Well…. as you may have noticed, my blog has a new look and feel. The blog creator I was using previously was just not really working out for me anymore. I don’t know about you, but I like this one way better!

These past few months I have been going about my merry way…just living my life as my oncologist told me to do! I have been getting back into the groove of work, chasing kiddos at home and cheering them on at sporting events, spending lots of time in the sun out in the pool, and checking off those Keytruda treatments. This week, I checked off #16.. only 2 more to go!

As far as treatments, I have no side effects from the immunotherapy. My hair is even starting to grow back! I have a great gray patch growing right in the front. It’s great. HA! It’s also growing in curly, which I’m not really surprised about as I actually have naturally curly hair. It’s also at this wonderful length where it’s not really what I would call a “Karen” haircut.. but more of like a “Carol” haircut. Meaning.. it basically looks like my Grandma Carol’s hairdo. If I could compare my at the moment hairstyle to someone famous, it would look very similar to Daniel Stern’s hair in Home Alone and when it’s combed back, my husband says it looks like the “fins on an old chevy.” I can’t even make this stuff up.

My foobs are healing up really well! Besides some weird sensations that feel like zaps of pain or vibrations, everything seems to feel really normal. The initial vibrations post-surgery were actually really crazy. At one point, I was laying down and felt a vibration that I thought was my phone ringing. Upon sitting up, I realized that my phone was actually no where near me. That happened a few times! Now, I only notice it after a run or some sort of “bouncy” activity. I really am so glad that I decided to go above the muscle with my implants. I have been able to lift weights and do push-ups with no restrictions!

In the past few weeks, I turned 31. My birthday definitely “hit” differently this year. I honestly didn’t feel too much up for celebrating. I’m not really sure why. Exactly one year ago, a day or so around my 30th birthday is when I found that massive lump in my breast and about this time last year, I was getting biopsies and anxiously waiting for results that I was almost certain would turn out to be nothing. It sure has been a whirlwind since then. All I can say, is that even though it felt incredibly somber, I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to celebrate another year and another birthday.

Life is so incredibly precious. I think god every time I get to see another day… the good and the bad days. I thank god every time I am running like a crazy woman trying to get kids out the door or to a sporting event, changing another dirty diaper, or listening to my husband tell me about how awful his 5 am CrossFit workout was. (You know the #1 rule about CrossFit, is to ALWAYS talk about CrossFit)… Side note, if you have never seen Heatherland’s I Ain’t Doing It video about CrossFit, you’re missing out. I will definitely link it below. You can thank me later. 🙂

I do plan on keeping up on the blog. I have so many things I want so share with you all… health updates on me, health updates on Beau, future scholarship funds JR and I plan on creating, and just some overall lessons learned.

Prayer Requests:

• I challenge you to think of three people in your life that might be going through a tough time.. maybe even just a bad hair day and raise up some prayers for them. 🙂

Chemo #2 did not disappoint! Last week I was feeling a bit down because my tumor hadn’t shrunk yet. (Literally laughing at myself because I had only one treatment). When I went in for my pre doctors appointment before chemo #2, Dr. Gupta asked if I could feel the tumor shrinking. I told him not really and he confirmed it typically would take about 4 treatments. We also talked about recurrence since that was a big item weighing on my mind. Dr. Gupta put in some calculations and based upon all of my data elements, he advised that my recurrence rate was 15% NOT taking into consideration the new medication I was receiving! So, that should take it down even more! I will likely have a 90% chance of the cancer NOT coming back! I’ll take it!!

I was feeling pretty good after my treatment on Monday! My blood counts were all good and I was able to work again during treatment! On Tuesday morning, I woke up and to much surprise… felt no massive lump in my breast! Praise god! I texted JR (who was at the gym) and when he got home I had him cop a feel—- he couldn’t feel the massive lump either! It literally had been zapped down to not being detectable by touch in less than 24 hours from the day before! The chemotherapy is working!!!!

I made is through last week with little to no side effects! I was pretty sleepy a couple days but getting to bed at a decent time seemed to help! I was even able to gather up my family for a little photo shoot of the kids. It was a total fail, per my daughter. It started to rain while we we were outside, Beau fell off of a chair I was using for a prop, and he cried 95% of the time. Despite the chaos, I did get some great photos! I cannot wait to get the prints in that I ordered! 

👇🏼 one of my favorites!

On Friday, I got my Covid booster shot. I didn’t get sick with shots #1 and #2 so I wasn’t worried about feeling terrible. Unfortunately, #3 did me in. About 36 hours after the shot, I started to feel better! I am very thankful that the booster side effects didn’t last long! 
Also on Friday, my tribe of people walked into my house wearing #teamnichole shirts! Even baby Beau had a shirt!! Special shout out to my girl Brea for organizing a T-shirt fundraiser! The overwhelming support from everyone makes my heart so happy! ♥️♥️♥️
Today, the inevitable happened. We had plans to go to lunch and do a little shopping. I went to take a shower, had big plans to do my hair up real nice, and when I was showering I noticed that my hair was coming out in copious amounts. They said my hair might just thin and I may not lose it all for the first 12 weeks, but seeing your hair coming out in chunks is nauseating to me. I also wanted to make sure I could donate as much as possible…so.. the emergency phone call to my bestie for the dreaded hair cut was made. Tinleigh even got in on the action and helped to give me a cut!
I highly recommend you find yourself a best friend that will give you a mullet when your hair is falling out from chemotherapy. A friend that will cry with you, give you big hugs, and then shave off the mullet and braid your rat tail for you. 

..on to round three. 💗💗💗