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“Surprise, I’m Pregnant!”
You ever watch those surprise pregnancy videos that are all the rave? It’s either someone is pregnant telling their unsuspecting families, or the families already know they are pregnant, but don’t know that they are really having multiples! Either way, they are a joyous and exciting time. I love to watch reaction videos of the soon to be grandmother. In one clip they are taking a family picture with a camera set to a timer. Everyone quickly gets in the frame and the expecting couple tells everyone “say ___ is pregnant!” Most of the family is oblivious to what is going on until someone catches on and everyone is screaming…
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Happy Birthday To Me!!!
Wow!!! I really turn 39 today! Am I the only one that looked up and wondered where the time has gone?! Like, wasn’t I just 25?? Being a cancer survivor has given me a whole new perspective on birthdays. Granted, I was grateful for every day God gave me, but I had a skewed vision surrounding today. Let me paint a quick picture for you… Before breast cancer, my birthday was just another day. I would go to work, maybe have dinner with family and friends and proceed into the next day like the last. I had a sort of love-hate relationship with my birthday. For a long time, I felt…
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Hello Orlando! 2018 YSC Summit
This weekend I was in the sunny, beautiful Orlando where I was attending a young breast cancer survivor/thriver conference called the YSC Summit 2018 hosted by Young Survivor Coalition (YSC). Every year, they bring together women under 45 that are survivors or are currently battling breast cancer. I attended the conference last year for the first time, and I definitely couldn’t wait to return this year. When I came across this organization through information my surgical oncology team gave me, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Since my diagnosis and all throughout treatment, YSC has been where I found tons of information and support. Being new…
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Thank You Walmart Pickup!!
Please tell me I am not the only one who jumped for joy when they saw that Walmart had grocery pickup?? When I saw them painting the side of the building orange, I thought I was dreaming!! Like, I don’t ever have to go inside Walmart and stand in an hour-long line?? ABSOLUTELY, SIGN ME UP!! The Walmart in my neighborhood is known to be one of the worst in the city. It is a “super” one that has everything from fresh produce and deli meats to bed comforters and car tires. Everything you need, they have it! My experiences since this Walmart opened in the early 2000’s my neighborhood…
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Eggs, Over Easy
Growing up both of my parents usually worked into the evening, so I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s house – I loved being at Nana’s house. When I was younger it was just me, my older cousin Chris and Nana, and we did everything together! Church, Bible study, and choir rehearsal; we even took church pictures together (back in the day they used to do that! lol). Once my older cousin became more independent, it became me, Nana, and Chris’ little sister BJ. I would find comfort in it being us three because we were closer in age and plus she was a girl! We played together,…
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Pink The Petersen – Breast Cancer Awareness Basketball Game
This weekend I had the opportunity to be in the company of so many great women. Every year The University of Pittsburgh has a breast cancer awareness basketball game they call “Pink The Petersen”. Hundreds of people rush into the Petersen Event Center waiting to show their support for the cause of breast cancer, most in attendance have been directly affected by breast cancer either themselves or through a loved one. I have attended this event for the last 2 years. The very first year I attended, I had just been diagnosed with the disease that brought us together. It was a weird scenario for me. Picture it, Pittsburgh January…
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Get In Shape Girl!!
You know the moment – you go to the doctor’s for a routine physical, they tell you to step on the scale, and you are still overweight like you were last year? Yeah, me too! I don’t recall when I allowed myself to be the heaviest weight I have ever been, but I have been here for some years now, and I am over it!! Now… I am gonna preface this post by saying up until I was in my 20’s, I played competitive sports. Literally, from Kindergarten to my 2nd year in college, I played some type of sport. Soccer, softball, basketball, track & field, volleyball and even dance and piano in…
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Hair After Chemo – Starting my Loc Journey
I have had natural hair (meaning free of any texture altering chemicals) since 2005. I was a woman who loved a good relaxer! I always had a fresh bob cut on deck and at the sign of a kink in my roots, would not hesitate to slap some of that lye gook in my hair. After my Dad’s head on car accident in December 2004 though, my hair fell out due to the stress and an underlying condition I didn’t know I had – Hyperthyroidism. I lost a ton of weight, and my hair was falling out in clumps! Needless to say, the well-coiffed shoulder length wrap that I was…
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Haylee – Losing my First Cancer Friend
Cancer is a strange, cruel enemy. When I heard the 3 words “you have cancer”, I had no idea what my future entailed, or even if I would still be here today. It is something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! Through my journey thus far with cancer, I have joined organizations and support groups that have helped me tremendously with life as a young cancer survivor. Through the ups and downs and everything in between, it’s these that have given me hope, great information, and been a support when I felt like no one understood what it meant to be a cancer survivor in your 30’s. Enter…
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Blogger? I Know, Right!!
I know, I know… A BLOG??? I asked myself the same thing! Who is gonna read it? Will I make an impact? Will I even connect to anyone? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little bit scared to start this blog, but, here I am! I have had the desire to start one since I was in college. Back then, blogging wasn’t as sophisticated as it is now. It was more of a way to journal your thoughts in a safe, controlled space – since I had been journaling and writing poetry since I was a teen I thought, why not?? All right, fast…
