held me while I cried. He told me everything would be okay. Alan has always been positive about the outcome for me and keeps my spirits up. Two days later, he took me to a ballet to get my mind off of everything.

Telling my family was just as difficult. They were all shocked. They researched and did what they could. I was so grateful when they all decided to come out to be with me when I had surgery and to help me through treatment. My mom keeps telling me that she doesn't have that motherly instinct that tells her I won't make it. She belives with all her heart I'll be okay, and I find comfort in that. I can't even imagine being on the other side of this and hearing a loved one has cancer. I've tried to put myself in their position but I don't like thinking about it. I'd rather it was me than them.

After the diagnosis of breast cancer, I was assigned a surgeon. I met with Dr. Rasmussen and the opening line of this blog is how our conversation started. He told me that I had invasive ductal carcinoma, I was estrogen/progesterone positive (which is a good thing because it is easier to control) and I'm HER2 negative (Another good thing! This is a more agressive type of cancer and I don't have it). He told me what he wanted to do before he decided on what type of surgery I will be having: MRI to check for other tumors and to check my lymph nodes. And a BRCA2 gene test. Then based on those results and after meeting with a panel of other surgeons, oncologists, etc. he would determine how he wanted to do this.

So, after meeting with him, I went down to the lab to have my blood drawn (something I don't even flinch about anymore). The gene test cost $3,100! Expensive, but worth it. Then a few days later, I had the MRI. This was a long, noisy procedure where I laid facedown in this machine for almost an hour unable to move. But they got the pictures they needed.

My BRCA2 gene test came back negative! Yay! Had it been positive, Dr. Rasmussen would've recommended a bi-lateral mastectomy. My MRI results came back showing no other tumors and my lymph nodes looked normal. However, he told me that because my lymph nodes look normal doesn't mean there isn't cancer in them. He recommend a lumpectomy for surgery with radiation treatment and possibly chemo.

Here's where the insurance issue came up. I have insurance through the University of Maine. It will cover my expenses for surgery and treatment up to $50,000. If I had everything done in Maine, they would cover me 100%. If I stayed in Utah, they would only cover 80%.

So, I came back to Maine to have surgery and chemo. I met with Dr. Molin at Mercy Hospital in Portland who specializes in breast cancer and only does breast cancer surgeries. A big thank you to Mary for finding her for me! Dr. Molin has been wonderful! She was even willing to come in on a weekend if that's the only time they could get me in for surgery!

I've been back for almost 2 weeks now. I've had a lumpectomy with axillary dissection (the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes). Dr. Molin determined I am at Stage II (early breast cancer). She has me set up for 6 chemo sessions over an 18 week period. After a month off, I will have 6 weeks (30 treatments total) of radiation and 5 years of hormonal treatment (estrogen blocking medicine). I have to go back in on Monday to have more tissue removed because there was an area around the tumor that showed cancer cells and she wants to get those out. Before that surgery though, I need to go to Maine Medical Center to have a mediport put in. This will make it easier for the oncologist and nurses to put the chemo medicine in or take blood, rather than trying to stick a needle in everytime.

I still have a long road ahead of me but I feel confident in Dr. Molin and my mom. They have made this so much easier on me and I want to thank them for that! :) Other than the cancer spreading, all the other tests have come back in my favor. I will be okay. :)

Positives!
I have an amazing family who have been doing all they can to help me!! I love them and am so grateful for everything they've done!!
I have a loving boyfriend who makes me laugh everytime we talk! I love you, Alan!
I have very supportive friends who have shared with me their thoughts, their prayers, and their hopes for my quick recovery.