About Cami

At the request of several people, I've written a brief synopsis of my experience with breast cancer so far. This is just to provide general information and will not address every question people will have for me.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2006. It is the direct result of radiation I received to treat congenital cancers as an infant. Having been in good health my entire life, I was shocked with the news even if the oncologist wasn't. Fortunately, my prognosis is very good and the chances for a normal and healthy life following treatment is excellent. I had a noticeable lump in my breast for more than a year, but we (doctors and myself included) were certain it was related to nursing and mastitis. So we let it go until other health problems after the birth of my third child forced us to take it seriously.
As prudence dictates, I'm following an aggressive treatment regime. I've had all known diseased and potentially-diseased tissues removed surgically. Upon recovery I began dose dense chemotherapy infusions. These bad boys started in April and will be done at the end of July. Following these I'll take a daily chemo pill for five years. Supposedly it has no noticeable side effects at all. Perhaps I will receive a schedule of radiation treatments as well. This is yet to be determined. Because my surgeries were successful, these treatments are meant only to minimize the chances of recurrence, not treat a specific known tumor.
I'm 30 years old with a husband in graduate school and three small children at home. My husband is taking a hiatus from school to care for our children and me until the worst of it is over. If you're interested in how much I love, respect, and admire him, I will be happy to email you hours and hours worth of pleasant reading. Our children are our great joy and distraction in all of this. They remind us that whatever else is happening, they still need all the things kids need. Smooches, squeezes, wrestles, boundaries, routine. They also don't care that I'm bald and have a highly unmotherly physique. Perhaps the best thing about our children right now is that they make it easy to laugh in the face of breast cancer. Whether it's the oldest child occassionally muttering "baldy" under her breath, or having the insight to shock the kids out of cranky spells by making them touch my head, the opportunities for humor are abundant!
There are already countless blessings that we've received as individuals and as a family since the beginning of this unexpected adventure. Because of the kind gestures of emotional and financial support we've received, we hope to come out of this conquering heroes and not just a bedraggled family who's managed to survive a beating!