Cancer: The Big F*CK You

It seems to me that cancer has surrounded me for a big part of my adult life. I didn't realize it until this week after watching a movie:

If you haven't seen this movie..... You need to. It's beautiful, sweet, romantic, and heartbreaking... all at the same time. Two teenagers that still find the beauty in life & love even though they have cancer.

After watching this movie, I began to reflect on just this year alone in my life with friends or even meer Facebook pages that I have followed closely. Everywhere I looked, cancer seemed to be staring me in the face.

 I know, I know. Everyone keeps saying, "Everything causes cancer nowadays."

I have never been more aware until this year. As some of you women (or even men who may follow this blog & are going through this with your partner) may know, a lot of the medications that we put into our bodies in order to conceive can cause us to have a higher risk of cancer. Some of these medications are even used to fight cancer, but can help us while TTC.  In my journey, I have had both a "scare" and the medications used to fight cancer.

In a previous post I blogged about Femara. A medication that can help with the TTC journey, but is also used in post/pre menopausal women with breast cancer. My hair thinned out, hot flashes, and nausea accompanied that precious gem. Yuck! I am in no way comparing myself to a cancer patient, let me tell you, I hope to never go through the same thing that so many of our Cancer Heros have gone through.

Clomid, which I did 10 rounds of, can cause Ovarian Cancer due to long term usage. Long term usage is considered to be more than 6 rounds.... Thanks Doc for allowing me to continue taking something!!!! Glad that Dr. Fisch caught it when I switched to him.

Now when I say I have had a scare, it's not to be over dramatic. It's because I had a scare. Before our IUI procedure, they had to do an ultrasound to check to see what my egg quality was like before starting the Femara. What did they find? A mass that had attached itself to my left fallopian tube. It was putting pressure on my fallopian tube & they notice that I had little to NO action going on with eggs on the left side. I was at an increase for an ectopic pregnancy on my left side if by some miracle, I became pregnant. I had to go in for multiple ultrasounds to see if it would resolve itself. Thankfully, it did & I didn't have to have a biopsy or any uneccessary procedures, but for the first week, my doctor prepared me for the worst & Giovanni and I held each other close. Just in case.
I had never been more afraid.

One of my best friends from high school battled cancer this year and kicked it's ass!! She was not going without a fight as she has two little boys, family, and friends who were rooting her the whole way through. Way to go Miss Kheyla Collins =]

My best friend Taysia..... her family's beautiful Golden Retriever, Harley, has been battling cancer this year as well. Handsome boy had one of his toes removed and was cancer free for a bit, but unfortunately has relapsed. I have encouraged Taysia & her folks to set up a gofundme account for Harley. If they do, I will post the link =] Go Harley Go!!

My sister-in-law's best friend of 13 years is battling an inoperable tumer & it happens to be the most aggressive type of brain cancer: Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4.  His name is Nick Masculino. I have never personally met Nick, but from the overflowing of love & support that I see for him, he's pretty freaking incredible. I encourage you all to head over to his gofundme.com account, donate, and get to know Nick in all of his awesomeness!!! To donate, please click here for Nick!


I have been following countless people on facebook that have either battled or are still battling cancer. There are children & adults. Take a look around, we're constantly sharing pictures, information, and pages of those who are battling cancer. Take two seconds out of your day and wish these people well. Take a couple seconds and really pray for these people. They are battling the biggest battle in their lives just to live. There are people who will never graduate high school, college, fall in love, have children, have grand kids, or grow old all because of cancer. There are multiple organizations for cancer research that take donations. Did you know Pediatric Cancer research is one of the lowest donated causes? 3.8%.

Check out Lilly Bumpus's page here to find out how to donate for Pediatric Cancer Research.

I know I have missed people that have had cancer in my life on this post. My Grandma had breast cancer & kicked ass. My Aunt fought one hell of a fight, but sadly passed. Cancer sucks. It's scary.

We're currently dealing with a "what if" right now with our Dachshund, Burger.

 We found a lump on her chest with dark dark bruising by her back leg. We live in an apartment & I am currently not working & always home. I know she hasn't fallen in our apt so we arent too sure where she could have gotten this bruising from or the lumps, so we're nervous.

We are currently looking for pet insurance to help us out with our future costs, knowing we will be needing to get a biopsy on these lumps. We are currently discussing a gofundme account to help raise money, but I am also making (What I love to call) Burger Blankets to help with the possible costs. Since she is never without her blankie, I'm making blankets. It can be for your dog or for your kids, but Burger Blankets will be sold. FYI: These blankets will be crocheted, not fleece like the one in the picture below. The fleece blanket was a gift from my friend Jamie Howarth. Thank You, Jamie!!!!! Wonton also love his blankie =]

We are keeping our spirits high. Look at her! Isn't she just the sweetest?????

Love & Light,

Jes