Travel Often

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” — Rosalia de Castro

Love Deeply, but Laugh Along the Way

"Happiness is only real when shared." - Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

View Marriage as an Adventure

"Love is a flower which turns into fruit at marriage." ~Finnish Proverb

Fuel your body with GOOD (It's the only one you get)

He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything. - Arabian Proverb

Open your Soul to Motherhood

A Grand Adventure is About to Begin - Winnie the Pooh

A New Kind of Love is Born

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Mom's Cancer Report from Mayo

Current Diagnoses: Stage 1 and Grade 1 Breast Cancer

First of all, you guys are amazing. Thank you! Thank you! I can't even thank you enough for the messages and texts and all the ways you have reached out to me (and my mom). Thank you SO much. Your prayers are working and we couldn't be more grateful. Thank you! Thank you! (If I could say it a million times, I would.) If I haven't responded yet, please don't think your message went unread. Each one has meant SO much to us!!! Like my mom told me, the messages are so encouraging and supportive but at the same time she just wanted to feel normal yesterday and get her head on right for today. So she cleaned the house.


It always feels weird being vulnerable - to put yourself out there. I'm never sure how things are going to come out or how people will perceive things, but I really wanted to share my mom's story because

1. I wanted all the prayers we could get for her. Prayer is incredibly powerful and can truly create miracles.

 and

2. I wanted to make others aware that cancer doesn't discriminate and we need to be our own best advocates when it comes to our health. Maybe her story can save someone else.

With that said, my mom's results...

Doctor says GOOD.

Stage 1
Grade 1 (lowest grade and slowest growing)
Estrogen Receptive - positive (score 4)
Progesterone Receptive - negative (score 0)
HER2/neu - negative

The surgeon said that BEST case would be to have all of the reports come back positive (but I'm not sure that seems right after reading into it so if anyone has more info on this, send my way). They aren't 100% sure if it's in lymph nodes (as far as they can feel, it doesn't seem that way). They will do a MRI with dye. They aren't overly concerned so her next appointment is January 7 with oncologist and a radiologist. 

Her options as of now until further testing is done are: 
1. lumpectomy 
2. partial mastectomy 
3. Full mastectomy (The first two options would require radiation). 

Will keep you updated as we go. And I would love to hear your story if you have been through this. You can email me at christie.koester@gmail.com. Again, thank you for holding my mom (and all of us) in your prayers and for all your wonderful support. I can't thank you enough!!! For real. It's the most incredible feeling knowing you have a community of amazing people surrounding you. God is SO good.

Thank you.