Two Weeks Post-Surgery 💛

It honestly feels impossible that it’s already been two weeks since my brain surgery.

Before I get into the medical update, I just want to say thank you. Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover how grateful I am for every single person who has prayed for me, sent messages, checked in on me, donated, purchased a shirt, shared my story, brought meals, helped with my babies, or simply thought of me. Every act of kindness has carried me through some of the hardest days of my life.

There have been moments where I haven’t felt strong enough to stand, where my mind has been overwhelmed, and where I’ve wondered how I was going to keep going. Through all of those moments, you’ve been my army. You’ve held me up when I couldn’t hold myself up, and I will never be able to express how much that means to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

As for my recovery, I truly feel like I’m doing so well after surgery. I have my follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon on Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to hearing what she has to say. Personally, I feel like my left-sided weakness has completely returned to normal, and I’m incredibly thankful for that progress. Every little victory feels huge right now.

This past Thursday, I officially started immunotherapy. Overall, it went really well, and I’m so thankful to finally begin treating this cancer systemically. The biggest side effect so far has been exhaustion. I came home after treatment and completely crashed, and for the next 24 hours I was unbelievably tired.

On Saturday, I took my son to one of his classmate’s birthday parties. It was the first time I’ve really gotten out of the house to do something that wasn’t a doctor’s appointment or medical procedure. As simple as it sounds, just being there made me feel like I had run a marathon. I was so winded and exhausted.

But I would do it again a thousand times over.

Being there for my babies is what fills my heart. Cancer has taken so much from me already, but it won’t take away my desire to show up for them whenever I possibly can. I’ll always strive to be the best mom I can be, and those little moments with my kids are worth every ounce of energy I have.

On Friday, I also had my fitting for my radiation mask. That experience made everything feel very real. I begin radiation on July 20th, and I’ll be doing a week of treatments.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.

I’m anxious about the side effects. I’m scared of the unknown. I’m scared of losing my hair. I’m scared of everything that comes with this next chapter.

But at the same time, I’m thankful that we’re moving forward.

The goal of radiation is to treat the area where my brain tumor was surgically removed to help ensure any remaining cancer cells are gone, while also treating the smaller tumor that’s still in my occipital lobe. It’s another big step toward fighting this disease, and even though I’m scared, I’m ready to keep fighting.

We also have something wonderful to look forward to this week. Aaron’s family will be coming into town to help us. They’ll be able to keep Aiden (our 3.5 year old) entertained, give us an extra set of hands, and allow me more time to continue recovering while also getting some special one-on-one time with my sweet baby girl. I’m so grateful we’ll have them here.

This journey continues to teach me that healing isn’t always measured in giant milestones. Sometimes it’s measured in getting out of bed, making it to an appointment, spending an afternoon with your kids, or simply making it through another day.

I know there are still many hard days ahead, but I’m choosing to celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

Thank you for continuing to walk beside me. Thank you for believing in me when I struggle to believe in myself. Thank you for reminding me that I am never fighting this battle alone.

We’re going to keep taking this one day, one treatment, and one victory at a time. 💛🖤