The Start of a Battle I Never Expected

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I am a 42 year old wife and mother first. I have an amazing husband, who is my biggest support system. I have 3 wonderful sons, whom I am so proud of! I started this blog because, let's be honest, life is hard. My family, friends and pets, mean the world to me! You will probably hear a lot more about them!! Writing has always been an outlet for me, and I figured, why not pick it back up and try and connect with others who are also trying to deal with their everyday struggles in a positive and uplifting way!

Let me tell you a little bit about my cancer journey......so far.

For the last seven years, I’ve been fighting a battle that has shaped every part of my life. In 2018, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. This was after I was ignored several times because of my age. I was told "it is fatty tissue" or "sometimes the breasts change". Until the day I had enough and went to see my PCP and tell her I had had enough and someone needed to listen. I didn't have to say that because she took one look at my breast and knew something was wrong. Thank you for listening, Heather! After my breast MRI, it was a whirl wind of doctors appointments, tests, scans etc. Then the fight began.

I fought through treatments, surgeries, and endless uncertainty, determined to beat it, and I did.....for ALMOST 5 years. Which I was so excited about! If you make it to 5 years, your chances of re occurrence reduce quite a bit. I planned on completing all my surgeries early in the year, and throw a big party in September to celebrate! As part of completing my surgeries, I needed a CT of my abdomen. That was January of 2023, and my worst fear became reality—the cancer had progressed to stage 4, and was in my bones. More testing, scans and doctors appointments followed. I had several bone biopsy's (because the results for bone biopsy's are hard to get). When we finally got a solid result—after placing a metal rod in my hip, I was started on the right chemo in August of 2023. Since then, my world has been a relentless cycle of treatments, scans, and the constant weight of what’s next. But if you’ve met me, you probably wouldn’t know the full story.

I’ve always carried myself with strength—because what other choice is there, really? And, if I fall apart, who picks up the pieces?? I’ve smiled through the pain, laughed through the fear, and reassured everyone around me that I’m okay. But the truth? The truth is, even though I am beyond grateful and happy, I’m exhausted. I’m overwhelmed. And I’m done keeping it all inside. I’ve spent years being strong for everyone else. Now, it’s time to be honest—for me.

This blog is going to be my safe space. It’s where I’ll finally let go of the filtered version of my story and share what’s really going on beneath the surface. Here, you won’t find the sugarcoated updates or the “I’m fine” responses I’ve trained myself to give. Instead, you’ll get the raw, unfiltered truth—the moments of hope, the moments of anger, the moments when I just want to scream into the void.

Some days, I may pour my heart out about the physical pain, the fatigue, or the frustration of feeling like my body is betraying me. Other days, I might share the mental toll—what it’s like to constantly fight when you’re running on empty, or how it feels to watch life move forward when you’re stuck in survival mode.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know what tomorrow looks like. But I do know that I’m done pretending everything is okay when it’s not. If you’re here, reading this, maybe you’re struggling too. Maybe you’re a fighter, a caregiver, a friend, or just someone looking to understand. Whatever brought you here, I hope you find something real in these words—something that makes you feel less alone.

This is my story, unfiltered. Welcome to the real me.