We're more than Pink!

I was on the local news today!  It was pretty cool experience to help spread awareness about what breast cancer is really about.  I'm part of a group on facebook for cancer patients and survivors and we decided we had had enough and a bunch of us decided to send real pictures of us during treatment and this is what all of that turned into.

This is a video put together by a group of cancer survivors (including me) who want people to know what cancer really looks like ..... More than a pink ribbon. I'm not going to lie.... There are some medically graphic pictures in here so if that bothers you please don't watch. If you want to know what cancer really looks like here it is in all its pain and scars and bald heads and smiles and victories! #realcancerawareness

Check out the facebook page www.facebook.com/realcancerawareness

It's pretty powerful huh?  I'm honored to be part of it!  Here is the link to the news article and video

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/10/16/group-breast-cancer-awareness-is-more-than-pink-ribbons/

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – This month many people are thinking ‘pink’ for breast cancer awareness, but for survivors, the fight is anything but pretty.  Now local survivors have taken to the internet to paint another picture of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a life-changing disease that can leave your body scarred forever. That’s why one group of women wants you to look past the pink and at the real images.

If you were to look at Kim Whitworth and Nicole Jasien you’d never think they have a problem with the color that sits smack in between red and white…. and they don’t. “I just love pink,” Kim said happily.

But these survivors of Stage 3 breast cancer want to make sure the public sees beyond the color.

Nicole explains that she “…had a double mastectomy right away and then I completed six rounds of chemo and did radiation as well.” Part of Kim’s journey will soon come to an end.  ”I’m still going through treatment,” she said. “Last one is Tuesday next week.”

The women want everyone to know what the killer disease really looks like. “It’s not just about a pink ribbon. It’s not what everyone makes it out to be,” Kim said flatly.

The North Texas ladies and others like them say they’re tired, of what’s becoming known as ‘pink wash – or the plethora of pink products and signage that pop up, every October.

Even the chief mission officer with Susan G. Komen for the Cure acknowledges the campaign isn’t for everyone. “Not everybody wants to celebrate with a color or public demonstration, and that’s okay,” she said.

For Kim, Nicole and some of their friends who are survivors, the boiling point was a picture, making the rounds on Facebook. It declared October 13, No Bra Day, as a way to support breast cancer.

Nicole said, “It just almost sexualized a disease that’s just physically devastating. People started commenting. ‘Maybe we should go topless, and then people would really see what cancer is like.’”

“We’re more than boobs,” Kim declared. “We are.”

Now Kim, Nicole and a group of about 200 survivors are trying to increase knowledge about what they call “real cancer awareness.” They’re doing it with a YouTube video that shows that scars, pain and fight of breast cancer.

New Beginnings and the Chaos that follows

So it's been a crazy, crazy month.  Our visit with Kevin ended so sweet and peaceful  We had such a great day with him the next day.....it was much different than the day before with the key incident.  I finally received this picture in the mail from Kevin.  It was taken shortly before we left on Sunday afternoon.

Everyone keeps asking how he is....and well on average I'd say he's great considering the circumstances.  I mean he has bad days....and those honestly tend to correlate with the days that he is unable to work out.  That has become a big part of his life there.  It's how he releases frustration as well as builds relationships with other guys there.  Not to mention he's lost close to 20 lbs in 6 weeks.  Turns out that working out actually helps you lose weight......especially if you do it 2-4 hours a day in the blazing texas heat! Amazing right?  When he walked in on Saturday I remember thinking, "Man, he looks hot."  Anyone who's been married for over 5 years can understand that's not something women think about their spouses on a daily basis.  He's moved from a dorm unit into 2 man cells which he loves.  He can pray and study and read in peace.  Only catch is there is no air conditioning!  Yeah the average temperature this month has been eh around 98 or so.  Yeah um NO THANK YOU!  But Kevin never complains.  He's just grateful for the quiet.  It reminds me of this praise song I love and it says, "You are stillness, You are quiet, you are comfort and peace."  In the stillness and quiet, it's easier for him to get in God's presence, even if it's Texas hot!  

