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I found a lump in my left breast while putting on my bra that snaps in the front. I don’t think I would of found this if it wasn’t for the placement of it being so close to the edge of my breast and close to the snap. I also would feel a tingling sensation in the area every now and then, sometimes it would itch a little.
My first surgery was on September 22, 2005 where I had a lump in my breast removed. I got the call on September 26th that is was cancerous. My second re-excision surgery was on October 5th.
I did six weeks of radiation starting on October 26, 2005. What a whirlwind those months were!
If you are interested in donating to my medical fund please click here to make a donation. or mail your donations to: Blog for a Cure, LLC Thanks for your support!
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 jill's Cancer BlogApril 23, 2008
I was interviewed the other day for an article on blogging about cancer. You can read about it here: “Thousands of women are sharing their cancer stories and baring their souls to the world–without ever leaving their computers. Why are online diaries so popular?” Here is a snippet from the article: “After being diagnosed in 2005 with stage I breast cancer, Jill, 37, noticed that the online cancer support sites she visited didn’t feel like real communities. This inspired her to create blogforacure.com, a site where visitors can set up their own blogs for free. “I wanted a place where people could see pictures of the bloggers they were talking to, so they could connect better,” she says. “I also wanted a place where you could put down all the basics in detail so you wouldn’t have to make dozens of phone calls to friends and relatives.” Jill predicted a handful of bloggers might use her service. So far, nearly 600 people have signed up.”
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 8:01:07 PM by Jill (
 Article About Blogging on Breast Cancer on Mamm.com,  3 comments)
September 8, 2007
Last night I went to see Kris Carr speak at the Tattered Cover book store in Denver, Colorado. Chris is author of the book and the super hero in a documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. www.crazysexycancer.com She was diagnosed at age 31 in 2003 with an rare and incurable cancer. 
She was very inspiring to listen to. Here are just a few quote I jotted down from the evening. Kris sold her apartment and started traveling the world looking at alternative medicine. “I was looking for a cure and found a life.” Kris read from her new book talking about the cancer college and how she had to shop for the right doctors. Needless to say she came across all kinds of cancer centers and joked about how “life haters end up getting jobs in a cancer center.” 
She hopes her book Crazy Sexy Cancer will be a “blanket of comfort” for some people with cancer. She talked about how “incurable is not a declaration, but a dare!”. How she is going to find a “cure or croak.” How she needed to find a way to get rid of the “cancer monkey mind.” How “worrying is praying for what you don’t want.” One area where she has changed her life is by changing her diet and focusing on eating a lot more raw foods. “You are what you don’t release.” 
“Does it tire you or inspire you.” Get rid of what tires you! Her documentary hopefully will be aired again on TLC in the next month or two. Chris is also working on making the DVD available, hopefully early next year. Congrats to Kris a true inspiration! 
