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FINAL DAYS OF RADIATION!
With more enthusiasm than I can show in words - ITS MY FINAL WEEK OF RADIATION!!!! My final week of treatment (#29) started on Monday...

Sami Pickens
Aug 18, 20202 min read


HALFWAY DONE WITH PROTON !
I am so excited to say as I write this that I am 17 down, 16 to go with radiation therapy! I have weekly appointments with my radiation...

Sami Pickens
Jul 31, 20203 min read


RADIATION CHAOS - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
Its Sunday night as I write this, I worked all weekend and just finished all my weekend “errands and cleaning” and finally got to sit...

Sami Pickens
Jul 19, 20205 min read


CHEMO COMPLETE !!
I am pretty sure, the last day of chemo excitement is something I will never forget! I finished my last chemo on June 11th. Today marks...

Sami Pickens
Jul 2, 20205 min read


Rounds 2 + 3 of Chemo
I feel like time is both passing so quickly, yet also at a stand still. Over the last 6 weeks I have had both round 2 and 3 of chemo,...

Sami Pickens
Jun 4, 20206 min read


Fighting the Good Fight: Oncologists, not insurance companies should dictate patient treatment plans
I began reaching out to my insurance company the first week of April about obtaining coverage for proton therapy for my radiation plan...

Sami Pickens
May 19, 20207 min read


I rather be bald.
As all of you following my journey know, I have completed 2/4 cycles of TC chemotherapy and was very hopeful that I would be able to keep...

Sami Pickens
May 3, 20203 min read


CHEMO ROUND 1
My first round of TC (Taxotere and Cytoxan) was 4/9/2020. Over the last three weeks I have experienced a multitude of side effects but...

Sami Pickens
Apr 29, 20207 min read


Happy Cancerversary to Me!
One year ago today, I was diagnosed with cancer the FIRST time.

Sami Pickens
Apr 11, 20204 min read


Chemo and Cold Capping
I start chemotherapy on Thursday 4/9/2020. I am so thankful to be able to stay on schedule with my treatment plan thus far even amid COVID19

Sami Pickens
Apr 5, 20206 min read


Surgery Follow Up
Yesterday I went to meet my surgeon to look at my incision, get my pathology report officially, and maybe get stitches out!

Sami Pickens
Mar 31, 20202 min read


The Surgery Saga
Four surgeons later – the plan is a go! I will have surgery (at least as of right now) on March 19th! I have known this for a few weeks now,

Sami Pickens
Mar 16, 20204 min read


Breast Cancer Round 2!
Exactly four weeks after finding the new lump we have the outline of treatment plans. I have what I feel is the best of a worst case scenari

Sami Pickens
Jan 31, 20201 min read


Round Two. 286 DAYS LATER.
On New Years Eve I popped champagne and my friends toasted to a healthy and awesome 2020. We had a wonderful night, and finally after months

Sami Pickens
Jan 23, 20204 min read


Fake Boobs (Foobs!) post op week 1
In the World of breast cancer survivors I have learned over the last few months that “foobs” is the loving term for fake boobs after mastect

Sami Pickens
Aug 1, 20192 min read


Prayers first and then Hormone Therapy, Ovarian Suppression and Surgery #2
I had a crazy realization last night while we were watching the finale of stranger things. So much so that I paused it and said … did you kn

Sami Pickens
Jul 20, 20195 min read


Twenty – three.
Eight weeks of numerous doctors appointments, and an absurd number of nights staying up late becoming the most well versed as I could be on

Sami Pickens
Jul 4, 20193 min read


Finding security and peace in my cancer treatment plan …. finally.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer on April 11, 2019. It was then found that it was HER2 negative and strongly HR/PR 90% positive.

Sami Pickens
Jun 17, 20196 min read


Two months out from diagnosis – two weeks back to work!
Today marks 2 months since I was diagnosed with breast cancer (April 11) – in some ways I feel that shock and fear like it was yesterday, in

Sami Pickens
Jun 11, 20194 min read


Grocery Store Conquered
Today I am 24 days post op from my double mastectomy and it was the first time going to the grocery store alone.

Sami Pickens
May 26, 20191 min read
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