Love is Loudest

Hey all -- I announced this on Instagram and on Facebook, but for those who aren't big fans of social media ... I am migrating all of my blog posts over to my website Loveisloudest.com  in an effort to streamline my work. I will no longer be posting here so please be sure to bookmark that site! You'll find my breast cancer blog posts under the tab 'Blog.' You'll also find giveaways, travel reviews, home renovation projects and more there! I hope you will take a little time to explore my site when you have a chance. Thank you for all of your support and I hope you will continue on this journey with me! All my love,

Time to say goodbye Friday, October 12, 2018. I think following my initial post, this is my most anticipated update! So without further delay ... I've had a love/hate relationship with my hair over the course of my life, but when I heard the word "chemo" suddenly my hair was my best friend. I could not imagine my life without hair. Hair is such a huge part of femininity and for me, it was something I loved experimenting with. When I was younger, I had hair all the way down my back. In fifth grade I got a perm. In middle school, I had my sister dye my hair shades of reddish/purple. I chopped it off a la Victoria Beckham. I highlighted it, curled it, straightened it. You name it, I tried it. I may not have worn makeup until I was 18, but I was all about expressing myself through my hair! Then add on the fact that I would be losing my eyebrows and eyelashes ... It was a devastating blow. So on September 21st, I went to a local cancer support shop to try on wigs (s

What could this crazy-eyed me have to tell you?! CLICK HERE! CLICK HERE! CLICK HERE! ALL MY LOVE!!!!

Monday, October 1, 2018. I started my first round of chemo and I have to be completely honest -- It has been a heck of a lot harder than I expected. I have dealt with chronic nausea my whole life but this really brought things to a whole new level. I will delve into the nitty gritty a bit more in a second, but that is the simple answer as to where I have been the past two weeks. Monday morning I met with my oncologist and began my first infusion. Round 1 consists of two drugs: A and C, to be administered once every two weeks over the course of eight weeks (for a total of four infusions). Round 2 consists of one drug, T, to be administered once a week over the course of twelve weeks. From what I have heard, AC is the more difficult portion to get through. I am certainly hoping this is true for me! My session started with the administration of three anti-nausea medicines by IV. This was then followed by 'A', which is also known as "the red devil". Delight

My new hardware My port placement was scheduled for Thursday, September 27th, the day after my egg retrieval procedure. I woke up bright and early, checked in at the hospital at 6 am, got hooked up to my IV and was nearing the end of my hospital inventory when I overheard the nurse say, "So what? Should I just send her on her merry way?" I looked at my mom and asked if I had just heard correctly (I was one of two patients in the whole ward and the only female, so I knew it was about me). The nurse returned, leaned in and patted my hand, saying "your urine test came back positive for pregnancy." Okay. But I had already explained to the staff the procedure that I had just undergone the day before. Of course my body was registering for the hCG hormone! Buuuuuut, they couldn't take my word for it and they couldn't reach my surgeon, so they said they had to send me home. Wah wah. After about 1,000 phone calls, I was finally rescheduled for my port place

Time to save the eggs! Wednesday, September 26, 2018. We traveled to Boston for my egg retrieval process. The procedure was successful and honestly, right now I have tears in my eyes as I write this ... They were able to get ELEVEN healthy eggs! I will get the chance to be a mommy! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers! All my love,

Making my debut as a political candidate  There's a lot of ground to cover in this post, but please, first take a moment to appreciate this wig in all of it's glory. You will see me running for president in 2020. Another reminder- I'm doing my best to keep people updated through my Instagram videos (@love.is.loudest21) so be sure to check there if you haven't heard from me in a while.

"She is clothed in strength ..." Proverbs 31:25 A lot has happened since I last wrote. I've been doing my best to keep people updated through my Instagram videos (@love.is.loudest21) so be sure to check there if you haven't heard from me in a while.

Here is a quick synopsis of events thus far. I plan to write more about my journey, emotions and these events in greater detail in other entries. About a month ago, I felt a lump in my left breast. I told my husband and burst into tears. But immediately, I thought, "There's no way. This is silly." I had started working out and thought I must have strained a muscle or something. We went on vacation the first full week of August but when we returned home, I noticed the lump hadn't gone away. I had a physical scheduled for August 29th and thought it could wait until then. Thankfully, I spoke with my mom and she encouraged me to call my gynecologist. They wanted me to come in that day. Tuesday, August 14: Went to the gynecologist. They felt fairly certain it was a cyst, but had me set up an appointment for a mammogram and ultrasound, just to be sure. Tuesday, August 21: My 32nd birthday. Went to the imaging center for a mammogram and ultrasound. After multipl