My last wish... A Family Vacation

Hi! I'm Kim.  In August of 2014 I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer.  I underwent a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemo.  I lost my hair and I lost my energy, but I never lost my positive attitude! In February 2015 I had a clean bill of health and started living my new normal.  

My new normal turned out to be a little rough. I was (and still am) extremely disappointed in my reconstruction work. I got a second opinion and decided to switch doctors.  I finally had hope that one day I would be able to look at myself in the mirror without cringing.

Meanwhile, my mom found out her lung cancer had returned after three years in remission.  We decided to move her in with us.  Best decision ever! She passed away in June and I will always be blessed for having that time with her and knowing her final days were surrounded by her loving family.

In July I started to have a pain in my right chest and quite a bit of swelling.  I wasn't sure which doctor to see so I went to my new plastic surgeon, thinking maybe I was having a reaction to the implant. She said I had an infection and put me on an antibiotic. Two weeks later I was back in her office feeling no better. She decided to put another dreaded drain tube in just a week and a half before my wedding! Thankfully the drain tube came out a few days before the wedding but the pain hadn't gone away.

The wedding took my mind off of things for a week or so and I was sitting in my psychotherapist's office, visibly uncomfortable, and she recommended I see a lymphedema specialist.  While I was waiting for that appointment I had a six-month follow-up appointment with my oncologist. My numbers were beautiful, he saw my inflammation, he pushed where it's most painful and clearly saw that it hurt me, he was satisfied to hear I was seeing a lymphedema specialist later that week, and he gave me a clean bill of health for another 3 months. Yay!!

That was short lived. If nothing else happens on here please spread this news: LYMPHEDEMA DOES NOT CAUSE PAIN! It can cause discomfort, but it does not cause pain.  She immediately wanted to get to the bottom of it. A week later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer and told I have three years to live.  I started a new round of chemo a week ago. 

I am 49 years old. All I have ever dreamed of is watching my kids grow old, have their families, and being a grandma. Family means everything to me! 

I have depleted our savings on medical bills and from being off work for so long.  But I am not going to let that stop me from taking my family on one last family vacation. I really want to do this while I am feeling fairly decent too.  We are planning a cruise in February of 2016.  Anything you can give to help would be greatly appreciated.

If you are another positive person, you are welcome to follow my cancer journey "On The Bright Side" on Facebook.