Everyone gets their 15 minutes, right? Well, today a story was published in Champaign-Urbana's newspaper, the News Gazette, about my experiences with diagnosis and how I'm fighting back:
Giving Cancer a Kick in the You Know What. Many thanks to Julie Wurth for the care she took in interviewing me and writing up the story. How very surreal to read about myself in the paper, particularly along side the words "breast cancer."
We are in the midst of a major snow storm here. It's like the arctic out there, with frigid temperatures and blowing snow. I've already gotten a call from the cancer clinic letting me know that they may be closed tomorrow morning. Hopefully I won't have to delay tomorrow's treatment for more than a day or so. This may sound odd, but I actually look forward to my chemo days, particularly since my treatment is working so well. Sure, the side effects are no fun, but who wouldn't want more of the thing that is reversing the cancer's growth?
The first slap
This photo was taken the day after I was diagnosed, and it is my first bitch slap at cancer. I'm the one with the icepack symbolically placed on my boob. My teammates changed our team's uniform to pink at the last minute, and I came off the soccer field that night with one goal and a whole lot of love. Several of these women are my close friends, but they are all warriors, and they all helped me set the tone for this fight.
Lara, what a nice News Gazette article about you (despite the topic being breast cancer)! I can see how it must be surreal reading about yourself like that, but Julie did such a great job communicating a lot of the different aspects of dealing with cancer and also letting your character show. And, great pictures! Cathrine
ReplyDeleteLara, just wanted to say thanks for sharing your story! And thanks for your kind words. It's been wonderful getting to know you and your crazy soccer pals. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't see this until today, but also in yesterday's paper was an article about Dr. Partha Ray (a surgical oncologist, and the doctor who will do my surgery next month) and a $1 million grant he received to develop a diagnostic test to help identify those with the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers: triple negatives, or ER/PR- and HER 2 neu -. Way to go, Dr. Ray! This is so important. I can hear the slapping already coming from his lab! http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-02-03/updated-carle-doctor-gets-1-million-cancer-research-grant.html
ReplyDeleteA sensitive, moving article.
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