I anticipate a wonderful year full of love, good health, faith, friendship, and happiness in 2015

Its 2015 and I anticipate a wonderful year full of love, good health, faith, friendship, and happiness~
I look forward to growing, learning, and volunteering to help others and join with many selfless, amazing people to touch lives and ease fears of women on their journeys~ I trust that God gives me the ability to inspire them and exhume strength, hope, faith, and let their fears diminish as they too can beat breast cancer!


I have faced my mortality and beyond my grasp of comprehending "breast cancer doesn't happen to me" no family history, no gene mutation, I'm young, I'm healthy, it did. "Tag I was it" sadly I was 1 in 8 women that are diagnosed.
I sat and listened to my oncologist last week as I beat TNBC and have the mental security to know I'm cancer free say to my husband " Can you imagine how Heather felt having stage III cancer with five children?"
In the beginning until I had all the scans, facts,and percentages, I was scared briefly and then an inner peace completely blanketed me and God lifted me. My fight and resolve had never been stronger and although the road was bumpy I endured and prevailed.

As all journeys are individual after heavily weighing all facts, of the risks vs benefits and ending chemo I prayed all other decisions would not ever be as difficult.
Well even tho I am cancer free my ride will not come to an end for the next five years. The journey gets less taxing in three years as your risks for a recurrence in TNBC peaks at three years and then it drops greatly there after and you are considered cured in five. I will have blood test every two months, a scan yearly, and be closely monitored however I'm cured now as I'm cancer free.
Once again I have made a very difficult decision in the last phase of treatment to not have radiation daily with 33 treatments. I am a grey area and my team of physicians are split and have a difference of opinion. Now I was back to what I thought I would not be faced with again as I needed to make another very difficult decision. I asked myself how do I arrive at the correct one and take the best path in this journey to remain healthy. I pray and simply weigh all the risks vs the benefits and all percentages and I knew I had just simplified the decision process.

I have been ill often since ending chemo mid September and am told my immunity is compromised as its normal after chemo therapy. I'm told by my physicians it requires 6-12 months to rebuild my immune system. In my case with my young age and overall good health it should take around 6 months with proper diet,exercise and rest as they are the only means to rebuild a strong immune system.

Rob and I have talked to my team of all five physicians gathered their opinions all the facts, risks and odds and prayed. We arrived and are steadfast in our decision to not receive radiation.
With TNBC once you achieve a PCR "no cancer found" You are given an excellent prognosis upwards of 90-95% survival.
My grey area was on the original PET scan before I started treatment there was a very small area between my breast they called a couple of tiny hot spots they could not biopsy. Lets assume they where cancer then, admittedly the physicians who say its not been studied , call my risks based off an educated guess 15-20 %. I'm told by my radiologist that radiation takes the 15-20% down to around a 10%.
We know the large volume proven studies say in light of my PCR I am in the 95%. range.
Radiation will lower my immunity, permanently scar my lungs and change my skin, can cause lymphedema, heart damage (as chemo did) years later. Rarely but a second cancer can occur and all effects are permanent and will last my entire life. Unfortunately some have a  recurrence in-spite of completing radiation treatments.
It is important to know many TNBC patients who do not achieve a PCR still have a very good prognosis and do very well as studies show.

Three of my physicians feel in my individual case we made the correct decision to not endure radiation as the risk out weight my benefits.

2014 was the most difficult year I have ever endured physically, emotionally and financially.
However 2014 was filled with all 5 kids celebrating birthdays, our 16 year old obtaining a driver licence, our middle school er playing a great football season,dance lessons,strength, knowledge, new friends,love,family,laughter, pure miracles and complete blessings and my becoming cancer free.

I will be having my final reconstructive surgery the end of March and am excited to look like my old self again as it is a well earned consultation prize and hopefully my last surgery.

Now it is time to relish in my blessings, and pay it forward. To trust in God and know I will celebrate July 2017 my cancer free 3 year anniversary.
2015 is going to be an amazing year as I am determined to not worry about finances, new deductibles & copay's, or every test result, not to let any challenge interfere but to only make me stronger.To love and play with my family,and enjoy every sun rise and sun set. I will grab all positives everyday, make great achievements, and watch my children achieve many amazing, wonderful things in 2015.

God is great!

Please continue to send prayers that I remain healthy

 I pray for all the less fortunate

God Bless you and your family in this New Year


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