I have two birthdays!
What is better than having two birthdays? I can’t think of much! I have my real birthday, November 24th,
when the world was graced with my presence.
Then I have my “Previvor Birthday”, January 31st, when I
received a new lease on life. One year
ago today I had my prophylactic mastectomy, and I officially became a previvor.
2013 was an awful year.
Surgery and reconstruction are not easy, but I made it through. Jason, Charlie and I moved in June. In August, we said goodbye to a friend’s
sweet little baby boy. In September,
Charlie was in the hospital with pneumonia.
I spent most of October in Pennsylvania saying goodbye to my
Mom-mom. She became an angel on October
19th. She was 91 and lived a
very long life, but that still doesn’t make it any easier. In November I turned 3-0! There was a bunch of other
annoyances/stresses in between all of those events. But there was a silver lining. Becoming a previvor has helped me help others. I became a FORCE coordinator (for more
information on FORCE, check out their website www.facingourrisk.org). I admin a facebook support group for
previvors, and I’ve made so many wonderful friends along the way. But I’m still so happy that 2013 is behind me.
Two very important pieces of advice I can offer to anyone
going through this journey is to know that you are not alone. There is a lot of support out there and a lot
of other women who have already walked along this journey, and you do not need
to do it alone. Also, remember that this
is just a moment in time. Soon you will
look back and be so proud that you made it through and you don’t need to worry
about breast cancer anymore.
If you or someone you know is high risk for breast and ovarian
cancer, please feel free to e-mail me at terric@facingourrisk.org
