So much has happened since my last blog post...

20 months since I last updated?  Really?!  There are many reasons.  On February 28, 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I look back now and think that surely that could not have been just a year and 10 months ago, but it was.  It was a long road and was very scary at times, but I am now on the other side.  I am so thankful to be done with treatment and surgeries.  Tomorrow, I will go back to the plastic surgeon for a check up.  It will be the first time I've seen him since he did my final reconstruction in March.  I can't believe it's been that long, but life has kept me busy since surgery.  There are things that I'm not extremely happy with since my reconstruction is complete, but I don't think he can fix them.  Since my right side(cancer side) was radiated, the skin is much tighter on that side, making that implant look smaller.  I look fine in clothes, though, so I don't think I'm worried enough to try to fix it.  Going through surgery for cosmetic reasons has never made much sense to me.  I have been through enough surgeries since being diagnosed with cancer to last me a lifetime.  I don't like being put to sleep and don't like taking time for recovering.  With 5 kids, I don't have much time to sit and rest and recovery takes a lot of sitting and resting!  Today, I feel so much better than I ever remember feeling.  It makes me wonder how long cancer had been lurking before it was found.  I had been so tired and run down for several years.  I thought it was just because I was a new mom, but maybe it was because I was sick.  Over the past year, I have gone through about 4 surgeries, 6 big chemo treatments, 17 herceptin treatments and 30 rounds of radiation.  Thankfully I'm past that and now only see my doctors for follow ups.  I get to see them every 3 months for 2 years, then it moves to every 6 months.  I have officially been considered NED(no evidence of disease) for 14 months now.  I can't believe it's been that long, but at the same time, it feels like it has been so much longer!  I am thankful for every single day I have with Ernie and the kids these days.  I have come to realize that every day, every hour, every minute is truly a gift from above.