Tell us What you are Grateful For

Moderators

Bumping again!

dlb823

I am most grateful for my adoring husband of 34 years, for my brilliant and funny son and his thoughtful and caring girlfriend, and for my extended family and friends. Without any of them, this would be a much more difficult path. Among my friends, I count quite a few women I first met here on BCO, including several I've since met in person, and others with whom I email almost daily. I can't imagine going through bc without this sisterhood of support, most of which originated here on BCO. And while I would never wish a bc diagnosis on anyone, I think many of us who are living with that dx are fortunate to have as the result of it a very deep, unique, and meaningful circle of bc-sister relationships -- connections with intelligent, brave and interesting women we never would have made had it not been for bc. Deanna

FairyDogMother

I'm thankful for my friends who let me tag along to get a mammogram. I'm thankful for a team of loving friends, who sent me care packages during treatment and those who still do do after treatment is finished. I'm thankful for my husband who shaved his head and face and dressed up with me for each chemo. We were Hawaiian, Dr. Evil and Meme, Wizard of Oz, and Elvis and Marilyn. I didn't want to do chemotherapy, so a good friend taught me make each one a theme and it will lift your spirits. Thank you Sue for that information.

For the BCO for letting me post questions, read others thoughts, and vent. I'm thankful that I fought to be an active patient in my treatment plan and got a different type of radiation than the standard of care, because the recurrence rates were the same anyway. I'm thankful for my dogs that seem to know when I need to get an extra cuddle time or some time to play fetch. I'm thankful that despite all the side effects from cancer treatment I can still smile every day and make someone laugh.

hummingbirdlover

I'm grateful to God for the wonderful life he has blessed me with. I'm grateful for yearly mammograms and people in health care who do care about the individual and family behind the tests and treatments. I'm blessed with my best friend and hubby of 25 years who has been my rock of support and my caring son who is the light of my life. I have so many wonderful friends who called me, visited me, prayed for me and brought dinners and love to my home. God is so good. I'm thankful for this website and the comfort that came at a time when I truly needed it. I'm thankful for my life and will not take it for granted. Every day is a gift and I plan to live each day the best I can!

Moderators

Bumpity bump bump!

april485

Although I alreeady posted that I am grateful for BCO, there is so much more that I am grateful for.

My husband who is battling an undiagnosed illness. We WILL figure this out!

My sweet kitty Simon who is ALWAYS there for me.

My job and wonderful staff and co-workers!

My children who are my masterpieces in this life!

My brand new four week old (today!) grandaughter Aubrey Emma. May she live a healthy and wonderful long life!

My friends who are my touchstone.

So much more but that should do it for now..lol

Moderators

Bumping again!

Moderators

Bump!

bobogirl

I am sincerely grateful for BCO, and also for you, Mods. I notice you work tirelessly to keep our site safe, and you give so much. I didn't know about BCO in 2008, when I was first diagnosed. I only wish I had, but I am so glad to have it now. Thank you, Mods!

MEG2

I am grateful for my Docs: Dr. S (Primary Care Physician), Dr. M (Breast Surgeon), Dr. N (Oncologist), Dr. C (Radiology Oncologist) and Dr. O (Plastic Surgeon) ~ all dedicated, brilliant, compassionate and gifted in their own way. I have been blessed with these humans during my journey. Grateful for the dedicated nursing staff, and nursing assistants at my local hospital who made my hospital stays comfortable and bearable. Grateful for the skilled technicians who do mammograms, ultra sound, MRI, PET/CT and other tests in the medical community. Grateful to the women who came before me who in their own journey paved the way for better medical care, improved chemo-therapies, better surgery options, better reconstruction options, better integrative care, better insurance coverage, and better survivorship. I think of them often and hope I can offer something up from my journey to those who come after me.

Moderators

Thank you for all of your wonderful responses! We've crafted some of your submissions into a featured blog here:

Our Friends Answer: What Are You Grateful For?, November 26, 2014

Please feel free to keep your posts coming to celebrate the upcoming holiday!

--Your Mods

Trvler

This incredible, informative, supportive site! I can't tell you how grateful I am.

Moderators

Thank you for that comment Trvler, we are glad BCO Forum has helped you. Your feedback is appreciated.

The Mods

rcurtisra

I am grateful for having a second chance at life! After my diagnosis, I was thrown into a whirlwind of chaos. It took me quite some time to get grounded and to realize the purpose of my diagnosis. Now I live life with much more appreciation and understand that only I can control my destiny. I recently started a blog called Breast Cancer Maven so I would have a platform to share with others my new found life appreciation and some of the wonderful things I do to contribute to my health on a daily basis.

Moderators

Thank you for sharing!

ballet12

I am also very thankful for bco.org.  Even though, in my mind at least, I had a relatively minor diagnosis compared to the majority of women who visit this site, it was still disruptive to my life, and I appreciate that I could pop in on this website to find kinship and to help others going through similar struggles. I am also appreciative that I had support from family and friends when I was undergoing treatment.  I am blessed to have a special friend, who also happens to be my dance instructor, who is a survivor of some of the worst kinds of breast cancer.  She had IBC diagnosed in one breast and triple negative in the other (at a later time).  She underwent the standard treatment for IBC, and subsequently received a bone marrow transplant in the mid 90's, when there were clinical trials using this procedure.  She has sustained many long term side effects of her cumulative treatments, including severe lymphedema, vision loss and life-long immunosuppression due to the bone marrow transplant, and numerous other issues.  She is also BRCA 1 positive, so she continues to have concerns about bc recurrence and other cancers. Despite all this, and despite the severity of her diagnoses, she gave me lots of literature, and helped me find a surgeon and supported me during my treatment phase. She has given virtually all of her time to teach others (exercise, dance, Pilates, balance classes for the elderly) and displays extraordinary sensitivity and care to others.  I appreciate that she is here on this Earth and able to do what she does.

enjoyevrymoment

I am grateful to be seeing my breast surgeon today at almost a year out from my DIEP surgery March 18 2014. I am grateful for my daughter's upcoming wedding and that I will be there. I am grateful that even though I have gained weight I have a supportive husband and I am on a program to help me.

