My Breast Cancer Recovery Journey – BCD Day 24
I’m so glad you could join me on this breast cancer recovery journey!
Where Have I Been?
I’ll tell you where I’ve been. I’ve been sitting around, not healing correctly or quickly enough, resulting in weekly trips to my plastic surgeon. Now he’s a nice guy and he is taking good care of me, but every week I’d go see him. I’d take off my shirt and stupid ugly sports bra that I must wear 24 hours a day, and I’d put on the ugly johnny (open in the front).
He comes in, looks at them, and says “Better, but you’re still not out of the woods yet. I want to see you back here next week.” It gets kind of depressing after a while. The routine of it,drive, wait, change, exam, repeat, feels endless. Healing is supposed to move forward, but sometimes it just drags and that wears on you mentally. Not going to lie, I am entirely sick of this breast cancer recovery journey.
Good News
But wait, there is good news! Last week when I saw him he said “Looking much better. I won’t need to see you for 2 weeks.” I was doing virtual 
cartwheels in my head. That little change in schedule meant progress. They also scheduled my second surgery: the DIEP flap surgery. While I’m excited to get it done, I’m not as excited about the scheduling date. I’m getting it in mid-May, which, if you are a teacher, is a bad, bad time. Plus, I’ll be out of work for 8–10 weeks, meaning I’ll miss the end of school.
However, it’s better than missing the beginning of school, which I don’t want to do. Missing the end of a school year sucks, but missing the beginning is so much worse, at least in my opinion. This is where I remind myself of what I wrote in Day 22 – Good News: perspective matters. Are we nearing the end of my breast cancer recovery journey? I hope so!
Medicine News
I did start the hormone blocker my oncologist wants me on. It’s called Letrozole. Basically, it’s supposed to block hormones so it’s like I am going 
through menopause all over again. Isn’t that fun? Though I have been fortunate so far, only a couple of hot flashes, a few mood swings, and headaches. Not as bad as the first time I went through it, which I’ll count as a win. However, one side effect we didn’t count on was it’s making it hard for me to walk. Seriously? Who would have thought that could e a side effect, but it is, and I have it. That is less of a win, because walking is kind of important.
This part of the breast cancer recovery journey is strange—it’s invisible. People can’t see hot flashes or headaches. It’s not like a bandage or a drain. But the impact is still very real, and it takes just as much adjusting.
Work News
I just finished my first week back at dear old school, and while it was exhausting, it was also good. My administrators have been nothing less than amazing to me regarding my health an my breast cancer recovery journey. I will never be able to thank them enough for their support.
My teacher bestie and students painted one wall of my room purple and put up LED lights. The student that did the majority of the painting wants to paint the whole room purple, but I think that’s a bit much. So we compromised: two walls purple, two a light yellow—but only if he is caught up on all his work. He likes to paint, so I think it will be a good incentive for him. Little moments like this make the school feel like family, and they remind me that I’m not going through this alone.
Other News
Yeah, I got nothing. I am super boring and all I am doing is resting and watching Ghost Adventures. Why? I don’t know. I do know that I like the older episodes with Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin. I really liked their chemistry. It’s just not the same with the new guys. I really liked the camaraderie the original three had together, and honestly Nick and Aaron were my favorites. Aaron because they abused the poor guy so much, and Nick—maybe because he was a New England boy—but also because he was informative and interesting without having to be a showboat.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Day 24 brings its mix of frustration, small victories, and strange comforts. Weekly appointments, ugly sports bras, and medication side effects can be draining, but they are part of this breast cancer recovery journey. I’m choosing to see the positives: fewer doctor visits, a scheduled surgery, supportive colleagues, and even painted walls to brighten my classroom. It’s not glamorous, but every step reminds me I’m moving forward.
