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LuckyLinda · 06-09-2012, 01:21 PM

I am a 64 year old mother of three wonderful adult children. My retired, career naval officer husband and I have been married for 38 years. Daughter Marisa is a family-practice physician in Waynesboro, Va. She has given us two precious grandchildren who are 8 and 6 years old. Son CJ is married and an advertising executive living in Manhattan with our wonderful daughter-in-law who is a children's book editor. Son Nick lives nearby and is an IT specialist working with the NATO forces at Naval Operations Base, Norfolk.
I allowed my first 20+ years to be defined by the fact that I had polio as a very young toddler. As the only child in my small, rural CT town to contract polio, I bore the brunt of taunts like "peg leg" and "cripple." Despite some difficult obstacles and surgeries, and because of the love and support of the most wonderful parents, I graduated from college, met this wonderful man, and gave birth to and raised three accomplished children. I taught school for three years before giving that up to stay home and be a great (or at least competitively good) mom. When they were all in school full time, I found a new career as a Practice Administrator for a busy pediatric group. I firmly believe that God chose this path for me so that I would meet, and become close friends, with so many physicians in the community. They have come to my rescue during this latest health crisis with advice and the best of care.
I have pretty much sailed through surgery and chemotherapy with no loss in stride and I don't miss the opportunity to go to lunch with friends or attend a party. I refuse to let cancer define the last 20 years of my life. Your posts give my great hope!

06-09-2012, 01:21 PM	#26
LuckyLinda Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia Beach, VA. Posts: 38	Re: Who We Are I am a 64 year old mother of three wonderful adult children. My retired, career naval officer husband and I have been married for 38 years. Daughter Marisa is a family-practice physician in Waynesboro, Va. She has given us two precious grandchildren who are 8 and 6 years old. Son CJ is married and an advertising executive living in Manhattan with our wonderful daughter-in-law who is a children's book editor. Son Nick lives nearby and is an IT specialist working with the NATO forces at Naval Operations Base, Norfolk. I allowed my first 20+ years to be defined by the fact that I had polio as a very young toddler. As the only child in my small, rural CT town to contract polio, I bore the brunt of taunts like "peg leg" and "cripple." Despite some difficult obstacles and surgeries, and because of the love and support of the most wonderful parents, I graduated from college, met this wonderful man, and gave birth to and raised three accomplished children. I taught school for three years before giving that up to stay home and be a great (or at least competitively good) mom. When they were all in school full time, I found a new career as a Practice Administrator for a busy pediatric group. I firmly believe that God chose this path for me so that I would meet, and become close friends, with so many physicians in the community. They have come to my rescue during this latest health crisis with advice and the best of care. I have pretty much sailed through surgery and chemotherapy with no loss in stride and I don't miss the opportunity to go to lunch with friends or attend a party. I refuse to let cancer define the last 20 years of my life. Your posts give my great hope! __________________ Found lump by self-exam 10/14/11 HER2neu +/Estrogen +/progesterone - Grade III poorly differentiated R side modified radical mastectomy on 12/09/11 with immediate reconstruction (expander) Stage IIB 2 nodes + out of 10 removed Double power port inserted 1/11/12 Chemo therapy (TCH) - every 21 days for 6 cycles beginning 1/25/12 Finished chemo on 5/21/12 Continue Herceptin only every 3 weeks until 12/28/12 Radiation (28 rads) began 6/26/2012. Will start Femara after radiation ends (8/03/12) From: It's Not About the Hair: "The hope for healing is not born out of a fear of death, but a love of life.This is a very good thing. When people love life more than they fear death, they come to treatment with open hands, open hearts, open eyes.When people fear death more than they love life, they are clinging and clutching and grasping."