12-12-12

I am sitting at 3 South Place Bar and Grill - a little fabulous, trendy hotel bar in London with my 2nd glass of champagne in front of me. I'm celebrating.

Why? You ask, it was 4 years ago exactly that I received the scariest news ever.

Only yesterday, my mom and sister left London to go back to New Jersey. They were here since Friday and we bonded in a different way than ever before. I think we realized we are all women now (even me, the baby) with our own ways of doing things, our own preferences, but one core similarity: the love we share with each other. "Never over, never under, always together." **more pictures to come**

I'm sitting at this bar, drinking this glass of bubbly thinking about how far my life has come since not only 2008 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer - but the last time I was in London - almost 10 years ago.

I'm a completely different person. There are things I did then I would never do now, things I love now (like this champagne and butternut squash risotto I'm eating) that I didn't even know I liked.

I am so thankful for all I have in my life and can't help but think of my favorite Christmas song's lyrics "so this is Christmas, and what have you done? One year over, a new one just begun... So Happy Christmas... War is over!"

So thank you to my family, the true love of my life, my friends, new co-workers (especially Erika, Mia and Gonzalo) and everyone who has touched my heart. I wouldn't be here today without you.

Happy 12-12-12!!! (And many more!)

Pink October

Amazing is the only word I can think of for how I feel about the opportunities given to me from the American Cancer Society.

This past September, they called me and said, "Kara, we are shooting the Breast Cancer Awareness October NFL apparel catalog. Would you like to bring your family and pose for us?" I immediately said "Yes!" and of course invited all of my family members - Mommy, Jabe, Dana, Steve, Caroline, Uncle Carm, Aunt Laura, Carmoo, Kimmy and Anna.  The next week, I got a call asking what the name is of the one family member that I would be bringing was. Oops! So, I brought Mommy, my biggest supporter to join me in this incredible experience.

The day was amazing.  There's that word again!

Not only did we meet about 20 other wonderful, strong and incredible breast cancer survivors, but we were pampered with hair and makeup, we posed for the catalog, my mom was the funniest person there and got all the "fans" to get really roudy, and.... I made the cover!

For a copy of the catalog, visit:
http://www.nflshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3862638

The Catalog!

Here are some pic's from the day of the shoot!

Hair and Makeup Time

Mommy & Me

(us being silly!)

Mommy being the best "fan!"

What an amazing day! 

Much thanks to the American Cancer Society!

Hurricane Sandy - you can't get us!

Nate and I went out yesterday to see what Hurricane Sandy was all about and walked down to the East River in Brooklyn Heights and found about 20 other people just like us trying to weather the storm.

Though we made out lucky - still have power, lost cable for a few hours - we realize there are so many out there that are facing true devastation to their homes and businesses.  The Jersey Shore is devastated. My little vacation spot from my childhood - Seaside Heights - almost completely washed away. The Log Flume, gone!  Poor Hoboken - my old stomping grounds - is completely flooded!

It's times like these to look around at your loved ones and squeeze them tight. Because no matter what, as long as you have them - and your health - everything is going to be ok.

PJ Clark's

Four years ago my mom, my sister and I walked into PJ Clark's, a cute bar on the corner or 53rd and 3rd. We just had a discussion with Dr. Montgomery (my soon to be breast surgeon). She gave me the option to have either a single or double mastectomy. What a day. Telling me that if I opt for the single, my chances of getting breast cancer again increase by 1% every year. So when I was 36, I would have 10% chance of reoccurance. At 46, 20% chance. You get the picture. So I opted to eradicate breast cancer in my body and immediately chose a double mastectomy. My sister and mom were a mess. "Are you sure?" they cried. I was never more sure. I told the doctor right away and without a tear in my eye.
After such a surprisingly easy decision, my sister, mom and I went to PJ Clark's to discuss the doctors appointments and decision. We had burgers and beers. A regular tradition after spending hours in NYC doctors offices hearing crappy news.

Two weeks ago (right before our Dolce-Stad European excersion), I was promoted at work! And last week, my coworkers threw me a little party with drinks to celebrate a PJ Clark's. When I got there, I went to the bathroom right near the very table where my mom, sister and I sat to talk about the hardest decision I had ever made in my life. And I looked in the mirror at my reflection and got tears in my eyes. Look at how far I've come? In 4 years I'm healthy, happy, with long hair and a new promotion! Go me!

