Halloween is under a week away and I am finally acknowledging that things are so different now than they used to be. It doesn’t feel the same, and we’ve needed to make a lot of changes to how we celebrate to come close to resembling past holidays.

What have been some of the best ways you’ve seen loved ones honored? Is there anything you’ve seen done for others who have passed that you’d like to one day be done for you?

Cheryl Strayed once wrote, “Acceptance is a small, quiet room.” I am so grateful to have such great friends to join us in ours.

It takes a lot of work to do Soraya’s care. Here’s a look at a night of caring for her.

My original plan was to tell Soraya about my mastectomy a week before the surgery. However, she had other plans!

It’s strange to go to all the cancer centers and meet all the cancer doctors when I DON’T have cancer. I feel like I don’t really belong.

I wanted to tell Yasmeen and Leena as soon as possible. With their personalities, I knew having the time to process and prepare would help ease their anxiety.

While many times Soraya stays quiet due to her fatigue, there’s a storm of thoughts behind that facade. She’s shared with Safi and I that the thought of dying is constant. She feels her body getting weaker and now she is really missing the person she used to be...

I’m quite decisive if I have facts and a decision-making matrix. It didn’t take long after my second surgical consult to know how I wanted to move forward and start putting that plan into motion.

I was originally going to have to wait two weeks after my first reconstructive surgeon consultation before I could get in for the second consult. Waiting turned out to be a LOT harder than anticipated.

The Andy Grammer concert was filled with poetry, personal stories from the audience, acoustic music, connection, and love. Truly a sermon for my soul.

We are SO excited to see Andy Grammer in concert in 2 days! Our whole family loves Andy. His music has gotten us through our darkest times and given us our BEST memories.

I made it through my first reconstructive plastic surgeon consultation for my future preventative bilateral mastectomy.

Life does not give us a pause button so we must create one.

It’s been a week since I shared my genetic testing results and subsequent decision to get a preventative bilateral mastectomy...

At my routine Well Women exam, I was flagged to undergo genetic testing due to my familial cancer history...and it came back positive.

WE ARE GOING BACK TO HAWAII!!!!!

We look forward to this event every year. However, this year's symposium was tougher than others we’ve attended.

Many of you have asked (or wondered 😉) why Soraya is always wearing bandaids on her forehead, arms, and legs...

I keep thinking – how did we go from buying school supplies to installing stair lifts so Soraya can access the different floors of our home?