🌀 Mood: Shaken but watchful It only took one routine shot to remind me: cancer doesn’t always follow the rules. By Chemo Week 5, I thought I knew what to expect. I’d had this shot ten times before without a problem. Routine. Predictable. I didn’t think twice about it. But this time was different. First came the chills, sudden and deep — no amount of … Continue reading 16 – The Unexpected Side Effects
🌀 Mood: Grounded, resilient, and quietly courageous. Today marks a big checkpoint: I am officially halfway through the first phase of my chemotherapy journey. My doctor mapped out 8 weeks of weekly treatments, and this week I completed week 4. It feels both like time has moved slowly and like it’s flown by. Each week brings its own challenges — the appointments, the side effects, … Continue reading 15 – Chemo Journey: Halfway Through the First Milestone
🌀 Mood: Relieved, hopeful, and deeply thankful. Wow — what a difference a week makes! I want to begin by thanking my neurosurgeon who performed the kyphoplasty. The procedure itself was a rough experience, but it was absolutely worth it. I also want to thank all of you who prayed for me, sent encouragement, and checked in. I’ve felt carried by that support every step … Continue reading 14 – After Kyphoplasty
🌀 Mood: Raw, intense, faithful, relieved In my last two posts, I shared what led me to Kyphoplasty — the fractures, the back brace, the hope for relief. Today, I want to share what the actual procedure was like. I had a really difficult time sleeping the night before the kyphoplasty procedure. I didn’t feel especially nervous but sleep just wouldn’t come. That morning, before … Continue reading 13 – The Kyphoplasty Procedure – Bones, Bravery, and Balloons — A Day I Won’t Forget
🌀 Mood: Grounded, sobered, resilient If you read my last post, you know I’ve been preparing for a procedure called Kyphoplasty. But I wanted to share more about what exactly that means — and what brought me to this point. When I was in the hospital after I was given the diagnosis, there were several other things that came along with it. One of those … Continue reading 12 – Living with Fractures
🌀 Mood: Heavy, vulnerable, cautiously hopeful When I was in the hospital, I found out something I wasn’t expecting – cancer hadn’t just been growing in my body — it had already started breaking it. Multiple fractures in my vertebrae. The cancer had weakened the bones in my spine to the point that they could no longer support me on their own. That’s why I … Continue reading 11- Preparing for Kyphoplasty – Another Step in the Fight
Before I get into the next part of my journey, I wanted to share this graphic. It really hits home for me — it shows the difference between what people see on the outside and everything that’s going on underneath. So much of this experience isn’t visible, even to the people closest to me. Continue reading 10 – Beneath the Surface
🌀 Mood: Shocked, scared, exhausted, relieved Walking into the clinic for my first chemo treatment, I couldn’t believe this was my life. I checked in and first met with my oncologist. Just a few days earlier, on Tuesday, he had explained a treatment plan that would follow an 8-week cycle for round 1, using injections instead of IV chemo. Injections typically cause fewer reactions, so … Continue reading 8 – The First Chemo Visit
My Anchor Holds 