At Last . . .

Today Dr. Brown performed my final reconstruction surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital. I was a little nervous and apprehensive the evening before, lots of emotions bubbling up to the surface. I arrived at the hospital around 7:00 a.m. and while waiting in the pre-surgery room I reflected at how much has happened in my life over the past 16 weeks. My mastectomy surgery took place almost 4 months ago to the day so there was a deja vu quality when I checked in at the registration desk.

The surgery (outpatient) went well, took about 2 hours and was performed under local anesthesia. When my son Will picked me up later that morning, I have to say that I had the most amazing feeling of completion. My life is so blessed to be cancer-free and I have so much ahead of me to look forward to. I thank my lucky stars for such great doctors, my friends, my health insurance, and of course my family. Without the support of my friends and my sons, I'm not sure how I would have gotten through this ordeal.

My mother used to tell me that God never gives you more than you can handle. I really believe that's true, and once you face and conquer some serious challenges, it makes you stronger and certainly more empathetic towards others.

As the song does, "The future's so bright I've gotta wear shades!" After a few days resting up, I plan to resume my training this weekend for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk. Eight weeks to the countdown!