Mystery Gift?

This pink and white ribbon key chain arrived with a note of encouragement ... but the envelope was torn up so badly in the mail that it all came in a plastic bag and I couldn't tell who it's from ... but wherever it came from, thanks for the love and support!

And now it is September. The six month mark since diagnosis, and a big month for me personally in the fight against breast cancer. In just 3 days, I'll receive my last chemo treatment. The next time I post here, I'll be completely finished with chemo. And I hope finished forever. While I've been so thankful to get through chemo without a lot of terrible side effects, I am very aware of some of the tolls the drugs are taking on my body, and I'm glad I'm almost finished receiving toxins that are life saving, but otherwise tough on a person.

A few pre-surgery things to wrap up ... I have a mammogram next week for the first post-chemo look at the progress in ridding my body of cancer cells. Then on September 11, my first post-chemo appointment with the medical oncologist, and the week of September 24, the final pre-surgery appointment with the surgical oncologist.

In just 26 days, it's surgery time. It's starting to get close enough that it feels real ... but I'm not fearful. I'm sure I'll have more anxiety as we get closer to the date, and as I have those final appointments and preparations. But the entire process ... chemo, surgery, radiation ... is the only way to maximize my chance to be a survivor.

And I'll give it every bit of fight that I have in me ... for myself, and for my family.