Then a hero comes along...
I want to thank all of the people that have helped me through some very dark times. Hero's are people that do something good for you without expecting a reward. However, if they didn't step up you might not still be here.
I have outlived my expiration date by 16 years. I am a cancer conqueror. I used to say survivor, because there have been times when survive was all I could do. But the fact that I'm sitting here writing this blog shows that I have conquered it thus far.
So, about sixteen years ago I kept going to the Dr. to tell him that I didn't feel well. My stomach hurt and was getting bigger. He gave me antacids and told me to watch what I ate. Well, that didn't make any difference. Now remember, these are my memories. I can only account for what I remember.
I was vigilant and kept returning. There was unusual bruising and my stomach got so big that I could not sit up by myself. I looked and felt like I was nine months pregnant, but I wasn't. I kept telling him that I was in a great deal of pain. I was doing data entry and I had to wear a type of girdle that held my stomach as tight as possible because otherwise the pain was unbearable and I couldn't work. He made the remark that it couldn't be cancer because cancer didn't hurt. I remember thinking that was an odd thing to say because I'd known cancer patients and it was not a pleasant experience for them.
So, after the fourth or fifth time of going to the Dr. he got tired of me asking him questions and seeing no results so he sent me to a Gastroenterologist. He was certain that there must be gallstones blocking my intestines therefore causing the bloating and discomfort. So, I saw the Gastroenterologist and he took X-rays. He saw some stones, but not really any cause for all the pain and discomfort I was experiencing.
In order to get me some relief he booked an immediate surgery and took out my gallbladder. It wasn't too bad, but he saw some kind of pin pointed netting along the interior of my abdomen lining. He didn't know what it was so he sent it off to a laboratory. (Man if you could see the spell check freaking out on me right now).
That laboratory wasn't sure what it was either so they sent it off to pathologists around the country. Surely somebody had seen it before. Well, someone had and it was not good.
It appeared that a type of rare cancer had metastasized itself to the lining of my abdomen and was affecting organs as well as my digestive system. The type of cancer was labeled a "Widow" or "Orphan" disease because it wasn't usually found until the autopsy was completed.
My body, however was screaming. I wasn't even forty years old yet, my children were still young. I hadn't accomplished my dreams. NO, it couldn't be. I remember saying, "God would not let that happen to me." Yep, I really did.
I was under the impression that if I did everything right that nothing fatal would happen to me. I had great faith that nothing fatal would happen to me. I was wrong.
The Dr. left for a vacation and I kept calling his associate to see if there was any news. Well, somebody was misinformed. I called and this time I got an answer. The associate said, "Yep, it's cancer but it is not deadly". Okay, spell me relieved. But then I thought, cancer that you can live with? That didn't make any sense, but again, I was indestructible because I had lived a good life. I mean if they said don't do it, it might cause cancer, I didn't do it.
I needed to find out if this was a deadly disease or not because my x-husband was out of work and jobs were hard to come by. So, if this wasn't deadly I was going to keep working. We needed to care for our family. No brainer, right?
Not so fast. Since it wasn't deadly I decided to take on a new job. I'd worked as a temp and that job had ended and I was taking on a new role. I didn't want to take a new job if I was dying. I mean, how rude!
Then my surgeon came back in town... he called me on my cell phone at work, which I usually didn't answer. But I recognized the number so I stepped away and took the call. Man, I was not prepared for what I was about to hear.
"You have six months to live." "We've made an appointment with MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, and they are going to consult and see if there's anything they can do." But, I had just taken a new job, I'd just been told this was nothing and that it wouldn't kill me. What just happened?
I'm kind of an interesting person. I'm very project and duty oriented, so I hung up and went back to work. I went into my bosses office and filled him in saying that I would work as long as I possible. We had a family to feed cancer or not.
Then the symptoms started getting much worse. It was as if my body was trying to get rid of this cancer all by itself and I was as sick as a dog. By the time we got to MD Anderson in Houston Texas I was miserable. Since this diagnosis hadn't been confirmed I wanted to know if I really had six months to live and if I did, should I keep working or take a cruise?" Yes, I really did. The Dr. suggested a cruise. Wow, that just happened.
After much discussion they told me that the tumors were so small that there was no treatment for them. They couldn't shrink them because they were smaller than the top of a pin and they had formed a type of netting from one tumor to the other.
They said they didn't know any Doctors who could treat me so they suggested the cruise. Of course we didn't have money for a cruise, I just wanted to do what I could as long as I could to help our family. It takes a family to raise a family and when one of you is laid off it's the family that keeps you going.
So, I went back to work wondering how long I would be able to keep this up. My x-husband had found a job and it took some of the pressure off, but I was getting sicker and sicker and couldn't keep up.
The Surgeon I went to located another surgeon who would risk the surgeries it would take to save my life. But I had to have an interview with him first. Enter the depths of humanity... I had to find out if I was savable or not. I interpreted it as having an interview to see if my life was worth saving. It seems that it was because I was young, hadn't smoked or abused my body and had three children that needed me.
After the interview I was given a 4% chance of survival and was accepted as a patient. However, for three of the six months I had left I had to start walking more to build up as much strength and muscle as I could; this was going to be hard.
