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Survivor of Cancer

A personal story in the experience: I Am a Cancer Survivor
  I lost my husband my best friend to Cancer over two years ago, helping him go through the chemo, Radiation and the endless trips to the hospital and Dr.'s offices was hard. He was given day to weeks to live and we eeked out 9 and a half great productive months with the help of supplements, good healthy eating and pure will power. I was able to keep him home and towards the end he only had two days of being bed ridden, God Blessed us and he died at home. You never are prepared to say good bye, even though you know there was going to be that day that your good byes would have to be said. I was as if a sleep walker, going through my days and nights, weeks, months and years, 2 yrs. before I found this site and started to come out of this zombie state. Changed Dr.'s and the first thing my new Dr. said was, it's been two years since your last mammogram lets do one.. Well it came back showing calcification's, the Dr. said lets get a biopsy to check it out and thank God my Dr. was vigilante, the cancer was still in the duct  and was so small that the biopsy got most of it, I had a lumpectomy and had 6 weeks of radiation. My last MRI, which was a few weeks ago came out free and clear of any cancer. I was one of the fortunate ones with early detection I didn't need to have chemo, the radiation was basically a preventative, it took my risk of developing cancer in that breast to 16%. I'm taking a pill called Avista and that will take the chances of getting cancer in the other breast to 20%. I thank God my cancer was caught early and I find myself preaching to anyone I meet, early detection can make the difference. The word  "Cancer" is such a devastating  word, I had been through the ravages with my husband, the pain of losing him, watching him go from a strong healthy man to someone I almost couldn't recognize. I stand a survivor from losing and dieing daily with my husband and then going through and seeing the same Dr.'s same hospital, radiation, surgery and I'm able to say Thank God for my cancer... Yes Thank God, I'm cancer free and I will be tested regularly, and catch anything in it's earliest of stages. I didn't have to wait to feel a lump, my cancer was in it's early stages. Please get tested and tell everyone you love to get tested, to watch a loved one die of this insidious disease is the worst. God Bless all of us who know the devastation cancer causes and all who remain in their struggle.
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Posted Jan 12th, 2008 at 11:33PM
I am so glad you caught it early too. You are one strong lady. Iwouldn't wish cancer on anyone. But since we had to have it I am glad to be in the survivors club with you. Hugs, CMR
     
Posted Jan 13th, 2008 at 6:50AM
I'm sending you a big WAHOO! Wishing you continued health and happiness this new year. Find a way to wahoo everyday, it's good for the mind, body and soul. :)
     
Posted Jan 13th, 2008 at 9:24PM
Thank you Cyndi, I feel the same about you, our group is full of strong, wonderful, inspiring people. It is awe inspiring and humbling to be in the company of this special group of people. Wahoo, trust me I Wahoo every chance I get, as a survivor I know how precious life is and I don't take anything for granted and appreciate every day, So I try to wahoo more than ever before....LOL Hugs
     
Posted Oct 4th, 2008 at 3:39AM
Cyndi, I am so sorry for your loss but jazzed about your survival.

My wife had a cancerous tumor in her bladder in 1997 at the age of 43. Had surgery, caught it early, no chemo or radiation, followup for 11 yrs and it is gone!!

Feb 2006 she went to diligent OB and he did Mamogram and lower body scan. Two lumps in her right breast and lesion on her Pancreas. She had 5 different scans of her Pancreas all showing this small lesion. Biopsy of breast showed one lump cancerous and her diagnosis, ductal carcanoma, stage 2, no lymph node involvement. Then Pancreas Dr tells her that most likely lesion on Pancreas is cancerous and if so odds are that she has yr or so to live.

Has surgery on breast and Pancreas on same day. Lumpectomy goes fine, find more cancer in margins and second lumpectomy a month later is fine

Pancreas surgery is a Miracle - they open her up and the Lesion has vanished...the reason we say a Miracle...she went to church and we gathered in a circle and prayed for her before first surgery. She felt a burning in her abdomen during the prayer. She called Pancreas dr and told he that Pancreas was fine, she was healed. He said he had to do surgery as it would be malpractice not to do so as he had 5 scans showing lesion and he was sure it was there. She was known as the Miracle by the hospital staff when she was there for a week recovering from the double surgery.

