| I AM A SURVIVOR |
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| I am writing about my battle with cancer in hopes that something I mention might help someone with their own battle against cancer. In May 1999 I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Breast Cancer. A lumpectomy surgery was scheduled in just a few days, then within a week or two I had all the lymph nodes removed under my left arm. My follow up treatment consisted of three months of chemotherapy with one treatment each month. Then thirty radiation treatments once a day, and then another three month series of chemotherapy. During this period of time, within the first two weeks I lost all my hair. This didn't bother me as I prepared for this by cutting my hair really short, and then completely shaving it later. Nausea was not too bad as the doctor did administer some kind of medicine along with the chemotherapy to help. This didn't completely solve the problem, but I soon learned not to eat big meals, just snack on and off all day on very bland food until my stomach would tolerate other food. I also learned to drink lots of water right after the treatment to flush the toxic chemicals out of my body. The worse symptom was depression. When I could no longer cope with the terrible feeling of "doom" and also the constant questions of "what ifs", I confided in my doctor. He promptly prescribed an antidepressant which helped me to get my life back in order. I made the decision to do all I could myself such as eating properly, and exercising, and reading the Bible daily. I listened to religious healing tapes by John Hagee called "Bible Principles For Overcoming Cancer" and "Healing Scriptures" and also pamphlet called Our Daily Bread. My faith in God became stronger as I had decided he would be the most important person in my life and I prayed for his healing power and strength daily. On my "bad" days, I still forced myself to take a walk even if it was only 15 minutes. Then on the good days, I would walk up to an hour depending on how I felt. During these walks I would pray and then rest and meditate. Fatigue was a constant problem, but became better when my blood count got back to normal. Sometimes shots were required to "boost" the white cells to rebuild. These shots caused severe back spasms and upper thigh pain. Taking Tylenol right after the shots helped reduce the pain. I learned to keep my mind occupied with things I enjoyed doing but not to become too tired or too stressed. That's why I took a leave of absence from work so I could completely concentrate on getting well. My co-workers organized a team in my honor for the 1999 American Cancer Society Relay for Life. I felt compelled to really put forth an effort to raise funds for this worthy cause and was awarded for being the individual who raised the most funds at this relay. I will always remember the outstanding support by my team members. I am a survivor for almost two and a half years. My family, relatives and friends have been very supportive during this trying time in my life. I will always remember what my sister said, "All this will soon be behind you, and will become just a memory." |
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