https://www.facebook.com/347884636072812/

Alex’s Army, Grants Lick, KY (2025)

08/02/2024

….and I’ve been SLACKING on my month reminders.

Ladies, don’t forget your self exams.

💗💗💗

12/28/2022

Hi friends ! It’s been a while since I have posted an update which I am thankful for !

Due to my genetic mutations PMS-2 I have to have yearly (🤮) colonoscopy and endoscopy appointments. This year my insurance decided not to pay for the typical prep because of my age. 🥴

The one I typically get was $150 I opted for the free one because of Christmas…extra money… you know all the things. NEVER AGAIN! A whole gallon of salty nasty prep was awful!

Happy to report everything is perfect. No polyps and no concerns.

I came home and slept until 6:45 pm, still feeling a little sleepy from the extra phenergan they gave me.

I am now moved to every other year! Score.

I will happily pay this copay everytime if it means I continue to be cancer free.

If anyone is your family has ever been diagnosed with cancer, I highly recommend making yourself an appointment for genetic testing. 859-331-4363
They are so helpful. Hopefully everything comes back negative but if not you’ll know what preventative measures to take !

Happy New Year everyone !
Alex

06/03/2022

Well. I was supposed to have surgery this morning. Had to cancel because I developed a fever late last night. I also have a horrible deep and wet cough.

They are making Covid test before they will reschedule me.

I was just positive less than a month ago. Could I be so unlucky to get it twice in a row ? 😂

Super frustrating because I just want to get it over with and now it seems to be a waiting game. Giant bummer but I do feel REALLLLY rough today. Way worse than any day I had Covid. So it’s probably for the best.

05/17/2022

It’s been a little while since I have posted, so I felt it was time for an update.

I’ve known for about a year that I needed to schedule the rest of my hysterectomy. Last surgery they took both tubes and my right o***y. BRCA 1 gene increases my chance of uterine cancer. The science is showing the cancer starts in the fallopian tubes before it transfers to the uterus. So we got rid of those ASAP. We were trying to keep me out of sweet menopause a little longer because I am so young and can’t do hormone replacement.

I’m still on Tamoxifen (hormone blocker) to reduce my chance of a breast cancer reoccurrence. A side effect of that med is also uterine cancer, fun times. Long story short that thing has got to go.

Surgery is scheduled to June 1st.

Of course the doctor was like are you SURE you don’t want at least a day of work? Nah. Let’s just get this over with so I can swim some of my summer.

So that’s ready to go. Of course in Alex fashion… I have had some unexpected bleeding for about two months consistently. Doctor tried to not freak me out but I knew he was concerned. Unexplained bleeding is also an indicator of uterine cancer. I had a super painful biopsy last week. This morning the results came back…

🎉 NO CANCER!!!! 🎉

Hopefully June 1st is the last of a million surgeries.

Thank you all for always being my loudest cheerleaders. This journey has brought me some amazing people. My goal was always to share every single step of the journey so you can ask questions, and never feel alone in this!

Lots of love,
Alex

08/31/2021

Shhhhheeeeesh!!!! (my students would be so proud ;) ) do I have a story for you guys.

The past 9 days have been pure torture.

I will try to make this as short as possible but we all know I am not good at that.

Last Saturday the 21st I found a lump in my right breast. (opposite of my original tumor)

Saturday night and all of Sunday was really difficult. Lots of tears. Lots of anger. I felt terrified that I would be diagnosed with cancer again because it popped up so quickly. I am an OBSESSIVE self-examiner, I am talking at least three times a day. It popped up out of no where and of course I went to worst case scenario. I was convinced I had cancer and that we would lose our kids in the process. Terrible feelings all around.

The fact it was a weekend and I couldn't get in to the doctor made it even worse. I really don't do well with the unknown. My anxious mind will always get the best of me. Also, knowing what could happen made it feel even worse this time.

I called right away and thankfully they got me in Monday the 23rd midday. When they saw my name come through they made it happen. They said I never, ever call so they knew it was serious. The first appointment they offered was the 30th. I am not sure I could have waited that long. I am very thankful they saw me right away.

The oncologist said she didn't think it was cancer but that she wanted to do an MRI just to be safe.

I had the MRI Wednesday the 25th. Good news, I did much better this time. It sure is funny how tough cancer can make you. No nausea, no worry over the IV, just pure freaking panic over what these results will say.