Posted on September 8, 2007 at 12:51:31 PM by Jill (
Kris Carr author of Crazy Sexy Cancer at the Tattered Cover, 11 comments)
Jill thank you so much for sharing this with us. ” We need to take care of each other” You go girl kris! You so inspire me and so many more…good luck to you! Sue Jill thank you for starting this blog site. It is a great out let. Keep healthy and God Bless You Cheryl I have been following some of her suggestions—I am drinking and eating green! I also drink XanGo juice and drink fermented wheatgerm, AND am trying to eat mostly organic….it’s hard, but I am feeling better—enegy wise and brain fog seems to have lifted…we do all need to stop putting so much junk in our bodies..and we need someone like Kris to show us how to eat heathy! YES KRIS! Thanks! Jill—I was contacted by this producer from the Montel Williams Show and apparently she has contacted others from this site. I am feeling very conflicted about doing the show and I was wondering if you knew who else was contacted about doing it? I have no desire to be on TV and I don’t think I have done anything special, but at the same time I think it’s important to get the word out that there are people my age who are getting this disease, and I want to be a support to them. Just wanting to see what others are doing. You should be the one doing the show for starting this site! Jll try juicing apples and carrotts…soooo goood! Dear Jill, Just ordered the book! Thank you! This not about the book or anything like that.. I see we have not heard how you are doing. I know that I have been gone a while. How are you? I did not know I had never become one of your supports Sorry! Hug Sherri. Hi. my name is Ashley. For a school assignment, I’m studying cancer and Interviewing someone is a part of it. I was wondering if you would be willing to participate in a short interview. please e-mail me if you can. Thank you. ajhoff15894@yahoo.com Thank you for the welcome! This forum has proven to be a wonderful way for our family and friends to keep up with our daily activities and to share some fabulous photos, celebrating my wündar Father! With love and admiration, June 18, 2007
Pavdogent posted this but it was a little buried so I wanted to repost it again. Great inspiration! Thanks for reposting it. Now that made my day! :-) beautiful—thanks so much for posting this—”have to lose a part of yourself to become whole” – so eloquently true about the journey through cancer March 5, 2007
Here is a brief description of the type of surgery my stepfather is having at the end of the month. 
This image is from Skin Surgery Center located at www.skinsurgerycenter.com. You can find more information about the Mohs Micrographic Surgery there. My step father is having his mole removed from his cheek. Jill – I’m so sorry to hear about your step-father. But glad to hear it’s treatable. Living a mile high is tough. We’ve got to remember to wear sunblock. Thanks for the reminder. We can forget to have moles and skin checked early. I have went a couple of times, one being a week before I had breast cancer.
Just found out my step father has skin cancer. He had some moles removed the other day and one came back as cancerous, another was pre-cancerous. He is having Mohs Micrographic Surger on March 29th. It sounds like him and my mom are bummed that it has come back cancerous, but are staying strong. I guess Mohs Micrographic Surger has a 99% success rate, which I was glad to hear. It seems once you start talking about cancer you realize how it effects everyone. February 19, 2007
Has anyone read or watch The Secret? Oprah just did a piece on it and I have heard a lot about it in the last few days. I guess there there is someone in the book that cures themselves of cancer with “the secret”, which from what I gather is positive thought. Probably a bit more than that. Was hoping to read this book, but my library doesn’t have it. Wondering if it is worth buying. I welcome any comments, curious how much you guys have noticed the power of positive thought in your experiences. 
Jill – I’m an optimist (If I get the flu and throw up, I think I’m losing weight.), and so is my mother who is 94. When she was 90 she had open heart surgery, (Doctor said she’s a 70 year old woman who’s 90.). She made a fantastic recovery for someone her age – all because of her optimistic attitude. Thanks for the imfo on the book. Will check it out on the net. Hug Sherri Well I’ve always look to the bring side, but this cancer has eataway everthing.When I first found out I laught and said alright 43 and I get a boob job and a tummy tuck, but it’s turned into so much more. February 14, 2007
Just wanted to say Happy V-day to everyone. Hope you had some chocolate or something special. I had pink frosted sugar cookies and coffee for breakfast! Yum! Hi Jill, Thanks Jill…And I just want to say thanks again for all that you’re doing. This blog has been an amazing experience for me. : ) Tanya – I am so glad that the system is working for you. I wasn’t sure to expect when I built this. If there is anything you wish this system would do, features, ect. just let me know. I want to make it easy for people to tell their story and to meet others. thanks! December 21, 2006
My friend Virg donated $50 to my medical fund. My first donation. Thanks Virgie! She also sent me the most beautiful boquet of flowers when I was diagnosed, her and my friend Becca. If you wish to help pay for my medical bills you can use the Blog for a Cure donation system. Thanks for your support everyone!  
