11 Years with Breast Cancer: Someone Forgot to Send the Break-Up Text.

The Great Hair Escape: A Chemo Horror Comedy Well, folks, it happened. The hair exodus is in full swing, and I have officially lost control of the situation. My body feels great —energy’s high, GI is on track, and my appetite is back. Everything is working… except my appearance. My face and hair are screaming for help. It Started with a Pluck The first sign of trouble? It no longer hurt to pluck my face hairs. A normal person might think, Oh,  nice! But me? I knew better. When your follicles stop fighting, they’re getting ready to surrender. And surrender they did. Before we get into that , let’s talk about the rogue hairs that sneak up on us with age. At 23, I worked with a woman who I swore was pushing 60. In reality, she was probably my age now. She had the stern, judgmental presence of a librarian and a collection of whiskers on her chin and lip that I could not unsee. Now, I’m not a judgmental person—young me would have felt horrible thinking such things. Bu...

Week Two Post-Chemo: The Gift That Keeps on  Giving The beginning of the week was challenging , but today? Great. I climbed ladders, changed lightbulbs, did all the laundry, cleaned the floors, ran the dishwasher—basically, I cleaned everything that didn’t run away from me. And guess what? I felt amazing. Caity, no cleaning necessary Monday! I don’t want to jinx myself, so I’m not going to say it, but... The Last Few Days: Small Wins Edition ✅ Spent an amazing day with Lindsey. (Recently retired, maid of honor and I’m known as her  imaginary friend to her inner circle) Solid company, solid laughs, zero drama. Win. ✅ Kept my lunch down until 4 PM. In this house, that’s what we call progress. ✅ LC finally brought my Girl Scout cookies. Mint always helps the belly ( and the breath). Priorities. ✅ Kim’s bag of surprises and her delicious soup. Hit. The. Spot. The woman gets it. ✅ Linda delivered dinner for the family. And the best chocolate chip...

One Week Post-Chemo: The Wins, The Woes, and The Waterworks But before diving into the usual chaos, I want to take a moment to highlight something incredibly important to me: GREAT medical care should look like this— As I reflect on the care I’ve received throughout this unexpected and challenging chapter the kind of care I’ve received, and continue to receive, from Dr. Levine, Jen, and the team in New York should be the gold standard. They have set the bar impossibly high, proving that not all medical experiences have to feel like an episode of Survivor: Chemotherapy Edition.  Their unwavering commitment to my well-being has been nothing short of extraordinary. Please take a moment to read the letter, sit with it, and truly absorb it.   When the System Fails:  Finding Care and Compassion Beyond Massachusetts Dr. Levine,  Your kindness, attentiveness, and willingness to personally reach out to me have been a source of immense comfort in a time when compassio...

Post-Chemo Weekend Update Before we dive in, a quick reminder: I share and document all of this for many reasons. But most importantly, it’s for those who truly want to know what this experience is like in real-time —the good, the bad, the weird, and the "are you kidding me"? Because let’s be honest, cancer isn’t just a battle; it’s a full-blown circus —complete with bizarre side effects, unpredictable plot twists, and a body that no longer follows basic rules of logic. And if I’m going through it, you bet I’m going to tell the story with love, humor, and just the right amount of exasperation. Some days, this feels like an absurd medical scavenger hunt: Find the one thing that doesn’t taste like a rusty fence. Locate the missing energy levels. Solve the mystery of why my nostrils feel flabby. Other days, it’s a traffic jam where chemo and IBS-C play an endless game of chicken. Either way, I’m here to document it all—raw, real, and with a healthy dose of sarcasm. So buckle ...

A Deep Dive into Digestive Dysfunction (Sink or Swim, Folks) 🚨 PSA: A Necessary Disclaimer Before We Dive In 🚨 Before you proceed, please be advised that this update contains explicit discussions about waste—or, in my case, the concerning lack thereof. If you’re someone who gets squeamish at the mere mention of bodily functions, first of all, must be nice, and second, this might not be for you. However, if you’ve ever faced an uncooperative digestive system and started questioning the meaning of life while pacing the house—welcome. You’re among friends.  Proceed at your own risk. Or, as I like to call it, A Front Row Seat to the reigning champion of TMI. 💡 Today’s Wins (Because It’s Not All Doom & Gloom!): ✔️ Huge shoutout to my Friday Pilates crew , who always keep things interesting and keep me moving (even if my intestines refuse to). ✔️ Special mention to the crazy duet who noticed that some folks get coffee talk during their sessions and wanted to ...