8:31 Friday morning my phone rings. My heart sunk. I know a call is bad news. If it wasn't anything they would have sent it in MyChart.

Dr. says not to worry the right side is fat necrosis, just a pocket of fat from the skin grafting rejecting and trauma of the surgery. This is very common.

Huge sigh of relief.

Then she says the left side is concerning because I have lymph-nodes that are enlarged. She said it could be due to infection or CANCER!

All I heard was Cancer.

She wants me to start with scheduling an ultrasound. After that would be a biopsy and then PET scan if needed.

Somehow I taught all day. I am still not sure how I did that. I didn't shed a tear until I got home.

We waited ALL WEEKEND again. It is real hard to try and keep something this big and emotional from your kids.

Ultrasound today. I am good. I AM STILL CANCER FREE! They think that the swollen lymphnodes is a side effect of my COVID vaccine and potentially trying to fight off some beginning of the year funk.

I have never felt so much relief. I have been an absolute ball of nerves for 9 days.

I told very very few people. I didn't want to freak anyone out until I knew for sure what was happening.

So happy to report I am okay!
Alex

04/25/2021

Two years ago today I shared with the online world I had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the love and amazing support system that I did. My friends and family and many people Ive never even met in person showed up for me in a way that still brings tears to my eyes.

I received counless texts, calls, cards, food, visits, gifts the list is endless. While this didn’t make the cancer go away it truly kept my mental health in check. If you are reading this... you were part of that. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much!

Today I have two requests....
1. Do something nice for someone just because.
2. Ladies- please do a breast self-exam. Early detection saves lives and please don’t put it off.

Today my health is looking much better, my house is full of kiddoes, my hair is a little longer. My story had a happy ending. I am forever grateful for my health and know that I am very fortune to be where I am today. So many women and men never get that chance after this diagnosis.

Love your family and friends hard everyday and thank you for always showing me the love.
You all are amazing.
Alex

12/29/2020

I had my follow up with my breast surgeon today. This appointment marks one year since surgery. 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I also do not have to return for a year, a whole year!! 😝

I feel overwhelming thankful to walk into Cancer Care for a check up and not treatment. I feel thankful it was an in and out visit.

I looked around and saw women at all stages of this journey. I wanted to hug each of them and tell them they are not alone. I wanted to tell them they were tough and can beat this thing.

On my way home I reflected on my journey and what Cancer is like. It is an experience you really can’t put into words as hard as I have tried.

You would think hearing you’re Cancer free would be the end. Honestly, I feel like that’s when I started struggling the most. (Or maybe that was due to Covid or quarentine, becoming a parent, a devil puppy, who really knows 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Heck, I feel this still impacts my daily living. Every single time I walk into a doctors office or hospital I am trembly and have a ball in my throat expecting the worst.
My negative self talk sometimes gets the best of me...
“How can they say cancer free? They haven’t scanned or checked anything”
“How long will I be healthy? ”
“How long will this o***y last?” Etc...

During treatment I was just on survival mode, living on adrenaline and reassurance at each doctor’s visit. Now I go months between visits and every little ache or pain sends me into a tailspin that I am having a recurrance or Cancer is popping up somewhere else. It is really psychologically exhausting. Between the physical change, hormonal change, health change etc... it really is a lot to swallow.

I continue to be so so thankful for my journey and how far I have come. I am writing this to remind you if you have any friends or loved ones with Cancer or already a Cancer survivor... please remember this is a journey. It is a forever kind of journey that requires lots of encouragement and support.

⚠️ Cancer free does not mean finish line. ⚠️

It means now we are in a waiting game of if or when your health fails you again. It is a healing game of all the things you bottled up to make it through treatment. It is learning how to love and accept your new body. (Anyone who knows me well knows I am obsessed with these chest accessories. All women should experience perky bo***es without ni***es. It is quite delightful) It is helping your family and reassuring them that you are better than you used to be. It is keeping up with the follow up appointments, etc...

Please always be kind... you never have any idea what anyone is going through.

This is more than Cancer.

This is everything.

It is mental health, addiction, poverty, parenting, stress, death, illness, work, friendships, etc..

Practice kindness and compassion always and watch the world become a better place.
-Alex

09/19/2020

One year ago today I received my last chemo treatment !

Watching this video still makes me cry.

So proud of the last 365 days.

See ya Cancer you messed with the wrong girl!

08/27/2020

Time for a little bit of an update....

