Michelle BlainTwins

It was exactly high noon, Wednesday, July 26th, 2017,  I was @ the beach house (my happy place)  when I got the phone call to tell me that yes, in fact, I do have breast cancer.   That I tested  positive for all 3 biopsies and that the cancer is invasive and I needed to call a breast surgeon to put my team of doctors in place.     I knew on July 11th, when the radiologist said that I needed 3 biopsies, that I wasn't going to be ok.   Wow, I had 3 chances that the biopsies would be negative, but all 3 were positive...FUCK

I can't breath.... 
Breath.... 

I have to put my  "big girl panties on".   I  have to drive back to Boston and make the first phone call to one of my dearest friends Dana for  Dr.  Barbara Smith's (breast surgeon) phone number.    Call nurse Gwen - the hardest baby steps I've ever taken. Breath....  :  

 Gwen?  So how did this start?    
Me:  My yearly mammography -  which was actually 6 months late.     

G:  When did you find out?     
M:   After the second round of mammos and ultrasounds, the doctor suggested that what she was seeing didn’t look great and I      needed 3 biopsies.    

G:  What?   3 biopsies, wow that’s a lot.    
M:  Well yeah, I thought so.    

G:  And, the reason you are calling us today is one came back positive?    
M:  Huh? Really?  Well, you know I have cancer?   And, does anyone call you if they don't have cancer?   

Gwen chuckles.    

G:   Oh, so you are going to play the Cancer card already?"                  
M:  Yes, I am!    And no, not just one was positive,  all 3 biopsies are positive.        
G:   Huh, jeez girl, You GO BIG or you go home!  We both laughed.  

Yes, Gwen, I go big!  I’ve never do anything half-ass in my life.      

M:  Oh and Gwen, I really don’t like early morning appointments, just so you know.         
G:  Well lucky for you I wasn’t going to give you an early morning appointment, as she laughs at me with her husky wonderful voice.

I LOVE Gwen....

Wow, and just like that, in an instant, my life changed.   By 4:30 in the afternoon I had a team of doctors and nurses in place and  my first appointment to meet my doctors was all set for August 10th.   Amy went with me to my August 10th team doctors meeting,  which is  the day that I found out that not only all 3 tumors were breast cancer,  but all 3 are different kinds of breast cancer.   Jeez...  huh, what?  really is that even possible?    

I can't breath again !
Breath....    

This was also the day that I got to meet the fabulous Gwen - I really do love this lady ! 

The great news is,  that the tumors were caught really early,  I'm a super healthy person (besides the BC - ha), and I'm a really tough Bitch, as you are all aware of.   So I will get through this with a lot of help from all of you.  

So my surgery date is September 20th.     I will use this website to keep everybody updated with the calendar and to ask for things:   like sending good vibes out in the world,  visits,  delicious food, spending time during the days with me,  make me playlists, podcasts lists, etc.      If you feel compelled to send flowers, thank you so much (xo)  but,  what I really will need is the money you would have spent on flowers to help pay for my overnight nurse, Wendy.    Besides, my kitties will just eat the flowers and just puke them up all over the house.   Wendy  is a lovely lady (nurse) that will be staying overnight from 9pm-9am for at least three weeks to help take care of me.   Her live in night care is important for my recovery, as I'm not allowed to do much of anything with my arms for the first 3 weeks of recovery.     


I will never be able to THANK Amy enough for going with me on one of the toughest days of my life.    From the moment I met Amy I knew that I loved her and I immediately adopted her into "my adoptive  family."   She  is more like my younger sister that  I always wanted.   When I first met her I begged (forced) her to live with me and then I made her move with me, etc. - y'all know the story.    For the record - She's the only person that can call me crazy and get away with it.   

Time has become elusively important to me !!

LOVE,  Michelle