Happy Spring Ladies, now don't forget to clean out closets, move furniture to clean behind and get all those dust bunnies and clean out the garage. While your at it don't forget to detail your car, its needed it for a while. Then make sure to turn all the mattresses over and donate all the items you don't need to a worthy cause.
Now that you have done all that take a look in the mirror. Now it's time for you! Call and make that appointment for your annual, or for some your first, Mammogram. While you at it call to schedule a Physical as well.
One day while I was performing a self breast examination I found a lump. Now this was about 2 months before our first daughter was to be married, so I resolved myself to "its nothing and if it is I will deal with it after the wedding". Then came the end of the school year, the beginning of summer and finally I had my 2nd annual mammogram appointment to attend. While I was there I told the Technician that I felt a lump but its was up high on my chest wall. She right away said "the mammogram wont detect that area so I am going to send a referral off to radiology for you to have an ultrasound mammogram for that area". When I attended my 'ultrasound mammo' I was told my Mammogram looked great and they really couldn't find anything. I had to show them where and after a few minutes BINGO, they found what I had felt. Fast forwarding I had 3 different types of Cancer, one of which was very a aggressive cancer.
After much prayer and discussion my husband and I told the breast surgeon that I wanted a 'Bilateral Mastectomy'. My breast surgeon told me after they performed the biopsy "it was only a matter of time before it spread, You Literally Saved Your Life". Now this was after 2 lumpectomies and 4 rounds of Chemotherapy. I know that listening to my still small voice & being proactive is what saved my life.
Just 3 weeks ago I ran into an old friend, totally out of the blue. When I asked how she was she said, "I was just diagnosed with Breast Cancer". She seemed to still be in shock and didn't know how she and her husband were going to tell their children. My husband and I pray for her and her family daily. Over the last 2 years I have meet many wonderful and inspiring women who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. All of us have our own unique story and all of us have something in common.....we are Survivors.
I encourage you....No I Challenge you to get your Mammogram. Challenge your moms, sisters, daughters & girlfriends to get their Mammograms too!!! Its a simple test that take about 15 minutes out of your daily life....to save your life!
Love You..... Marri
Thursday, March 20, 2014
2 Years and Counting......
Nearly two years have passed since I had my Bilateral Mastectomy and became officially Cancer Free. Since then so much has happened to me, I am sad to say that I have neglected to write about. I have started a new business as a bookkeeper for small businesses. This has kept me very busy, so busy I have subconsciously neglected myself and exercise.
Looking back on the days I was just living one at a time, I kept telling myself "A year from now, 2 years from now". Well its now that bench mark and I seem to be doing well. All my hair is back, & I love to brush it, blow dry it and play with it. Funny how things such as simple as brushing your hair is taken for granted.
Looking back on the days I was just living one at a time, I kept telling myself "A year from now, 2 years from now". Well its now that bench mark and I seem to be doing well. All my hair is back, & I love to brush it, blow dry it and play with it. Funny how things such as simple as brushing your hair is taken for granted.
Gossip, It's Never A Good Thing.......
Do you ever feel like your angry and you don't know why? No it's not Menopause! I was at a point where I had noticed in my life that something has been holding me back and I just couldn't move forward. I tried to think it was someone else or something else, you know its always easier to blame someone else, it eases the pain. I have found that facing my frustration will help me move forward.
So here it is.... about 4 years ago someone who I thought was a friend came to me one day. Now this is someone who has been known to complain to others of how they feel they are not liked, and after a while you start to notice you are falling into that same mentality and find yourself looking for new friends. On a few occasions she felt the need to tell me how others didn't think highly of my family and one day in-particular she said "you know I had lunch with this these women and they were talking about you and your situation". She continued to tell me how these women were choosing to make me their topic of discussion, how stupid my husband and I were and what bad parents they thought we were.
Well of course I went through the usual female emotions.....
Mad: How could they say these things about me, I have never said one mean or negative thought about them.
Hurt: Now I feel like crawling under a rock, these women whom I thought were friendly towards me think so little of my family.
Anger: Seriously, who do they think they are? I wouldn't want to be near them on judgement day!