Had I known how hard, I might not have been as eager to take the chance, but family is worth fighting for and I did.
I have outlived my expiration date by 16 years. I am a cancer conqueror. I used to say survivor, because there have been times when survive was all I could do. But the fact that I'm sitting here writing this blog shows that I have conquered it thus far.
So, about sixteen years ago I kept going to the Dr. to tell him that I didn't feel well. My stomach hurt and was getting bigger. He gave me antacids and told me to watch what I ate. Well, that didn't make any difference. Now remember, these are my memories. I can only account for what I remember.
I was vigilant and kept returning. There was unusual bruising and my stomach got so big that I could not sit up by myself. I looked and felt like I was nine months pregnant, but I wasn't. I kept telling him that I was in a great deal of pain. I was doing data entry and I had to wear a type of girdle that held my stomach as tight as possible because otherwise the pain was unbearable and I couldn't work. He made the remark that it couldn't be cancer because cancer didn't hurt. I remember thinking that was an odd thing to say because I'd known cancer patients and it was not a pleasant experience for them.
So, after the fourth or fifth time of going to the Dr. he got tired of me asking him questions and seeing no results so he sent me to a Gastroenterologist. He was certain that there must be gallstones blocking my intestines therefore causing the bloating and discomfort. So, I saw the Gastroenterologist and he took X-rays. He saw some stones, but not really any cause for all the pain and discomfort I was experiencing.
In order to get me some relief he booked an immediate surgery and took out my gallbladder. It wasn't too bad, but he saw some kind of pin pointed netting along the interior of my abdomen lining. He didn't know what it was so he sent it off to a laboratory. (Man if you could see the spell check freaking out on me right now).
That laboratory wasn't sure what it was either so they sent it off to pathologists around the country. Surely somebody had seen it before. Well, someone had and it was not good.
It appeared that a type of rare cancer had metastasized itself to the lining of my abdomen and was affecting organs as well as my digestive system. The type of cancer was labeled a "Widow" or "Orphan" disease because it wasn't usually found until the autopsy was completed.
My body, however was screaming. I wasn't even forty years old yet, my children were still young. I hadn't accomplished my dreams. NO, it couldn't be. I remember saying, "God would not let that happen to me." Yep, I really did.
I was under the impression that if I did everything right that nothing fatal would happen to me. I had great faith that nothing fatal would happen to me. I was wrong.
The Dr. left for a vacation and I kept calling his associate to see if there was any news. Well, somebody was misinformed. I called and this time I got an answer. The associate said, "Yep, it's cancer but it is not deadly". Okay, spell me relieved. But then I thought, cancer that you can live with? That didn't make any sense, but again, I was indestructible because I had lived a good life. I mean if they said don't do it, it might cause cancer, I didn't do it.
I needed to find out if this was a deadly disease or not because my x-husband was out of work and jobs were hard to come by. So, if this wasn't deadly I was going to keep working. We needed to care for our family. No brainer, right?
Not so fast. Since it wasn't deadly I decided to take on a new job. I'd worked as a temp and that job had ended and I was taking on a new role. I didn't want to take a new job if I was dying. I mean, how rude!
Then my surgeon came back in town... he called me on my cell phone at work, which I usually didn't answer. But I recognized the number so I stepped away and took the call. Man, I was not prepared for what I was about to hear.
"You have six months to live." "We've made an appointment with MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, and they are going to consult and see if there's anything they can do." But, I had just taken a new job, I'd just been told this was nothing and that it wouldn't kill me. What just happened?
I'm kind of an interesting person. I'm very project and duty oriented, so I hung up and went back to work. I went into my bosses office and filled him in saying that I would work as long as I possible. We had a family to feed cancer or not.
Then the symptoms started getting much worse. It was as if my body was trying to get rid of this cancer all by itself and I was as sick as a dog. By the time we got to MD Anderson in Houston Texas I was miserable. Since this diagnosis hadn't been confirmed I wanted to know if I really had six months to live and if I did, should I keep working or take a cruise?" Yes, I really did. The Dr. suggested a cruise. Wow, that just happened.
After much discussion they told me that the tumors were so small that there was no treatment for them. They couldn't shrink them because they were smaller than the top of a pin and they had formed a type of netting from one tumor to the other.
They said they didn't know any Doctors who could treat me so they suggested the cruise. Of course we didn't have money for a cruise, I just wanted to do what I could as long as I could to help our family. It takes a family to raise a family and when one of you is laid off it's the family that keeps you going.
So, I went back to work wondering how long I would be able to keep this up. My x-husband had found a job and it took some of the pressure off, but I was getting sicker and sicker and couldn't keep up.
The Surgeon I went to located another surgeon who would risk the surgeries it would take to save my life. But I had to have an interview with him first. Enter the depths of humanity... I had to find out if I was savable or not. I interpreted it as having an interview to see if my life was worth saving. It seems that it was because I was young, hadn't smoked or abused my body and had three children that needed me.
After the interview I was given a 4% chance of survival and was accepted as a patient. However, for three of the six months I had left I had to start walking more to build up as much strength and muscle as I could; this was going to be hard.
Had I known how hard, I might not have been as eager to take the chance, but family is worth fighting for and I did.
Comments