Why do they call cancer patients victims? I'm no victim, I am a patient, I am sick, I am NOT a victim. Oh hi, how are you?
I stepped outside this morning and looked to the sky, I saw a beautiful blue sky, and I saw three eagles playing on the currents. The sight never bores me. It is an incredible, beautiful site. Since I have moved to Stafford, I have been lucky to be able to watch Eagles play in the air currents, I hope that you get that chance. Oh,I guess I should give you a bit of background on me a bit of the first dance.
My first dance with cancer was in 2003. It all started in January (wow, any wonder why I don't like January?) I had a large growth on the back of my left leg. Visited an Urgent Care center, freaked the doctor out, ended up at the Cleveland Clinic, and my biopsy was done January 30th. They called it a round cell sarcoma, I called it a big inconvenience to my life. It was a large tumor that wrapped around my left hamstring. Three rounds of MAID chemo (Mesna, Adrimyicin, Ifosfamide, Dacarbazine). I also underwent radiation. During radiation you are literally cooked from the inside out. (By the way, never put Solar cane on a radiation burn, WAY BAD IDEA).
I went through several surgeries in 2003, they removed my hamstring and did a free flap replacement (basically they took my right latisimus muscle and put it over the exposed bone and nerves. Useless muscle, but it protects nerves and bone.) And several skin grafts. (The kept failing). Was in a wheel chair when I left the hospital, by my birthday three weeks later I was walking on crutches, then on my own. Finally learned to walk in heels again!!! :D
Hey, did you know that there are two kinds of plastic surgery? Seriously there is! There is the cosmetic type that makes things look better, and there is the utilitarian, the kind that puts you together and leaves some damn ugly scars. Trust me I have some ugly scars, but I am very proud of them. I guess I collect scars. I have a few, and none of them are from scarification.
I now reside in Stafford, Va, and work with the best bunch of people you would ever want to work with, seriously, if you could choose family, I would choose these people.
Ok fast forward to December 2010, went to the doc's got a clean bill of health, but I wanted to know if something more could be done for the stress leaks other than kiegels. Was given a name of a urologist. Started feeling like I had some kidney stones. That didn't thrill me at all.
So I go see the Urologist on January 5, 2011, he says I am symptomatic of kidney stones, only one thing is missing. No blood in the urine. I need a CAT scan. Ok, not my first rodeo, so I already know what he is thinking.
CAT comes back with a small tumor, So I go to another Doctor, and he confirms it, schedules a biopsy. January 18th, my biopsy in 2003 was January 30th. Yeah, can we make it any closer??
Then I got a CAT of my lungs, guess what? Totally different type of tumor growing in the lung. I showed no symptoms of the one in the lung, no swelling of the neck, no swelling of the right arm, no swelling of the right hand. Oh, it is the size of a grapefruit. No shortness of breath either.
Told my doctor that this is getting in the way of my life I have things I want to do this year, like date.
In 2003 I was considered a Stage III because of the size and the aggressiveness of the tumor. This time I have two different tumors and on size alone they are Stage III. So since I have two does that mean I am stage VI? LOL!! Come on now, there is no Stage VI!!
I think chemo is going to be a bit harder this time. I am on the last dose and I feel weird. Guess I need to call for a ride. I was hoping that it wouldn't start this soon. Damn, I hate imposing on people.
Cancer is hardest on the friends and family, just tofa let you know. We cancer patients, all we have to do is do the chemo and get sicker, do the radiation, and the surgery, and perhaps die, the family and friends, you have to deal with watching someone get sicker in order to get well, I feel sorry for you guys. You are in that place of what do I do.
God, I do love the people I work with. I just called and told them I needed a ride, and I'll have one.
That means so much to me, I could actually cry, and I don't cry. Ask those who know me.
I actually had lots of different ideas of what to type before, smart, witty, funny, but every time I thought of them I was doing something else. Yeah, so this is what you get, sorry, not funny, not smart mouthed.
See ya all tomorrow.
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