Depression: I want to totally withdraw from everyone and just forget about having a friend, no one is truly my friend anyway.
After my emotions got the best of me for about a year I realized this is just not me. I tried to turn the other cheek and kill them with kindness but yet these women seemed to me to snub me and only were friendly around big groups when others are looking. I then decided to just ignore and move on, then I was diagnosed with Cancer. I then had put my focus on what really mattered. For a time we had some very kind friends bring us dinner during the days after my chemo treatments. Nearly all of these women who passed judgement on me, or so I was being told, brought us dinner. I didn't have bad feelings with a couple of them but 2 I did, in fact I tried to get out of receiving dinner from them. This was very difficult for me but I knew that I needed to be more Christ Like.
Now the moral of this story is not to point a finger or to give shame to anyone, it is to bring awareness to feelings. I have feelings and so do others. Now in reality I really have no idea if what this woman had told me was even true, none the less I did go through all the emotions. This has truly effected my friendships with so many, my families relationships with other families and my trust issue. What I have found in all of this is when I read Scriptures and Pray daily with my family and husband I am so comforted. I know as long as I treat others how I would want to be treated, have a true intent of my heart and live life with purpose and humbleness I will feel peace. This is something I have come to know.
I started this story for my blog over 2 years ago and have felt different emotions while trying to finish this post. Regardless if these women did or didn't choose to pass judgment on my family, they had no idea why my demeanor had changed with them. I feel so bad and have repented for my actions. I don't want anyone to take this as "Marri needs a hug"....OK maybe I do, BUT.... we are all here on earth to make our own choices. Lets just make choices that don't hurt others, no matter your reason.
So here it is.... about 4 years ago someone who I thought was a friend came to me one day. Now this is someone who has been known to complain to others of how they feel they are not liked, and after a while you start to notice you are falling into that same mentality and find yourself looking for new friends. On a few occasions she felt the need to tell me how others didn't think highly of my family and one day in-particular she said "you know I had lunch with this these women and they were talking about you and your situation". She continued to tell me how these women were choosing to make me their topic of discussion, how stupid my husband and I were and what bad parents they thought we were.
Well of course I went through the usual female emotions.....
Mad: How could they say these things about me, I have never said one mean or negative thought about them.
Hurt: Now I feel like crawling under a rock, these women whom I thought were friendly towards me think so little of my family.
Anger: Seriously, who do they think they are? I wouldn't want to be near them on judgement day!
Depression: I want to totally withdraw from everyone and just forget about having a friend, no one is truly my friend anyway.
After my emotions got the best of me for about a year I realized this is just not me. I tried to turn the other cheek and kill them with kindness but yet these women seemed to me to snub me and only were friendly around big groups when others are looking. I then decided to just ignore and move on, then I was diagnosed with Cancer. I then had put my focus on what really mattered. For a time we had some very kind friends bring us dinner during the days after my chemo treatments. Nearly all of these women who passed judgement on me, or so I was being told, brought us dinner. I didn't have bad feelings with a couple of them but 2 I did, in fact I tried to get out of receiving dinner from them. This was very difficult for me but I knew that I needed to be more Christ Like.
Now the moral of this story is not to point a finger or to give shame to anyone, it is to bring awareness to feelings. I have feelings and so do others. Now in reality I really have no idea if what this woman had told me was even true, none the less I did go through all the emotions. This has truly effected my friendships with so many, my families relationships with other families and my trust issue. What I have found in all of this is when I read Scriptures and Pray daily with my family and husband I am so comforted. I know as long as I treat others how I would want to be treated, have a true intent of my heart and live life with purpose and humbleness I will feel peace. This is something I have come to know.
I started this story for my blog over 2 years ago and have felt different emotions while trying to finish this post. Regardless if these women did or didn't choose to pass judgment on my family, they had no idea why my demeanor had changed with them. I feel so bad and have repented for my actions. I don't want anyone to take this as "Marri needs a hug"....OK maybe I do, BUT.... we are all here on earth to make our own choices. Lets just make choices that don't hurt others, no matter your reason.
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