This year marks the 5th year since I was diagnosed with breast cancer

It feels so strange to write those words. Not only am I a totally different person, but the world has undergone some big changes. Here are some highlights for myself, and the world from those years.

May 2019

I discovered a lump under my armpit and decided to ignore, it at first, but then thought better of that.

Mount Everest has 3 metric tons of rubbish and 2 bodies removed in 2 weeks.

A Kidney transplant is delivered by drone for the first time.

June 4th, 2019

I met with a nurse practitioner to have the lump looked at. She was concerned and sent me for a mammogram and referred me to a breast specialist.

30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Speed of Amazon deforestation in Brazil reaches a 10-year high.

June 10th, 2019

I had the first of numerous mammograms and ultrasounds.

I also met with Dr. Mohammed Ziauddin, a wonderful physician who has guided me ever since. I cannot praise or thank this man enough!

Savagnin Blanc, a French wine, has been grown for over 900 years DNA tests reveal.

June 21, 2019

Multiple mammograms done down at Robert Packard Hospital in Sayre, PA. I think I had a lifetime’s worth of mammograms done that day.

Stocks Up, Gas prices also up due to a refinery fire.

July 12, 2019

PET Scan down at Guthrie Corning Hospital in Corning, NY. When the Geiger counter started beeping wildly as I walked by, I felt weird being the reason it went off.

Visited Oncology for the first time.

Tropical storm, Barry, heads for New Orleans.

July 15th, 2019

Had an ECHO done to get a before picture of my heart. One of the chemotherapy drugs I would take had the potential to cause heart issues.

India’s second Moon shot was delayed.

New York States Education Commissioner announces resignation.

July 17th, 2019

Had my port placed in Interventional Radiology down at Robert Packard.

WHO declares an international public health emergency over the DR Congo Ebola outbreak.

100,000 acres of farmland lose their irrigation as a canal system collapses near Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

July 19th, 2019

The first of many chemotherapy infusions.

Kenya opens Africa’s largest wind farm.

NYC declares a state of emergency due to a heat wave that covers the Eastern seaboard of the United States.

July 21-24, 2019

I went to part of the Benson vacation with my husband, children, parents, brother, and his family.

India’s lunar mission goes ahead.

Marvel announces 10 new movies.

Oxford, England produces its 10th million Mini car.

August 6th, 2019

I started to lose my hair and I looked horrible. I asked my brother-in-law, Nate, to come over and shave my head. I can’t imagine it was easy for him, but he did it for me. Being bald was way easier than waiting for all the hair to fall out.

Dengue epidemic was announced in the Philippines.

More than 25% of the world’s population struggle to find potable water.

December 13th, 2019

My last day of chemotherapy treatment. This day was bittersweet. So glad to be done with chemo, but so scared to face not having the weekly support of the chemotherapy nurses. They kept me safe and took such good care of me during my treatment days.

The day before this the first COVID-19 illnesses began in China, per the CDC.

January 23rd, 2020

My last day of work for several weeks. Yes, I did work full-time as a nurse during chemotherapy treatments. Thankfully, my job and coworkers were very supportive of me.

Visit to nuclear medicine at Robert Packard to have radioactive material injected into my breast for my lymph nodes to pick up.

Wuhan, China is placed on lockdown due to Covid.

Jerusalem marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz death camp.

January 24th, 2020

My surgery went on for over 10 hours. Dr. Ziauddin did a complete mastectomy with lymph node removal on the right and a simple mastectomy on the left. My left breast just felt like a ticking time bomb. I told myself all the statistics I could, but still could not shake the feeling that it would betray me as well.

Expanders were placed for an eventual breast reconstruction.

Total number of confirmed Covid cases in the United States is only 2 people.

Stocks falter due to the Covid outbreak.

January 31st, 2020

First visit to plastic surgery to have the expanders filled with saline. I drove this poor surgeon crazy. It was always a challenge to find the port to fill the expanders. Then, one day they couldn’t find one of them. After having an x-ray done, it was discovered that the expander had flipped around to put the port towards my chest wall. I was told this was something he had never heard of or seen in his 25 years as a plastic surgeon.

Brexit formally occurs as the United Kingdom leaves the EU.

WHO announces its decision to make the Covid outbreak an international public emergency.

Mary Higgins Clark dies at 92yo.

March 4th, 2020

My first radiation treatment. This was right before the full Covid shutdown. It was weird to drive to radiation therapy and not see any other cars on the road. Wearing a mask while there was also strange.

Covid shutdown officially begins on March 15th, 2020.

Michael Bloomberg decides to stop his run for the Democratic presidential candidate.

March 23rd, 2020

My first day back to work. My boss and coworkers continued to support me as I continued through treatments. It was strange working with few patients and no family members.

My hair was finally coming in enough for me to be willing to go without a head covering.

Social distancing of 6 feet is a thing. Rules on how many people in an area are published.

WHO says the Covid pandemic is accelerating.

April 16th, 2020

My last radiation treatment was 2 days after my 44th birthday.

Japan declares a national state of emergency due to COVID-19.

White House distributes a plan for states to eventually reopen.

August 21st, 2020

Reconstructive surgery – expanders were replaced for saline breast implants.

BTS releases its first single.

Lori Loughlin and husband face 2 months of prison for college bribery.

November 18th, 2020

Admitted to Robert Packard Hospital for an infection in the right breast implant and subsequent surgery to have it removed.

Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine trial hits 95% effectiveness.

The United States has 11.5 million confirmed Covid cases.

March 3rd, 2021

After suffering from a non-healing wound after the infection, along with the rest of the tissue deciding to grow into the muscle below, I had another reconstruction surgery. This time up at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. I had a latissimus dorsi flap done to not only create a new breast but to bring blood supply and healthy tissue to the area. This was done by Dr. Elaina Chen. She was a fabulous surgeon and so encouraging. I wish I could have continued with her as my surgeon, but she moved to Illinois.

Covid vaccine rates continue to rise.

Google working to give its users the ability to block targeted ads.

Myanmar’s military works to crush protests.

Proof of Covid vaccination is needed for many things.

While this was the last, big, milestone of my cancer journey, I continue to have frequent doctor’s appointments and residual struggles from all I went through. As does our world.