All I want for Christmas is...

I actually don't want or need anything for Christmas. I am thankful for all that I have, my family, my health & happiness. Honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, (I know I say this every year), but I want to help another young adult cancer survivor. Yes, that's what I want for Christmas. :) I know that everyone is used to me fundraising for The SAMFund, and I appreciate every single donation made to every campaign and event I've been a part of. It's no different this year-- this is what I am passionate about. I want to pay it forward, and will do for the rest of my life.  This year has been both one of the best and one of the hardest years of my life. I gave birth to my two beautiful twin daughters, Zoey & Abigail. Every single day I am thankful for them. I was blessed, and still am. They have been the two lights in my family's lives these past few months. We are all so blessed to have Zoey & Abigail in our lives because like I said, this year has also been very rough. I lost my grandmother to cancer this past spring, just a few short weeks after my babies were born. In the past year, I've lost two friends to cancer. In the past six months, my father has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment and preparing for a possible stem cell transplant this January. It makes me hate cancer even more, which I didn't think was possible, but it is. I try to always look at the silver lining though. It obviously teaches us a lot, but for me personally, it also lights the fire even bigger. I now have been on both ends of the spectrum- both having cancer, and having my loved ones go through treatment. It's not easy. It never will be, but if I can help make the lives of a young adult survivor just a little easier, if I can help them move forward, then I know that I'm doing what I was meant to be doing with my life. I'm simply asking that during this time of giving, that you consider making a donation to my campaign. I am living proof of the impact that that money has on people. That money that you donate changes lives- it helps survivors pay their co-pays, their rent, their utilities, it helps with family planning options, insurance, among many other things. Survivors have gone through such a traumatic experience, let's help raise money that will in turn reduce their stress and help them move forward and take their lives back, back from cancer. If you would like to make a donation, you can find my campaign page here.

Thank you.

xo, k

Call for help!

#cancerisntfree

I saw one of my Facebook friends post something today that really resonated with me. She and her husband are looking to raise money to cover the cost of some additional testing she is in need of for her recent, and 4th diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As a Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, my heart sank. I don't personally know Cayci- I met her via Facebook through the young adult cancer survivor community. Although I don't know her on a personal level, I still feel that connection that other cancer survivors feel. We can relate. I saw her post for her GoFundMe profile, and I immediately donated. I may not be able to donate anything substantial, but every penny counts. This brings me back to the day when I received my grant from The SAMFund to cover things like my residual medical bills (among many other things). Just the relief in that financial help was life-changing and helped me out more then anyone could ever know. I want to help give that same sense of relief to Cayci. I just wanted to quickly share Cayci's link- if you are in any position to donate- whether it be big or small- please consider. She didn't ask me to post this-- I just felt compelled to help out in any way that I possibly could. She is one of the sweetest, most caring people I've ever met. A cancer diagnosis is not fair- and especially when you find out it has come back for a fourth time. She has still remained so extremely positive, so let's help Cayci meet her goal so that she can see the specialist at the end of the month. Let's also send out some positive thoughts her way because she starts chemo this coming Monday. xo

To donate, click here.

-k

7 Years.

Today is my 7 year cancerversary. 7 years ago, today, was the first time I called myself cancer-free. Each year I've celebrated, and I look forward to adding more years onto this as my chance of recurrence lowers each year that I remain cancer-free. Back when I was diagnosed, I thought my life was ending. If someone told me that I'd have what I have now, I wouldn't believe them.

Since my treatment ended, I've gone for many post-treatment follow ups and scans, and I've dreaded each one of them--- I always assumed my cancer would come back- I wasn't used to my body working how it should have been, it had let me down. This is the FIRST time that I'm not scared. When I found out I was pregnant last October, the fear melted away. I never really told anyone I wanted kids because I assumed that when the time came that I decided I did, my body probably wouldn't work like it should. I am not a pessimist, but I was used to things not working out so great, health-wise, so I guess in that regard, I kind of am? or was? Anyway, when I found out I was pregnant, that was the greatest day. Finally, something was going right! Chris & I had wanted kids, but hadn't really been trying-- and then to find out we were expecting twins- how amazing! Twins don't really run in mine or Chris's families, so I knew it was a sign, that we were doubly blessed. From that moment on I stopped worrying. I realized quickly that the universe was taking care of me. I continued to have an amazingly healthy pregnancy- of course, all the symptoms :) But I didn't experience one complication, or hiccup due to being high-risk-- and I wasn't high-risk because of my cancer history, I was high-risk because I was carrying multiples. Finally, cancer left the picture. It didn't matter. I enjoyed every minute of being pregnant. I was so extremely blessed to have a healthy pregnancy, and carry my twin girls to exactly 37 weeks, delivering them naturally. I am so thankful every single day for them, that they're healthy, and that my little family is now complete. These girls took all the worry out of my life--- I haven't thought about my cancer coming back once since I found out I was having them. I know that my purpose in life is to be their momma, and I know that as cheesy as this sounds--- that it was my turn to have things work out, health-wise. My body made up for it, and I am so incredibly thankful. Today, on my 7 year cancerversary, I am not worried one bit. Instead, I am the happiest that I've ever been in my life, and so thankful for my beautiful babies, Zoey & Abigail, and of course, my wonderful husband, Chris.