Posted on December 21, 2006 at 3:59:32 PM by Jill (
First Donation to Jill's Medical Fund, 2 comments)
I am so sorry I really did not know how to respond back, so I hope you get this. Dec.20/2006 they remove the lump from my breast and I am just waiting to find out. In Manitoba things do not move to fast. The lump was found Nov.08/06. After my surgery I was told it takes about 3-4 weeks for the patholigy reports…but because it is so close to Christmas it could be more like 5-8 weeks. The waiting is the hardest part. hello jill thanks for the compliments lauren and I are both doing well .I am hoping to start a familly in march we shall see. November 30, 2006
I met with my surgeon Dr. Johs yesterday for the basic cancer check up/follow up visit. I am not quite a year out from when my treatment ended. It is kind hard not to walk into these appointments with out a little worry. I really like my surgeon he takes his time and really looks for lumps and bumps. About six months ago he found a little bee bee size bump that we are watching. Between then and yesterday I have had my gyno and general doctor give me a breast exam and they never found that same bee bee. Well, Dr. Johs wants me to go get a ultrasound just to be sure because of my past history. I think this is a good idea and will hopefully ease my mind a bit. My cyst hasn’t gone away either, so I get to have the double whammy ultrasound. Guess it is better to be safe than sorry. I feel good about this and am not going to worry til I have something to worry about. or so I tell myself today. My doctor did tell me that since my cyst is painful it is more likely to not be cancer. I guess normal functioning cyst are more painful the the cancer kind. ?? Wish me luck. And make sure you find a doctor you like and trust! Good luck Jill- Oh… if it helps at all.. I had no pain on my ovarian cyst when it was cancer. So the fact you have pain might be a really good sign! Good luck, sweetie! Just found your link on Becca Blay’s website- keep that chin up and come visit soon. We miss you- cafe ink is waiting! Thanks K-FRY! Things went great at my last appointment. They found no lump and my cyst had gone away. Oh boy, I was sweating that one. I feel sooooo great. love when you get good news. November 18, 2006
Thought I would spend a little more time today thanking the people who have helped me along the way. Dr. Johs was my surgeon, and the one who ended up telling my I had cancer. The day he told me I didn’t seem to be too emotional, think I was still in work mode and in a state of shock. When he called me with the lab results of the tumor the first thing he asked was if it was an okay time to talk. I said yes and he said are you sure. I knew that was not a good sign. He then told me he was surprised by my lab results and that they came back saying the tumor was malignant. I had never talk the cancer language before and I knew what malignant meant, but I needed him to say it, so I ask what does that mean. He then said I had cancer. We spoke briefly about next steps and I then made an appointment to go in and talk more in person. He was so amazing with the whole process. I liked him from the first surgery, but the care he took of me after being diagnosed with cancer was great. The next visit we had after being diagnosed, he called my mom in Minnesota and we put her on speaker phone so that she could help me digest everything. He sat with us for a long time answering all our questions and explained everything in more detail then he needed too. It helped me start to understand it all, my new world of having breast cancer. If anyone is looking for the best surgeon out there I would highly recommend Dr. Johs. He can be reached at the Boulder Medical Center at 303-440-3000. |
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Thanks for your support -
Congrats woman! You go! This is exactly why we are so stoked to have your baby to play with, the freakin ease in which we can communicate with a gang of people and get to know (and see) others in the same circumstance as us…Mad Props!
Now about that $200 a month, maybe when I get more scratch together I can break some off to support blogforacure.com…baby, bay-bay!
Tim-O-thigh
Look out, the boss is a star! Watch the rent go up…just kidding.
Jill, you have given us a home and a warm loving place. This is a safe garden where everyone is a friend and all the evil that comes with this challenge is left at the gate.
Thank you
Mac
Jill, as far as I am concerned this is the most intimate place to err our feelings. I have visited many other places but this just feels like home to me. Thanks for being so inventive and for caring as much as you do. I think it’s time for a money drive to keep helping with this site. How about a great big post to all of us out here in Cancer land. We need a push. Thanks Weezie