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My Story

My name is Carey " Teets" Cornacchini. 

 

Yep, you read it correctly - " Teets"

 

I’ve lived a pretty normal life.  Married to Bob for over 30 years, we have three great kids (well on most days lol!).  We’ve added a wonderful daughter-in-law and are awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild.  (I still can’t believe I’m that old!)  Life has been pretty lovely with the exception of a little cancer. 

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Back to that last name . . . “Teets”.  Being born with that name has certainly helped me find my sense of humor.  (Did I really have a choice?) It’s that humor that helped me navigate my journeys with the Big “C”.  And Yes I said journeys.  My first journey with breast cancer was in 2011.  I refer to it as my drive by cancer.  Diagnosed in April completely done with all treatment by June 1st.  I was stage 0/1a – easy peasy in the grand scheme of cancer.  At five years clear, I had a big celebration.  I was done with cancer.  Well you know what they say about best laid plans.  At my six year mammogram, it showed some calcification.  I knew then that I would be having another dance.  The Big “C” decided one dance wasn’t enough, the bastard! I had gone from Stage 0/1a to Stage 3b having clear mammograms until year six.  Talk about being blindsided!  I would be experiencing the full gamut this time: mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and all the side effects.  I knew this journey would be much more intense.  But I also knew from my last journey that it would also be filled with immense love and gratitude. 

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I kept a journal but didn’t blog during my first dance with cancer.  My second journey was much more intense and treatment would be just short of a year.  I began my blog for two reasons:  writing helps me heal and I was tired of discussing it with everyone.  It seemed that each time I talked about it, I was reliving it and it drained me.  Blogging kept everyone informed and gave me an outlet to heal.   Once I wrote about it, the worry, angst or sadness would melt away.  I could let it go.  On most days, I could my humor and would write about it.  Trust me, laughter is the best medicine! 

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Gratitude was a major part of both my journeys.  I do know that every day I found my gratitude.  There was always something to grateful for.  Even on a particularly rough day, my gratitude was that I was still able to be here. The gifts and lessons that my cancer gave me and my family are immeasurable.  I experienced joy in the midst of chaos.  I was living my life, not the disease.  As with anything that happens to you in life, attitude is everything.  I had no choice in having cancer (who would choose it?!?) but I did have a choice in how I reacted to it and that gave me back some power.  I chose to look at it as another part of my life journey.  Everyone has a story, everyone has their own mountains to climb.  This was just mine.  My blog is my daily musings of my dance with the Big “C”.   I hope you enjoy reading about my incredible journey and all the gifts it gave me and that it brings you a smile and maybe a laugh or two while you’re on your own journey.  To quote my idol – Erma Bombeck “Laughter rises out of tragedy when you need it most, and rewards you for your courage”. May you always find the laughter.

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Love and Light,

Carey

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