Hi! I’m Steph. Welcome to my blog.
I started this blog as a way to keep my friends and family up to date, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at 28 years old. It has since evolved, as have I, and now encompasses my many thoughts about life, cancer, and life after cancer… particularly my new life as a first-time mom.
I also initially felt compelled to start this blog upon realizing how many people are not aware that young people can get breast cancer, or just cancer in general. I think it’s important that you know. Check your boobs. Check your other parts. Listen to your gut. If something seems weird, get it checked out. It is probably nothing. Unfortunately, in my case, it was something.
To read how this all started, go back to the first post and work your way forward, and enjoy the ride on my crazy cancer roller-coaster.
pass me another cupcake 
Guess what! You have been nominated for the “One Lovely Blog Award!” 😀
You can read the instructions here: http://cancerisnotpink.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/one-lovely-blog-award/
And keep up the amazing blogging!
I love your writing! Really inspiring 🙂
Hi! I just got reading through a few of your posts and very much enjoyed my visit. I am involved in the cancer community and had a quick question for you. I was hoping you could email me back when you get the chance. Thanks! – emilywalsh688@gmail(dot)com.
Emmy
Wishing you love and serenity on your journey. Congratulations on passing the 1-year mark; cheers to you and wishes for many more! I discovered you through your awesome cousin, Andrea. Shalom, and God bless you!
I’m sorry you had to take this journey, but I’m excited to read more of your blog. I’m an oncology nurse and love my patients! I also want to better understand life on the other side of the chemo bag… Best of luck in your recovery and rediscovering your new normal!
Just found your blog today. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago and meet my surgeon/oncologist day after tomorrow to see what my treatment plan will be. Totally nervous. I’ve read the first few months of your blog and I can relate a lot to what you went through. Thank you for sharing your experience 🙂
Good luck Pam! You will feel a lot better once you meet your doctors and figure out the plan. The waiting around is the worst… I was like, just get this thing out of me, NOW! I wanted to take it out myself, that’s how impatient I got. But doctors know best and I’m sure you are in good hands. I’ll be thinking about you 🙂
I nominated you for a Liebster award, I don’t know how many followers you have or you already have a Liebster award but I thought of your blog. http://marsholic.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/something-unexpected/
Hi Steph,
I just stumbled across your blog. You’re a very talented writer and strong person! I am 32 years old and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year. I just had my final surgery and looks like I’m in the clear. Positivity is the key to beating this & you’ve got that pretty much covered! My prayers are with you:)
Your friend Julie R (married to Ron) shared your blog with me a while ago because we are going through the same experiences. Your humour, wit and candidness have been nothing short of a gift to me. You are a talented and phenomenal writer and have put into words thoughts and feelings I’m not able to express myself. I have enjoyed reading every entry, the good and the bad. It has brought about some tears but mostly laughter. Thank you for sharing your world with us.
Melissa
P.S. Naomi A and I are friends and get together from time to time for a bite. If you are interested in joining us, please do! It’s not therapy but it sometimes helps just to be with younger women who understand.
Hi Steph,
I read a few of your blog posts from She Does The City and was so inspired. I work for the Canadian Cancer Society and each year we host an event called Relay For Life, where we celebrate our cancer survivors, eat lots of delicious foods (including cupcakes), and fight back against cancer.
I’d love to invite you out to this event. My e-mail address is brussell@ontario.cancer.ca or you can check us out online at http://www.relayforlfie.ca/torontocentral
I look forward to hearing from you! 🙂
Brittany
You rock! Love your personality, your view, and your vibe! Went through this journey with a friend and experienced the really low lows and the powerful highs. Much love and a huge big ass hug xoxo
Hey Steph,
Great blog and very brave of you for being so open. In regards to your skin problems around your eyes, I have a suggestion. I work with Consonant Skincare, a 100 per cent natural and Canadian line. They created a product called HydrExtreme because of the owner’s friend who was going through chemo. She couldn’t find anything to cure her dry skin. Let me know if you’re interested in trying. I’m very happy to send you some and see if it works. My email is christina at rockitpromo dot com, Please let me know! I’m sure it can bring some relief to the dry skin.