It's been a month of firsts for us.  We came home and had to get ready for the first day of school.  My baby started Kindergarten this year.  I have to say,  I pictured this day much different.  I've been dreading it since the day he was born.  I expected to drop him off and make it just outside of the building and be able to turn into Kevin's arms and completely fall apart.  But that is obviously not what happened.  The morning of I was completely prepared....which is so unlike me :)  

teacher gifts...check

hot breakfast.......check

1st day of school notes ........ check

We got ready to go and right as we're getting ready to pray (which is something we do everyday before school) the phone rang and my heart seriously lept.  All I wanted was for the kids to be able to talk to Kevin before they went to school.

This picture still brings tears to my eyes.  Kevin was able to talk to them and pray over them.  And there was nothing I wanted more than that.  So then we did what every family does on the first day of school....we took a ridiculous amount of pictures!

And then it was time.....it was time for me to walk out of an elementary school without a baby, toddler, or preschooler.  I teared up walking down the hall, but then I realized this is a new beginning.  We are entering a new stage of life and this is just one step closer to Kevin coming home.  We had plenty of breaking down lately and now it was time to stand up.  I went into the "tears and cheers" breakfast for the kinder parents, where I sat with my friend Jenny who had just buried her sister (who battled breast cancer) the day before.  Oh yeah wait....what was I crying for again?  I forgot.  Afterwards I walked out and got in my car and realized it was the first time I'd been alone since Aug 5. (except for a dentist appointment where I had about 10 minutes alone driving.) and I sat there and soaked in it for a while......then it was time for interviews.  Yup I had 5 interviews scheduled and you want to know how amazing God is???  I never sent out one resume.  Or even made one phone call for that matter.  It just so happened that I had 5 different companies try to recruit me right at the time that I needed a job.  That is the favor of God right there.....there's no other way around it.

My baby boy also started t-ball this month.  And as hard as it is to not have Kevin here to coach him, by the grace of God we were placed on a team with some amazing Godly men.   And I couldn't be more grateful for that.  In fact, I prayed for it!  And of course because life has become insanely crazy I decided to volunteer to be team mom!!!  I've concluded that the key to making time pass by quickly is to stay busy.  And I am completely in love with watching a bunch of 5 years olds attempt to play baseball.  It just makes my heart happy.  I mean how can you resist this??

Oh and then the first game.......I am seriously in love!  Look at this face!  How can you not love him??

We also got to meet my cousin's new baby and say goodbye to him.. He is our real life hero and is leaving on his first deployment in the next few days.  Prayers for safety for him and peace for his family would be much appreciated!

So after all the piano lessons. gymnastics classes, t-ball practices and games, homework, room-mom meetings, interviews, lunch dates.......the list goes on and on, I was seriously losing my mind.  And after the 2nd time having to wake kids up early to do homework that I overlooked I decided it was time for an intervention.  I had to get our lives all in one place.  Single moms, or any moms for that matter, take note of this.....it has become our command center and is working beautifully!  The kids put their papers for me to look at in the bottom folder for me so I don't have to dig through backpacks.  And our calendar is color coded.

So far it's working flawlessly.  Kevin still has no clue what I am talking about.......He's never seen this kind of organization from me before.  Pretty sure if he walked in and saw it, he'd have a coronary!

With all the firsts we have come across a lot of new people face to face.  Teachers, coaches, other moms, potential employers, classmates, ect....... and to be honest I have not been completely open with them about our situation.....it's just awkward you know?  I can't just lead with, "Hi I'm Nicole and my husband is the only dad who's not here because he's in prison for something that happened a long time ago when he was a completely different person!"  I think it would make everyone a little uncomfortable.  I'm beginning to understand the stigma behind why people hide this.  It's easy for me to sit here at my computer in my PJs and write about our story, but it's quite another to come out in a conversation and give them our testimony (plus I'd need a few hours just to cover the last 3 years).  It's just kind of heavy you know?  Is it bad that I just want to wear a sign that says, "Please read my blog www.whenispeakhisname.blogspot.com so that I can stop being vague about where my husband is?"  It would make my life so much easier!  I've seen this posted so many places and it is so profound! 

You never know what the mom or dad that you meet at t-ball practice, or at the room-mom meeting, or at the gymnastics class, or anywhere for that matter is facing at home on a daily basis.  We're all walking a different path....some are harder than others and some are for a season while others are life long.  We all have hills and valleys.  Being open enough for people to feel comfortable sharing their stories with me is something I pride myself in.  Take the time to be kind to someone today......you may be the one person they choose to let in.....and when people let you in, you have to opportunity to share with them.  I share how Christ has changed my life and how leaning on Him and Him alone can lift burdens and set captives free!  I challenge you to be that kind of light today.

