In Katie's Words

We are meeting with the oncologist today to discuss my customized treatment plan moving forward. Before all of that, I want to take a moment to really thank ALL of you for your continued love, support and well wishes. The Sherman family would not be able to navigate this road if it wasn’t for friends and family, near and far. We are humbled by the messages, texts, calls, cards, flowers, food, and offers to help in any way possible. This includes people that have reached out that we don't even know personally. We are so lucky to have such a strong support system near us that allow us to keep life moving, especially for the kids.  My parents, who coincidentally moved back to Huntley from Michigan in November. They’ve been so gracious in picking up kids from the bus, feeding them dinner, getting them to/from baseball and keeping them overnight when I was in the hospital.  Brian’s parents, driving down from Tomah to stay with us for a week, making sure dinner is on the table and k...

Seems like Groundhog Day. Wake up, get kids ready for school, get them to bus and get in car to hospital. Didn’t I JUST do this 2 weeks ago? Sure did. This time, I’ll be walking out lopsided, missing my right nipple. No more titty twisting me, at least on the right side, for now. I’ve heard you get them tattooed on after?!?! Stay tuned for that!  I’m getting texts in the morning, wishing me well, and honestly, I’m over it. Get whatever cancer or threat of cancer out of me. A friend texting me good luck, I respond with, “They can take my nipple, but they’ll never take my FREEDOM” and coupled that with the William Wallace GIF from Braveheart. Why not.  I’m not sure who watched Mad Men, but Brian and I did. One of the last seasons a crazy copywriter falls in love with his boss. To show how much he loves her, he cuts off his nipple and puts it in a box for her. I offered that to Brian this morning. He laughed, as did I. Only us.  This is him (don't recall name) handing Peggy...

I’m healing great. Only took paid meds for about 5 days. I’m moving around more, while also getting in trouble from hubby by doing so. Since posting on FB, I’ve had even more of an outreach from friends that have either been through exactly the same diagnosis, or something similar. It’s been amazing. I’m able to ask questions I didn’t know to ask before. I think I said this in a previous post, but I will forever be tied to these warrior women that so graciously reach out to me and I am so thankful for everyone.  My ducks are still following me. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get these darn tubes out soon. They’re annoying and I can’t wear any shirt unless it’s a button up, because I can’t lift my arms with these tubes. Over all though, we’re in the clear.  Then the phone call from the surgeon with final pathology results. Brian happens to be sitting next to me, so I put it on speaker.  There has been a plot twist. That fucking plot twist. First, they identified ALH (Atypical ...

So I've often thought before, if I could just loose a little weight in my big boobs I could wear button shirts. Well, I didn't literally it mean, if it meant losing the weight this way! While my amazing husband spent the weekend in Iowa, freezing, at a baseball tournament (can't thank him enough for tackling that) I spent the weekend prepping. Prepping for what I won't be able to do after surgery. Prepping for family that will come and stay with us to help with the kids. Laundry, dishes, shopping, prepping beds, lunches and having my last glass of wine for a while. It was a bottle, shut up. I had 9,000 steps and barely left the house. I earned that bottle. Woke up April 11th feeling pretty OK. Still not reality for me. I started with my normal routine, getting the kids ready for school and getting them to the bus stop.  Now it's time. Brian and I head to the hospital. It's like I want to just be there, but also just want to keep driving. Everyone that we meet t...

We’ve done our best, or so we thought, of letting the kids know what’s going on. We tell them based on what would be age appropriate. Evan is 12 and Jesse is 7. You have to handle them differently. Brian did most of the talking, and I stepped in with, do you have any questions. We sometimes don’t give kids enough credit to figure out for themselves what’s going on. That’s what happened on April 6th. I came home from from taking Evan to baseball practice and noticed the flag up on our mailbox. Jesse normally gets the mail, he calls it ‘his job’. I assumed he put the flag up being silly. So I went to check the mailbox and what I found… Almost brought me to my knees.  Dear Mom, I hope you are OK at the doter. I love you. I hope you have a gerate day.  He was already in bed, so I knew I needed to talk to him the next morning. And hold it together damn-it! That next morning, I told him I got his letter and I loved how he was thinking of me. At first he was confused. He wanted to ma...

Family is everything. Not much else to say there. It started with a girls trip, my mom and I, headed to Tomah to have a girls night with my mother-in-law. I was met with wine, flowers and cheesecake, my favorite. There might have also been some Old Fashions mixed in and of course a beer with my Father-in-law before he escaped to the basement.  I am so fortunate to have such an amazing and fun family that in the midst of all the chaos they will still load up a laundry basket of necessities (because apparently that's easier than bags) and drive an hour for a sleepover. It's not all about my boobs though, although they were the hit of the party.  Growing up I had only one girl cousin, Kristin. We grew up 2,000 miles away, me in California and her in Illinois. She is and will always be my 'soul sister'. Her husband and my husband have an amazing bromance and our kids can't seem to get enough of each other. We also have an honorary sister, Becky. Not blood related, but I...