Christina
Hi steph. My name is Becca and I came Across your blog through someone else’s, I am 26 years old and was just diagnosed with breast cancer stage 2 a month ago and already started chemo. I would love to chat through email or fb or something. I have been surprisingly feeling positive given such bad news but reading your blog along with others has helped me alot! Feel free to contact me 🙂 specca37@aol.com
You look beautiful with Brandi, but I must say you also look beautiful bald. I love your writing and hope you feel better every day!
You are amazing. xo
Hi there,
I just wanted to say thank you. I just read your story in HUGTO and it pulled me out of a dark place. I’m not fighting an illness like yourself but rather am fighting a life situation of the passing of a loved one and have not been able to come to terms with reality. Your words were honest and frank, and opened my eyes to a new perspective. I was mis-diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago so empathize with the stress you are going through, and think your blog is absolutely brilliant!
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jenn
Hey, Steph- I love your blog, and I nominated you for the “Beautiful Blogger Award.” You’ll probably get many more awards.. 🙂
Yo! You know when you just sort of fumble around on the internet and end up reading something very far off from where you started? WELL that’s me and I just wanted to say that I really appreciated reading about your experience. I think you have an awesome sense of humour and you’re so real about what you’re going through and I just really wish you all the best, and next time I eat a cupcake I will for sure think of you and send good vibes your way. Peace! ❤
Just thought I’d speak for every single woman on earth and let you know that you’re an inspiration. You’re right, you are a badass…… and excuse my french, but fuck the cancer…………………and keep eating your cupcakes 🙂
Received your blog from someone who knew you way back when. I have shared it with many:
Folks who work with cancer patients, in an effort to help them better understand;
Mothers, who have daughters, to help them understand and appreciate;
Someone who too battled breast cancer and is a very strong survivor;
Those of a different faith (Catholic) who are praying for you (figured it couldn’t hurt).
To you and your entire family we wish strength, courage and good health. As a mother I can only imagine how difficult your battle is for your mom. .
We are with you and rooting (and some praying) for you. Take good care.
I have been following your blog from the beginning and can imagine only part of what you are going through as I just finished my radiation treatments after a left breast masectomy and chemotherapy. Your courage and your strength amaze me and that along with all the wonderful support from family and friends will make you too, a cancer survivor. Just to let you know my eye lashes are almost back to where they were prior to this nasty journey and even with short, grey hair I feel complete with eyelashes and partial brows (liner helps immensely). My prayers and thoughts are with you as you proceed through this huge bump in the road.
Thanks so much, it is always bittersweet to have people in the same boat to know I’m not alone! Hope you’re doing well. Take care.
A powerful and moving blog to follow. Keep writing, keep fighting, keep eating cupcakes.
I just read your article on Huffington Post about being diagnosed. Your experience was EXACTLY the same as mine, except instead of, “Go enjoy your weekend, it could be nothing”, I got, “Enjoy your Christmas vacation. There’s a 50% chance it’s nothing.” It’s been a year. I’m 32 now and I’m still not done with this process. There are days that are unbearably dark but the best advice I got to deal with these was from my mother. She told me to re-read the Hobbit. Almost every page has words of wisdom for dark days and challenges. It will get better! 🙂
“As all things come to an end, even this story, a day came at last when they were in sight of the country where Bilbo had been born and bred, where the shapes of the land and of the trees were as well known to him as his hands and toes.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien
Thanks for your comment Rosanna! Sorry to hear you are part of the “club” but always nice to know someone can relate.
as someone else who recently found out she has breast cancer I am enjoying your blog…I can truly relate to much of what you have written….it does seem surreal to me at times when I say to people “I have breast cancer”..part of me thinks “really?? are you talking about yourself”…thanks for sharing your journey
I love that you are doing this blog. I love the voice in your writing and your new haircut is gorgeous! xx
You look gorgeous Stephie!
Hot new do and hot red lips!
I love you so much and I love your writing, thank-you for being open and for letting us in on your journey.
I am sending you all my love from the sea.
xoxoxoxoxoxo,
Ali-Pali
Lots of love Steph. Thank you for sharing your story. Xox
Your hair looks so good! Also, I love your writing. And you. xoxo.
You look beautiful my dear friend. And you know I’ve always been a fan of you writing.
xox *Quack quack*
snail