I start my new job on Monday as a loan officer.  (Insert shameless plug:  If you live in Texas and are looking to buy a home or refinance your mortgage I'm your girl!  Seriously please contact me!)  Monday is my 30th birthday as well.  It's another day that I never thought I'd spend without Kevin.  In fact I had to call and order my own birthday cake today.  Our tradition is that you can have whatever you want for breakfast on your birthday and I always pick cake :)  I may not have Kevin this year but on the up side I have hair! :)

This was my last birthday.

  

It's funny how when you've survived cancer every birthday means so much more.  And this next weekend we're going to see Kevin so Happy Birthday to me! :)

This is how we roll!

So this is how we de-stress.  We turn up some Taylor Swift and jam out!  Yes I know I'm a dork, but I go from being frustrated and grumpy to what you see here!  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A DANCE PARTY!

I hope to score tickets for the girls and I when she comes to Dallas in May.  I think we all deserve to meet her after this year.......anyone got any connections ;)?????

I did not survive cancer!

So my head is spinning right now.  I know I have not updated my blog in a while and I can't tell you how many blog posts I have started and not finished...... But today is different.  I am sitting in my office at work right now with so much work to do, but I have to share this.

Just to catch everyone up, in case you don't follow me on Facebook, twitter, or instagram, I had my last chemo treatment on October 23, 2012.

It was really emotional for me.  I was both relieved and worried.....more relieved though.  My main worry was more about change......I'm a creature of habit......and yes I will admit, some those are bad habits.  But I hate change.  So of course cancer rocked my world but I quickly got into a comfort of chemo cycles.  The last 4 treatments were really rough.  I was so sick for the first week or two afterwards and would mostly just sleep....after throwing up here and there.  I would have memory lapses and even got to where I was unable to drive (especially after I hit 3 parked cars in my apartment complex.....totaling 2 of them and doing about $10,000 damage to my own car).  I would get these horrible thrush infections in my mouth that were almost unbearable.  It made my mouth raw.  But through all these awful side effects it never changed my determination.  With the odds being against me.....I never once considered that I would not beat this....and while I laying in bed.....I wasn't just laying there thinking, "Lord, why me?  I can't do this!"  It was more a righteous anger......"Cancer you suck and you will not stay in my body in Jesus name!  LEAVE NOW!"

I went to my follow up appointment with my oncologist today and she told me after looking at my scan they did to map my radiation.....she told me that she sees NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE IN MY BODY!  I couldn't believe it...... I didn't expect to hear that today. I thought it would be at least a few more months before we got this news.  But boy was it amazing to hear.  I already knew that the cancer was gone.....the same way I knew the lump I found was cancer, but it's always nice to have a doctor confirm what you know in your heart.  There is no other explanation as to why I am beating the odds other than Jesus heals!  He heals everyday.  Never through this process have I been mad at God.  He has been my Rock.  When I get scared, I trust in Him.  When I'm overcome by my circumstances I trust in Him.  He is my comfort.  He brings me that peace that makes no sense to the world.

So now I am officially a cancer survivor.....but I hate that term.  To survive means to remain alive or in existence   I am not just existing....I am LIVING.  I did not survive cancer.....I thrived through cancer.  I have come out the other end forever changed and there is nothing in me that remains the same.  God has shown me things through this that I'd never even thought about.  And ignited the desire to show these things to others.  I had a pastor speak a word over me a few weeks ago and he told me that THIS IS MY SEASON!  THAT THE THINGS I HAVE PRAYED FOR AND SOWN FOR ARE HERE.  So I am looking up now asking the Father to USE ME!  Let my light shine for You, Jesus, brighter than it ever has!  And let the enemy know that his attacks are pointless..... I will only shine BRIGHTER!  And I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE LIFE!

So I did not survive cancer.....I demolished cancer, I beat the snot out of cancer, I have overcome cancer, I stood in FAITH through cancer, and by the grace of God, I THRIVED THROUGH CANCER!

My new friend Jeanine Phelps took these pictures for us and they will forever be precious to me.
Bella Jewel Photography  and the girls outfits were made by one of my very best friends Noelle Dixon....you can order them from her here: Glam R Baby.