Welcome!


Thank you for visiting; although this blog has taken me far longer to write than I had ever anticipated. If you look at the dates, you'll know that I am very behind. I apologize in advance for that.

This is the story of my fight with Stage IV breast cancer. When I was 29 years old, the cancerous tumor in my breast was misdiagnosed as a cyst. My hope is that this blog will help other women to learn to ask for a mammogram or even a biopsy if they feel something suspicious in their breast, regardless of their age. You must be your own advocate!

If you would like to contact me, you are welcome to do so. I try to respond to every email. Please use my contact page here.

Breast Cancer Bracelets!


I have a page with which I try and sell breast cancer bracelets. Please visit it here. You are just going to love them. Well, besides the fact that they say "cancer" on them, they are a cute, two-color pink. Check them out! (All proceeds to help pay my gigantic medical bill, which currently exceeds $300,000.)
Visit Kaiser Health for your no-obligation health insurance quote.

Boise ID Real Estate

The Famous Mayo Clinic

It just so happens that the world famous Mayo Clinic has a facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, about 40 minutes from my home.  My husband absolutely insisted that I get, what he considers to be, the best medical care available.  He called our insurance company and they said that we were technically covered, but for the Mayo Clinic, there is a $10,000 deductible, plus you have to pay for any diagnostic work out of pocket.”

Basically, she made me feel like we were crazy for making this insurance choice.  My husband doesn’t care.  His response:  ”I have an American Express Platinum, a Bank of America card with a $36,000 limit, and an AT&T Universal card with a $20,000 limit.  I’ll bankrupt us if I have to.” 

I know that he really doesn’t want to file bankruptcy, so I reminded him of the high interest rates.  The response:  A.) “We’ll find a way and money isn’t important right now” and B.) “I don’t give a shit Karen!  You are going to Mayo and that’s that.” 

The idea that our medical bills are going to max us out has my stomach in knots. 

I just got off of the phone with Mayo and scheduled an appointment to see a surgeon in the Breast Clinic.  They won’t be able to see me for 2 weeks, but I feel better about going there for treatment.  In the meanwhile, they have requested that I have my biopsy slides, mammogram films and ultrasound images sent to their facility so that they can look at them and have an idea of what’s going on with me.

I feel very fortunate that they could get me in.  When one pulls up to the hospital, there is a hotel right on campus, and tons of out-of-state license plates in the parking lot.  In other words, it’s a good hospital with great doctors. 

Although we do live about forty minutes from the Mayo Clinic now, we used to live five minutes away.  I don’t know why we didn’t think about this to begin with.

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