After 2 months and 2 weeks I am officially free from Spanx and a surgical bra! Due to the fat grafting in my stomach and chest I had to keep everything compressed so I would not swell. Sounds all fine and dandy minus the fact it's the dead of summer and I was hot CONSTANTLY!!! Add some hormonal hot flashes on top of that.. dear lawwwwd am I happy to be free. 🥵

Recovery from surgery was pretty easy. Everything is looking great and healing just like it should. As of now, all the fat grafting took just like it should, talk about lucky!

I have been cleared to not see the plastic surgeon until after the first of the year. 🤯🤯🤯 He is the doctor that I see most frequently. It will be pretty strange to not have to go bi-weekly or more for a check-in. However, it feels good that they feel comfortable enough to increase the time between appointments.

What else is new? I had to get a colonoscopy and endoscopy done. Somewhere in my awesome genetics I run a higher risk for colon and esophagus cancers. 🙃 I received a glowing report and everything was squeaky clean. The prep for that... yepppp ranks right up there with the year 2020 just like the meme says. Thankful I won't have to do that again for a bit.

Me as a whole... feeling pretty normal. Tamoxifen (medicine I take for fiveish years) makes my fingers and ankles swell, that's annoying. I get little dizzy moments here and there. I also have some pretty obnoxious joint pain in my elbows specifically my right as well as both ankles and knees. Don't mind me over here I am just getting around like I'm 80. :) I feel super lucky that my side effects are minimal. They could absolutely be much worse and they seem to come and go which is nice.

Other than that, I really can't complain. I am so happy to be alive everyday. My hot flashes are in check, my cancer is gone, surgeries behind me... now I just get to keep up with my follow-ups and self-exams.

Ya'll I probably complete self-exams at least daily and sometimes more 😳. On a daily basis I can convince myself that a tumor is growing or cancer is lurking elsewhere. I am hopeful that this gets better with time but who really knows? I am for sure on top of getting things scheduled now and thankful for every single day I can say I am cancer free.

Felt like I haven't posted in a while.. hopefully I don't have any big news to share anytime soon!

Love to you,
Alex

06/22/2020

Finishing the last antibiotic is always a good sign!

Prior to having breast cancer I don’t think I had EVER finished an antibiotic.... never would have guessed I’d be a “doctors orders” kinda gal. Anymore... I take their word as gospel and follow it to a t! Learning they kinda know their stuff 😜 and I heal like a champ. It’s a win-win to know when NOT to be stubborn lol.

We were able to go to my brothers for Father’s Day Dinner yesterday. That was sooo nice ! I have been missing my family and did just fine with pain level etc...

I’m completely off medicine at this point. Sitting, bending or twisting is a little less than ideal because my stomach is still healing from the fat grafting. It just kind of feel like a deep bruise all around my stomach.

I have had zero pain, discomfort or irritation from the implants or anything on my chest at all. Even from the moment I woke up.. nothing no pain... so lucky! The implants are sooooo comfortable and light compared to expanders. Guess those months of bowling balls paid off because my body is like...hallelujahhhh these new things are nice.

What else ? My port scar looks INCREDIBLE from where it was removed. I am sure it will separate some because of the area but I think it will look a lot better than it did!

Other than that... I’m trying to get some things finished around the house before the kiddoes and puppy come home but also knowing that I don’t want to push it too far...

One day at a time and each day is a little better !
-Alex

06/18/2020

Appointments went really well today! I don’t need to see the Oncologist again for four months. Everything is right on track with her.

Plastic surgeon is super excited with the results and healing progress. He said everything went just the way it should have. I must agree they are some pretty fake bo***es. Lol. It’s amazing how different they look and feel from the expanders.

He went ahead and had his nurse remove all my bandages and stitches because I was healing just fine.

Today starts the transition over to Tylenol and only pain medicine at night. Stomach is feeling a little raw and tender right now from the stitch sites being open.

Here’s to hoping a nap can cure it all.

One day at a time. I’m on a lifting weight restriction until at least July 2nd when I go back again so lots of rest and naps in my future.
❤️❤️❤️

06/17/2020

Been soaking in all the naps and resting !

Everything seems to be healing okay... bruised like crazy and sound like an 80 year smoker from the breathing tube.

Pain level is under control! I just started spacing out my meds a little more.

Tomorrow I see the surgeon for a follow up. Fingers crossed all is healing like it should be. I know I’ve been strictly following drs orders.

Back to nap land! 😴
-Alex

Alex’s Army