Au revoir ovaries

I have a love / hate relationship with my ovaries.   They brought us the two most amazing blessing of our lives – Wills & Bennett.  But, as it turns out they also brought me cancer.  (I have estrogen positive breast cancer)

Tomorrow I will have them removed in a laparoscopic surgery.   Our friend Dr. Mike Milam will be performing the surgery at Norton Suburban Hospital.  We need to be at the hospital at 5:30am and I am the first surgery of the day.  Many thanks to our neighbor Paulette for walking over at 5:30 to get the kids off to school and Lauren for picking them up after school.  When all goes well, I will be home tomorrow afternoon.

I’m hopeful this will be a big step toward stopping this cancer from progressing.  We don’t know how my body will respond.  Only time will tell, but I have to believe by removing the estrogen that feeds it – we slow it significantly.   I have also made some major changes to my diet with the help of an integrative nutritionist.  Basically i am just eating really “smart” as Jay would say.  If it grows from the ground in a natural way (no chemicals) – I eat it.  If it has been altered or modified it’s out.  I have cut out all refined sugar (yes, even oatmeal scotchies) & limit my alcohol significantly. (I have an entire wine cooler full of wine from our napa trip… I can’t imagine not tasting those wines again.)  I don’t know if this will make a difference… there are different opinions out there that’s for sure. But, I figure it can’t hurt. I feel like I am doing something… I feel in control of my diet and that helps me feel some ownership of my health.  I drink more vegetables for breakfast than I used to eat all day!  I just have to know I am doing everything I can to make my body as strong as I can to fight this for as long as I can.  I’m also walking about 4 miles a day and feeling pretty good.

I can’t begin to respond to all the cards, gifts, flowers and other nice things people have sent us.  Thank you all!  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.  We feel it.  We are taking it one day at a time.  Finding laughter & joy in the midst of despair and learning how to live in this new normal… hopefully for a long time!

I will have Julie update the caring bridge page tomorrow when I am out of surgery.

with hope and love,
Lara