Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Intro...

I’m Jenny…..where do I start? I am 36 years old, I’m married, no kids, living in Alexandria, Virginia. I’ve had Type 1 diabetes since I was 7 years old. When I was 34 years old I was diagnosed with HER 2 positive breast cancer. I found my own lump. My Mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor. She is HER 2 negative. My Dad died two months after my diagnosis of melanoma cancer, which had spread, to his liver. My dog, a 13-year-old cocker spaniel was diagnosed with cancer 3 months after Dad died; he then had surgery to remove his leg. He’s a three-legged survivor. My husband remains, hopefully forever, cancer free.
After finding my lump and having a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, I had a port sewn into my left chest. I then started a solid year of chemo, as well as 3 months of radiation. On December 23rd 2008 I took my last bag of chemo, and then went out to the Willard with my husband to celebrate. One month later I had surgery to remove the port.

Now, one year later, I am healthier then I ever have been in my life. Both physically and mentally. I have an urgency to live each day, and try everything I’ve never tried. I no longer take time for granted, and feel extreme gratitude to be living another day. This month my oncologist approached me about participating in a drug trial, for those with HER2 positive cancer, those who have taken one solid year of Herceptyn. I am one of ten selected, and I’m excited to possibly help future cancer patients have a new drug, and to hopefully get one us all one step closer to a cure.

This log is for those of you searching the internet looking for help, advise, and wondering if maybe you should take the drug, or maybe you shouldn’t, or you maybe you were just diagnosed with cancer, or maybe your hair just started falling out, whatever your step, I’m hoping this log helps you…..feel free to write and ask me about any of the stuff I’ve already been thru, weather it be as a cancer patient, a daughter of a cancer patient, or the dog owner of a cancer dog. :0)

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