She has since started taking Arimidex for 5 yrs to lessen the chance of the cancer in her breast coming back as her cancer is estrogen receptive. The Arimidex causes strong menopausal side effects and takes away all sexual desire...see my story in I am in a Sexless Marriage...so it has been though for both of us these last 2 1/2 yrs.

I am so glad that she is still here and healthy!!
     
Posted Nov 9th, 2008 at 3:12AM
It's the first time I see this site and write a comment. I don't know the "group" as you said, but I really want to share my feeling about Cancer. My dad is 58 yrs old, he took an surgury at the christmas day in 2006. His stomach was totally cut off , until now we havn't tell him he hasn't a stomach. I will never forget how I feel when I heard from my big brother that my dad caught a stomach cancer. He live together with my dad far away at my hometown. Now my dad live with me in beijing, I just want to treasure every day he is still healthy and could walk around. I drove him and mom all over beijing ,which they only have come 28 yrs ago,the year I was born. Now I'm on a business journey of 3 months at yunnan ,south west of china.I don't know when will the bad news come.
+2 nods     
Posted Nov 24th, 2008 at 3:15PM
I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband, my husband is also my best friend, I'd be lost without him- I really don't have many friends outside of my husband honestly. No one like him.

I'm happy to hear of your recovery and about finding the cancer so quickly.

I wish I knew what to say about the loss of your husband, but all I can say is he's not gone, the ones we love never truly leave us IMO.
     
Posted Nov 26th, 2008 at 6:07PM
from2008, every time you speak to your father tell him what is in your heart, it is so much easier if there is no shoulda, coulda, would's , get everything said, let him know how much he means to you. I pray you have a long time with him, God Bless.
almost, thank you so much for your kind words, it has been three Thanksgivings with out my best friend and it is still so very hard. I have to push myself to get through the Holidays. We, are lucky though, you and I found that special person to share our lives with, some never find that kind of love. I feel blessed and that help me get through the day.. May you have many years of love , laughter, and the joy of life. Never take it for granted. I had no shoulda, coulda, woulda's, we lived our last months with such love and life, we knew every moment could have been our last together and we took advantage to make them quality time. You are right our love lives on.
+2 nods     
Posted Dec 7th, 2008 at 6:27AM
I honestly don't know what to say. This hits so close to home. I lost my first love to leukemia, my grandfather to renal cell carcinoma, my dad's cousing was also taken by renal cell carcinoma. I have had countless church friends die of cancer, had one that is a walking miricle. Cancer just disappeared on her and the doctor was left baffled. But we both know what it was. It was God. Um...man, I have to quit reading these things at work...gettin all misty eyed you know. All I can say is that I'm very glad you are well. I am sorry about your husband. I didn't know either of you in person but I can say that it's really hard to lose someone you love to cancer. So many evil things that come with it. The chemo treatments are the worst I know. I also know i should be better with my father, I think i'm going to try to broaden the relationship I have with him, being somewhat on a fit of eggshells with me since I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Thank you again. You never know what lives you will change.
+2 nods     
Posted Dec 13th, 2008 at 7:04PM
To all, it has been over three years now and the lose of my husband is still hard, I can always get through the day as I have many wonderful memories to draw from. We all have to just live our lives as if it were our last, keep good things in your heart and head. I have had my second mammogram and all is well, I'm thankful for everyday and every person in my life. past , present and cheerfully anticipate new friends...
     
Posted Feb 22nd, 2009 at 2:04PM
Im so happy for you,i lost my wife in 04 to breast cancer,she was the best women i had in my life.Her children stayed with me afther she died,16,17,18.i still have one at home,and she is in collage.but when we got the news,that she would die,it hurt me so bad.And we all went trough so much,i still miss her.I have not went out with any one since her.She was 40 when she passed.The house had so many memories,that i had to move.So i could move on.I just wonder way so many lose and so few win.Tony
+2 nods     
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