I am grateful for my faith and the support of many friends who prayed and have supported me.

Each day is truly a gift

tessu

I am so very grateful for this community! The compassionate support I've received from so many brave women here, especially the September 2015 Chemo group, has meant the world to me, and kept me sane. My husband is unfortunately one of those who still views bc as "no big deal", but the women here understand. I only wish I had found the site right at the start; I wouldn't have felt so very scared and clueless and alone. This has been a safe place to rant and cry and talk about how terrifying this all can be --- but also to laugh and compare bald selfies and send virtual hugs and cheer each other on. So far I'm Stage I (and still getting Herceptin) but sometimes waking in the middle of the night, I still get overly frightened by my tumor's aggressive path. However the courage and warmth so evident in the Stage 4 forums reassures me that if/when my cancer progresses (my oncologist insists on saying "when") there is a safe haven waiting; I won't have to face things alone. I am grateful for the Moderators for welcoming me, I am grateful for the consulting experts for the up-to-date articles that have answered so many of my questions, and I am eternally grateful for all the thousands of other women kind and brave enough to share their experience and support here on this site

Moderators

Thank you tessu and KB870 for reactivating this thread, as we approach the American Thanksgiving time of year! We are thankful for all of you!

TaRenee

As we enter the full on Holiday season I find myself thinking of what I can’t do. It’s hard to stay positive all the time. But I am also reminded of all I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for this community, who unknowingly helped me through initial tests and diagnosis and waiting for surgery and post surgery. You folks are amazing, and I can only hope that some day my words reach someone the way some of yours have reached me.

I am thankful for my caregiver and friend who put me first even when it was not so convenient for her to do it.

I am ever so thankful for my parents for taking a 17 hour trip to be here with me for surgery and the week after.

I must also say that I am so thankful for my SO and PS. They have listened to what I have to say and patiently explained things when I have questions and just have been two people that I feel I can completely trust with my care. Especially my SO. I know she kinda knew when we did biopsies but she was careful to try to let me keep hope (although I kinda knew too).

I am thankful for moving to a new school. I was so upset when I realized that I was going to be with a whole new group of people that I didn’t know as I began this journey. But God knew better than I did what I needed, and I am so thankful for my new “work family” who have really been supportive of me.

And you know something else? I’m thankful that I can’t do some things on my own anymore. It is opening doors to new friendships and service projects that I never would have known before. So here’s to all those little (and big) things that I can’t do!

Moderators

TaRennee -- big love to you for sharing and for reigniting this thread. These posts are very much needed!

--The Mods

PauletteK

I’m very grateful for my husband who takes care of me and loves me. He cheers me upwhen I’m down. He gives me strength to keep fighting.

I’m thankful for this community, I didn’t know anything about breast cancer , I learned so much in here, still learning. All the ladies here are so supportive.

I’m thankful to the July and August chemo group, they are my listeners and they helped so much on this journey. I still have months to fight and I need more strength to carry on. Without your helps I don’t know what I would be like.

At last I am grateful that God is on my side who always watchs over my shoulders and gives strength.

Moderators

Thank you PauletteK for sharing your positive and uplifting words.

Moderators

Bumping this for more responses from our lovely members

ChaseG05

I'm grateful for the gift of family.

VL22

I’m thankful for my husband. He is truly the greatest man. I knew he loved me, but now I know that he adores me too. He has been my inspiration throughout this time - not letting me hole up in my the bedroom, or let sadness and anger get in the way of living each day. He is a true believer in our future and his positive attitude sustains me. He is also my defender from stupid comments. He protects me from stress and negativity. He is a wonderful father too.

Sometimes I get annoyed because he pushes me to do things when I say I’m too tired or I don’t feel like it. But he is right - it’s my emotions getting in the way and if I push through I have a great time and feel more alive. I honestly couldn’t do this without him. He was so devastated when I was first diagnosed - I could see him wondering how’d he’d get on without me. But now he believes 100% we will be together for many more years - in our retirement, traveling the US in our RV. It is great to have love

CaliKelly

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm at the end of almost 3 years of treatments I've been noticing on an almost daily basis, something I'm grateful for. Today I was at the gym, just buoyantly rocking out to my music, on the elliptical machine, so happy to be back to normal, really enjoying the feeling of my healthy energetic old self! I'm weird, I love working out! The smell of the ocean on the breeze, I'm so happy.Telling my 80 year old Mom a joke by text, and getting such a kick out of her use of emojis 😄. Grateful for the increased closeness to my brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews and my whole big rowdy family. Grateful that my husband just can't say no to me, he was so scared of losing me! I get whatever I want!😉. My list could go on and on. I'm grateful too, for this place, the women here, who are so supportive, loving and compassionate, and funny! When I was undergoing all my many treatments, I was always here, looking for advice, but I never joined in, just took and never gave. Now that I've started, I can't stop! If something that I've learned, through hard experience, can help someone else, I feel blessed! I guess I really just appreciate life more now, don't take it for granted. Thank you to all here❤