Four Weeks Post Op
Four weeks post op today. I planned on getting myself ready to take a picture to celebrate another milestone of my healing journey. But if I am being totally honest, I hate taking pictures (especially for social media), and I didn’t really feel like it. These last 8 months have taken a toll on my body and especially my energy levels. Last night was the first time I was able to take a shower on my own again, though I still needed Jason’s assistance and my heaven-sent shower chair. I have been exhausted and not sleeping well on repeat.
Back to the picture for the day. Social Media for me has always been a way to connect with others and share whatever God was doing in our lives, especially while we lived our lives on the road traveling with Jason’s job. Over the last few years, I have spent time researching and learning anything and everything through social media and online that I could to help Korbin in his medical journey and myself in all things related to breast cancer. The knowledge, connections, and support I have gained from complete strangers have been invaluable. I will always be an open book if that means helping someone else in their hard season or when they are searching for answers. Instead of the Instagram-approved photo, I am keeping it real and sharing a photo I never planned on sharing. Actually totally forgot I even took the photo. But I know God has called me to always authentically share every bit of my story.
Though my face is a hot mess and full of tears, this was one of the most important moments in my life. That day, I was recovering from my 3rd surgery of the year, my lumpectomy. I was appropriately wearing my “In my fighting era” breast cancer awareness shirt, and I got a call from my oncologist surgeon. He told me he was happy to tell me there was no cancer in my lymph nodes. I was sitting on the couch next to Kanen, helping him with his math lesson. When I hung up, he asked who it was and if everything was okay. I tried to hold it together, but when I said, “It was my doctor, and there was no”, I couldn't even say the word cancer. Then I started bawling, of course, totally freaking my sweet, sensitive firstborn completely out. Finally, I said, “It’s good, it's okay, there is no cancer in my lymph nodes.” He then ran to alert his siblings, with us in tears. I knew how substantial this moment was. So I did what everyone else in 2025 would do: I took a selfie. I wanted to capture this moment and have proof of it for my kids in the future. Again, I never planned on sharing this picture, and as I thought about it today, I didn’t even send it to Jason. Because as soon as I took this picture, I called him at work immediately, only to rerelease the floodgates, forgetting all about taking it.
The tears in this picture are not from fear, anxiety, sadness, or even relief. The tears were because I was in complete and total awe of the goodness of God and how, in His perfect timing, He directed every single decision, phone call, doctor, test, and surgery. I am so happy to be one more week closer to being released from all restrictions, even though it has definitely been a slow process. I want to keep this one for the memories. To look back on each year and see how God is truly who He says He is. To be reminded not to rush this last bit of my recovery because His timing is perfect.
“It is because of the Lord’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
AMP
