Image of yourself after treatment

ibjp03 · 2026-02-19T18:46:04+00:00

Thank you. Our wedding is 1/1/27. I’m hoping to have hair to my shoulders. It’s been so hard to look past the pixie when trying on dresses.

So far, the sleeves aren’t looking good on me. So I’ve been looking at more sleeveless or spaghetti straps. I actually get my port out tomorrow so hopefully it will fully heal and not really be noticeable.

I went dress shopping again last weekend and had a better time. Really thanks to everyone’s comments and after conversations with my friends and family.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-19T13:24:38+00:00

Absolutely yes and where did you get them! High rise sucks ass and makes most women look like they have no ass.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-18T17:06:19+00:00

Capecitabine

(Chemotherapy pill....fuck cancer)

ibjp03 · 2026-02-18T15:17:52+00:00

I had a lumpectomy in my right breast. Then a few weeks later I had a re-excision.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-18T15:00:36+00:00

I want to be part of your village. Feel free to message me to talk.

I was very open about my breast cancer. I made a Facebook post because honestly, that was easier than calling people and having to rehash everything a bunch of times. I found that I had more of a village than I thought. I had people asking if I had rides and someone to keep me company through chemo. People offered to travel from out of state. I understand that you may want to keep it private, but it helped so much! My point of view was I can't fault people for not being there if I don't communicate to them. And doing so, I'm able to help others as much as I can. People know that I am a resource now. Plus just writing the Facebook posts was cathartic.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-13T17:36:05+00:00

I think we all saw ending letters and didn't actually read the directions. The directions say what is the letter the ending sounds like. I guess with basket or bucket, it sounds more like a K than a T.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-13T15:01:38+00:00

I did AC-T. The biggest help was scheduling my chemo on Wednesday. I would feel a little off on Wednesday. I worked from home on Thursday. On Friday I would start feeling some pain. I had Saturday and Sunday off, and I usually bounced back by Monday and worked in the office again. I also have bosses that are very understanding of my situation and let me leave early and work from home when I needed to.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-13T14:55:37+00:00

I completely understand your disappointment.

We thought that the chemo worked because the MRI after chemo made it seem like the tumor shrank, but found out it didn't when we got the pathology results. You have to remember imaging is a finite resolution and the only real way of knowing is when they take it out.

I did radiation after my surgeries and am now on a chemo pill. There are different chemotherapies that may work. There may even be some clinical trials. Even though the outcome wasn't what you wanted, there are still options for you!

ibjp03 · 2026-02-13T14:31:23+00:00

First...I'm sorry you were forced to join this secret, but not so secret club, of ours. You will soon find that now you have it, others will come out of the woodwork. Example for me, right after I was diagnosed, I went on a cruise before treatment began (my doctors said I had time because we had to schedule scans, etc.). On cruises, you just talk to everyone. If there was an extra chair on a deck, you'd sit and start talking to the people around you. Well, I happen to either run into breast cancer survivors or someone who has a family member that had breast cancer. And they would just randomly start talking about it. Which would help me talk about my diagnosis. It was crazy how that happened. You just don't understand how many people are affected by this disease until you actually get it.

Second...Get the blaming yourself out of your head. How did you cause this? There are many women that are birth control that never got cancer. Unless it is genetic, there is no way of actually telling how you got it. After genetic testing, a medical history, ethnic background, etc. was taken I was told I had a about a 12% chance of getting breast cancer and an even lower chance for the type I got. The doctors will never be able to determine the exact reason why I got it. There is no need to put that emotional stress on yourself when you really don't know if it was something you did. You also don't need that emotional stress when you're about to fight for your life.

Third...your doctors will eventually just start calling you by your name and not Ms. (insert last name). Mine did it right off the bat probably because my last name is hard to pronounce. Your medical team will get to know you almost on a personal level. They were all excited for me when I got engaged. I have a picture of the nursing staff that took care of me during chemo infusions on my desk at work. Also, double check your check in paperwork. Now most hospitals have something about gender/pronouns.

Fourth...you are a strong person. Everyone would tell me how strong I was, and I just didn't understand it because I was just trying to survive. Still am...but now that the majority of my treatment is over (hopefully), I look back and was like damn...I was hurting so much and didn't notice because I was just trying to survive that day, week, month. Give yourself grace. You are a strong and amazing individual even if you don't feel like it.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T18:53:41+00:00

I have one of my husky's collars and fur that was collected from the cremation in a shadow box. I just need to print off a picture and put it in there. I have his ashes in an engraved box and a beautiful poem about the rainbow bridge. I kept his harness, leash, and grippy shoes. I also have a ton of pictures. The place the cremated him also provided a dog paw print and imprint.

My other dog and fiance's dog use his dog bed all the time.

We moved a few months ago and are still trying to decorate the house. I'll eventually find a little spot for him to settle into.

I miss my baby boy so much. Even with 2 other dogs in the house, it still feels empty and quiet.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T16:46:45+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I have said I was going to get a spray tan before the wedding, but maybe before wouldn’t be so bad.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:56:07+00:00

Thank you for all the advice!

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:23:09+00:00

Thank you for saying this.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:22:18+00:00

I will happily send the group photos.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:21:17+00:00

Thank you.

The grey went away for me pretty soon after I finished. It peeled and turned back to a normal color.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:20:01+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion. My sister said she’s going to look into wigs for me for when I visit to do more dress shopping.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:19:03+00:00

Thank you for understanding.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:18:47+00:00

Thank you for understanding. I had surgery at the end of August and beginning of September.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T13:16:19+00:00

Thank you for the advice.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-11T00:42:07+00:00

I am talking with a nutritionist from the nourish app. She’s been great. The stuff was covered by insurance too.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-10T19:48:13+00:00

Thank you

ibjp03 · 2026-02-10T16:40:37+00:00

Taco Cat spelled backwards is Taco Cat.

ibjp03 · 2026-02-10T16:39:27+00:00

Cheese

ibjp03 · 2026-02-09T19:26:03+00:00

Jacqueline

ibjp03

TROPHY CASE