Thanks so all my favorite people at Bloomberg for making tonight a night that I will always hold close to my heart! Love you guys and will miss working with you so much!

(see the photo of Greta and me below! We are missing Kelly, Dhanusha, Steve, Johnna and Bonnie!)

Onto the next chapter....

Invincible

It's October: Breast Cancer Awareness month.


Before I was diagnosed I never thought it could happen to me. My grandmother had it. She was old! She had gray hair (well, frosted hair really). She had really soft wrinkly skin that smelled of lavender. Sometimes cucumber.

So when I would see pink ribbons, I would think of Mema. My cute little Italian grandma. She never really talked about her experience. Or how scared she was. She was just a bull, a fighter.

Then finally, breast cancer took her away from all of us. Took away her wit, her funny (yet sometimes dirty) jokes, her love for Japanese soap operas and her adoration for her family.

It was then that it all became so real. People get plucked right out of the world because their time is up. And they just leave it all behind. I had been to wakes and funerals before, but Mema wasn't just any ordinary grandma. She was my friend. I told her about school, about my boyfriends, my job, and my friends. She even came to my rugby games in college! She shared so much with me in my life. And then she was gone.

I thought about her experience with breast cancer. That she found something. Something she never expected. So one day in the shower I poked around and I too found something. At 26 years old. But never thought it could happen to me. Because I thought breast cancer only happens to grandma's.

Little did I know that I was suffering from an aggressive type of breast cancer that not only caused me to have a double mastectomy and extensive treatment, but it also spread to my lymph nodes. It  had a life of its own.

Now looking back and living life post-cancer, I realize that anything can happen to anyone. My friend Drew fell from a fire escape. He fell right out of the earth. Why? It's just not fair.

So I've learned that life is so precious. And that every single day is a blessing.

Be nice.
Be kind.
And be careful.
Be smart, have fun and don't ever think you're invincible.

The Survivor Tree

Yesterday was September 11. A day that changed the world forever.
So many innocent people affected by something so uncontrollable - terrorism. A hate for mankind. So tragic. So sudden. So many wonderful people lost.

As I commemorated the day, I sat on my couch and watched a special about the WTC and a story that touched me in a very special way. The story was about a tree.

In the World Trade Center plaza, there was a pear tree that was completely demolished during the attacks. The tree was completely broken and burned leaving only pieces of the truck and broken branches. During the clean-up of the site, a man by the name of Ron Vega found the tree and saw life in this tree. This tree survived. So, he had it dug up and replanted in a farm in New Jersey. A few years later, Ron was put in charge of rebuilding the site and he never forgot about this tree - this scarred pear tree was a symbol of survival.

For 9 years, the tree showed signs of recovery, until 2010 when the tree suffered a blow from a really bad wind storm in the area. The tree's roots were pulled from the ground, and it was knocked over and had crashed into a fence. Once again, this tree was repaired and brought back to life. The tree was wrapped and anchored to the ground - the team was determined to keep it alive.  The tree survived again and again!

This is a story close to my heart.

Our very good friend Jason Tirri works on the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. Last year, he was kind enough to give us a tour and told us this same story.  As he walked us through the Freedom Tower, and finally through the grounds, he spoke of this tree and the fact that just two weeks earlier, the "Survivor Tree" bloomed for the very first time. My eyes filled up with tears. I couldn't help but feel a connection to that tree.

I fortunately was not in the World Trade Center during the attacks. I was not even in New York City. But I was in college, and remember the devastation it caused around the world. My heart was empty that day and still is - for all of those people lost. But that tree is a symbol for many things. Some things that I, myself has experienced. And that's survivorship.

That tree has been beaten, burned and demolished - from the outside. But something in that tree is staying strong and is fighting to survive.

This is a post to remind people that if you have the will to survive, you will. Keep fighting and never give up! Your body is a just a shell - it's what's inside that truly matters.

Fighting Pretty

Trying to start a new group for young women faced with breast cancer.
Just started a new blog and facebook page and really hope someday it will get big enough to help people all over the world to share their stories and teach young women that this is real and should not be ignored.

But all the while, knowing you can still be young, beautiful and sexy - and go through breast cancer! The most important thing throughout your breast cancer journey is to stay strong, stay smart and remember you are still you!

Hair, no hair, eyelashes, no eyelashes, you are still beautiful inside & out!

Fighting Pretty - feeling beautiful every day!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/FightingPretty