Category: My Breast Cancer

Happy 2020!

Whether you had a night in or a night out, I hope you all brought in the new year just how you wanted to! Loooooong post here. Grab a cup of coffee or scroll through to what might interest you. I’ve got a mouthful today. Or is it a fingerful if your’e typing? Fingerful? Yeah, I kinda like it. The New Blog Look I’m ecstatic to be starting off the New Year by writing this post with my new look on the blog! Softer colors, (Thank you Tess for the new Graphic up above. She knew exactly what I wanted!) updated tabs at the very top on the menu bar (Yay!), I’ve now added categories which means future post and some of my most recent post will be easier to scroll through if you’re only looking to read about a particular topic like Breast Cancer or Camping or my WW […]

June and Gratitude

What a great month it was. I chose a “word” for the year at the beginning of 2019. My word is “Mindful”. I also went into 2019 knowing for a fact that the year would bring many wonderful things for me and my family, A few weeks back at the WW Studios the topic was Gratitude. I love this topic. I love discussing my passion for the word “gratitude” and how practicing gratitude can impact your daily life and your health and happiness. I feel like I have regularly practiced gratitude for a really long time. It’s what gets me through the tough stuff, big and small, and keeps me living life with a positive attitude. I’m grateful for so many things on a daily basis. Grateful for family and friends, a job, a roof over my head, fresh water at my fingertips, the opportunity to buy and prepare delicious food, […]

A Happy Place

I am happy to report that life is pretty awesome right now. I’ve determined that I need to “not commit” to when I will be able to post a blog. When it can happen, it will happen. I am going back to where I was at the beginning of this blog in 2011. This is my journal. I come here when I need to write. If sharing my day to day life, hobbies, experiences, struggles and challenges, successes, can help someone, then I am extremely grateful for that. There are many of you that have followed me for a very long time and I think about you when I am not blogging. I feel connected and obligated to many of you. I feel guilty for not blogging because I feel as though I have been a support source for you as I blog through my own experiences. I am a people […]

I’ve Got Nipples!

It’s been three weeks since getting my new nipples and these last three weeks have just been…….odd. I’m trying to imagine the expression on ones face if this is the first blog post of mine that they have ever read.  Hi. I’m Julie and I write weird stuff and post weird pictures, while trying to inform, yet not embarrass myself or my readers. For years I’ve blogged about WW and my personal successes and challenges. Now I also talk about Breast Cancer. I will be posting pictures in this post of my nipple reconstruction because I am sharing my experience in case you or someone you know is considering nipple reconstruction. It’s actually quite fascinating. I encourage any questions and nothing is off limits here. I had to come back and edit this post today based on what a member asked me at a WW Workshop I was coaching this morning.  First of all, she is […]

Follow Your Dreams

Good morning! I don’t want to post pictures from the wedding that Tess has not had a chance to share, so I’m waiting patiently for that to happen. The photos from the photographer are not in yet. I will however sneak in just a few family pictures here that our son Jake took. Tess and Manuel LOVE to dance so I had to share this one. It’s one of my favorites.   Our son Jake and his family.   Our daughter Kate and her family.   Our daughter Anne and her family.   This has been a very full last two weeks. Mike finished this gorgeous Headboard and framed in the bed. I am in love with all of it. He is working now on a Barn Door that will go between the Master and the Master Bath.     We spent Palm Sunday at my In-Laws. They are both 80 […]

Number Five

Now that I’ve mastered the voice command for blogging….this is one long post! It’s just me, sitting in bed with coffee this morning while it rains, talking into my phone. This is the perfect morning! Ha! On Thursday afternoon I picked up my first ever prescription glasses. They are progressive lenses. When I first put them on I assured the lady helping me that the prescription must be wrong. I couldn’t see a thing! She then assured me that the prescription was correct and that progressive lenses would take me a while to get used to. You guys, learning how to walk down stairs with progressives on is NO JOKE! A picture I sent to one of my grandkids last night. I can see! I should’ve been wearing prescription glasses a long time ago, which I knew. I have been getting by with the readers for a long time. She […]

One Year Cancer Free

One year ago today I was sitting in my living room recovering from my Double Mastectomy. I didn’t really think about being Cancer Free that day. I was just thinking about the fact that I no longer had a part of my body. It was months later that I began to recognize August 31st as my Cancer Free Anniversary.  I was pretty drugged up that weekend so I don’t remember much. Here’s what I do remember about the days leading up to it. I know some pretty amazing people. I had friends scheduling meal trains. I had family and friends texting me telling me that everything was going to be okay and that they loved me. I had family and friends constantly asking me what they could do. And the days that followed I had family and friends bring meals, flowers, gifts, come to visit, text me and call me, […]

So Much in My Head…..

I have all this stuff in my head that I wanna say, so I’m just going to start talking. I’m blogging via voice on my phone so seriously…… I’m just going to babble on about what’s been happening over here, then do a baby edit. Please expect errors and babbling…. First, lets enjoy the pics of these two!! I finally can share these two engagement photos!! Yay! This is my daughter Tess and her fiancé Manuel. They will be married March 30, 2019 and this momma can hardly wait! I had a couple of pics from their engagement party, but nothing this beautiful, so I’ll just share these. So sweet. I can’t pick a favorite, but I love both of these for certain!! Monday I went in for my physical therapy on my breast. Every appointment, Dani (she is awesome!) basically kneads my scar tissue/fat necrosis with this hard plastic […]

Rebirth? Kinda Feels Like It

I’m not even kidding. I woke up Easter morning and thought to myself, He’s alive and so am I! A little feeling of “Rebirth” with my pal Jesus if you will. I was looking forward to an Easter tradition and I was feeling rested and good. Mike and I spend Easter with his side of the family almost every year. At least, I don’t feel like we’ve missed too many years of this tradition.  Mike’s mom is one of nine children (three girls, six boys) and every Easter the entire family (four generations now, unless it’s five and I’m missing that?)  gathers for a Pot Luck. It’s always fun to see the family continue to grow with new babies and new fiancés and watch the little ones fill their baskets after dinner. This is Mike’s mom on the far right. These are her two beautiful sisters. Mike’s mom is going to be 80 […]

Good Morning!

Just checking in to say Good Morning!   I’m one week post op a full hysterectomy and revisions on my breast reconstruction. Other than feeling tired, I’m doing great! After reading so much about these two surgeries combined, I was prepared to be in a lot of pain for the first week, and I haven’t been at all! Yay! Tess came in the day before surgery and stayed with us for a week. She just went home on Tuesday and it was hard to let her go. Tess and Mike have become this great team when it comes to taking care of Mom and I’m not sure what I would do without them. I was feeling so good 4 days after surgery, that I even went to Palm Sunday at my In-Laws! (Our annual tradition so our kids and grandkids don’t have to stress on Easter trying to visit everyone) I […]