Cancer connections – we could have met in a pub, at a party or through friends, but our mutual ‚friend‘ is cancer and we actually met at a Janssen cancer blogger workshop, as my friend Don blogs about his cancer on Facebook. These are the connections I am grateful for and one of the positive side effects that came along with cancer!

Today there is no room for cancer though…. Don shows my kids the police vehicles. One might have had the impression that my kids were not very excited, as Leo pretended to be asleep, but it was just too exciting to handle the situation…. Leo has already bragged about it at our neighbours and reported en detail 😉…. Thank you, Don!

I look forward to the second workshop with Janssen and any of our little get togethers.

A dreadful night, my baby girl in pain and I am physically and emotionally exhausted, but apparently it just needs some time….

I am happy that Recover your Smile send me some pictures to sheer me up and I am thrilled that there was yet another positive scan result amongst my cancer peeps!

Have a great weekend!

Less than a month and I will be in rehab…. there is an unbearable mountain of to dos, but today is Mia and me day…. no worries in the world!

After physio, we drop off Leo in Kindergarten and meet the chemo sisters and their kids for a coffee, buy fruit at my favourite Tatjana Böhmer, get some second hand clothes, eat unhealthy stuff topped with some icecream and meet fellow cancer buddy Andrea for a coffee ❤️

5:30pm she will be live on TV in WDR’s „Hier und Heute“ with her project „Heldencamper“ – don’t miss it!

What a perfect day! Now home and of we have the energy, we will take the decoration of our Christmas tree (despite the fact that we are still in love, our ways have to part now, you beautiful tree)!

Bye bye active therapy, hello follow-up care….. whoooohooo!

I am tired and exhausted! Yes, I went out last night, but the kids were restless and I have a 8:00am lymphdrainage. I am being informed that I missed yet another appointment – the second one within one week…. it just shows that it is too much right now, but there is no alternative…. go go go!

Now, what is the info I get during my follow-up care appointment:

• the ultrasound of my breasts is all clear…. yipehhh!!

• my gynecologist is in charge of the follow-up plan (and the advise from my radiologist is apparently old school, which means no lung X-ray, no liver sonogram)

• manual breast check with my gynecologist every three months

• breast ultrasound every 6 months at the senologist incl. blood tests

• mammogram both sides once a year (not before April/May)

• the oncologist will check my blood during our final appointment end of this month and the focus will be on liver, ALP (alkaline phosphatase) for bones and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) – he will probably also do a liver sonogram

• due to the osteopenia he will also check my vitamin D level to see, if the dose can be increased

• CT will only be done, if the blood is peculiar or if I have any other physical abnormalities

• the last breast operation will be end of the summer once I am properly back in my ’normal‘ life

I wonder what my fellow cancer buddies have lined up for their follow-up care?!?

I feel good, have a coffee and go to my dentist appointment and then it is Mia and me time until I pick up Leo from his play date! I embrace normality and apart from two physio therapy appointments and a bit of organisation and paperwork, I will be in ’normal‘ mode – as far as my energy levels allow it – for the rest of the week 😉 Bring on more good news!

I promise the kids pancakes and as a result I am really stressed this morning, have no breakfast, rush Leo to Kindergarten and run to hospital….

Today, cancer life is back with an osteoporosis test …. osteopenia is a mild form of osteoporosis and considering my age, the bones are too fragile, but I guess this is a normal level considering the chemos I have been through and I am being referred to my doctor…. hmmm.

I am exhausted, the night was horrible and yet, I will see what the morning brings…. but first coffee! I stop at Café Schmitz and enjoy a bit of quietness and me time. Yes, I could be home with Mia, but I need some energy to look after her!

Having a sick child at home, means that I have no free time, when at home and by the looks of it, she will be home for another three weeks and I simply lack the energy, as I still have all my doctor appointments and admin to cope with too. I want to be there for my child, wish I could simply chill with her all day.

I receive my rehab paperwork and it exhausts me, but I finish all the paperwork and get it on the way! I am longing to go to rehab, but dreading to be away from the kids ….. the plan is that they come and stay nearby during week two, but I need to organise that!

I am anxious due to my appointment with Prof. Dr. Breidenbach tomorrow – when will the staging be done? What do I need to do for follow-up care? When? How? I will hopefully get all my answers I have been waiting for since December.

I will go home now and chill with Mia until I need to pick up Leo and any other issues, paperwork, calls and to dos will simply be ignored!

Hamburg, Hyperion Hotel

• 1 weekend

• 2 night

• 4 short hair girls

• 4 boobs

• 8 t-shirts

• too much food

• even more drinks

Talking, talking, talking! Being silly, sentimental, hysterical and emotional, loud and quiet, wild and still, but overall…. together – celebrating friendship and life, ups and downs, highs and lows and simply being together!

My throat is still sore – Love you, girls!

Yes, we can! Yes, we do! Yes, we look after ourselves! We live!… ‚til we meet again!

Oh, what a Night….

•

Four short hair girls celebrating life and normal things… singing, dancing and drinking! •

•

Cancer connects us, but there is no room for cancer, just for a lot of life! Happy days! And thank goodness for breakfast until 12:00!

•

•

#alive #happy #bosombuddies #busenfreundinnen #möwinnen

#together #hamburg #krebsblogger #cancerblogger

The operation to remove the screws in my finger is a ten minute deal… however…. I spend hours in hospital, have a bed and need to get completely changed, four attempts are needed to find a proper vein including chumping and poking and I had it! Ahhhhhh!!!

I don’t want any more needles, I am far from getting used to it, it gets worse and worse…. chemo ruins your veins and an empty stomach makes it worse….

There is another breast operation lined up, but that will be in May or June and for now, I only care to see that Mia is happily being spoiled rotten by my Mum and that I can see my bosom buddies tonight without feeling like a bad mum!

My day is full of doctor appointments, I am seeing my dentist at 7pm and I need to be 7:00am in hospital for my operation, but that is ok, because Mia is a super trooper, Mum will arrive tonight and I am packed to leave for Hamburg after my operation tomorrow to see my bosom buddies!

We have come a long way…. breast cancer with kids, chemos, operations, some said good bye to at least one boob and we were in this emotional rollercoaster ride together, sent endless videos to each other in every situation…. you are my rocks, my therapy group and most of all – my friends…. and we said we will all meet to celebrate that the cancer journey is over!

Things went a bit pear-shaped and what was supposed to happen this summer with sun, sand and lots of drinks, is happening now in freezing cold Hamburg, but the spirit is the same! We will celebrate life and to be alive and to have each other!

Girls, I cannot wait! Whooohooo!!