May 17, 2019
Today I've reached a milestone! I am celebrating the day I found out I had cancer. I know it sounds strange that I would celebrate - but this year is different!
There are older posts within this blog detailing how 'that day' went down. I am trying to focus on the fact I am still alive! I describe it as a cosmic kick in the gut. I can still feel the kick in the gut, the tears, sobbing, calling my fiance, my Mom and Dad - my sister. My boss/friend and a few more friends. More sobbing and then curling up in the fetal position. Literally curling up in the fetal position. My boss/friend Carol came to my house surprising me. She rescued me that day - brought me flowers and took me to get a bite to eat.
I was 35 days out from getting married. (honestly my life during that period sounded like a made for TV movie that was about meeting the right person, getting married, getting cancer etc) I had been feeling fatigued and it gradually got worse over 3 years. I tried to find out why but medical professionals never took the next step. I wake up with a pinched nerve earlier that week leading up to the finding. I go see my Chiropractor and at the end of the week he sends me for an MRI. That's where they found the cancer. In my bones.
I had/have Non-Hodgin's lymphoma and it was in nearly all my bones at the point. The official breakdown : Follicular lymphoma, high grade - mixed follicular and diffuse pattern B- Cell stage 4. I had it so long that it was transforming into an aggressive form. Those who know me - know I am an over achiever . heehee
Fast forward - to now. I've been in remission since 12/18/14! There have been ups and downs. I still am not physically what I used to be and never will be. I look older thanks to Chemo! In many ways I am not the person I used to be. My core values are the same of course - but I do suffer from depression at times and get so tired I sleep all weekend. My husband is a Staint!
There is no cure for my type of Non-Hodgin's lymphoma. There is much more to my cancer journey I didn't tell you about. But I will tell you chemo is hard. Fighting for your life is the ultimate challenge. We all know there is no guarantee in life - but knowing you have cancer, that it will or can kill you and surviving to live another day, week, month and year is winning. It's the ultimate gift. Sending good thoughts, good vibes and prayers to my friends who are beginning the battle and those who are still fighting the good fight. #KOKO
So why am I celebrating today? Because I am a statistic today. I happily accept I am in the 62 percentile that is alive at the 5 year mark after being diagnosed.
Cancer.net
"The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The overall 5-year survival rate for people with NHL is 71%. For men, the 5-year survival rate is 69%. For women, it’s 72%. For stage I NHL, the 5-year survival rate is almost 82%. For stage II the 5-year survival rate is 75% and for stage III it is 69%. For stage IV NHL, the 5-year survival rate is almost 62%. These survival rates vary depending on the cancer’s stage and subtype."
Thank you to:
My Husband Kerry - who kept me alive
My children - Logan and Lindy
My Mom, Dad, Sister and Brother
Dr.Philip Connolly
Carol Blake
Dr. Reyes
Dr. Yacoub
Today I've reached a milestone! I am celebrating the day I found out I had cancer. I know it sounds strange that I would celebrate - but this year is different!
There are older posts within this blog detailing how 'that day' went down. I am trying to focus on the fact I am still alive! I describe it as a cosmic kick in the gut. I can still feel the kick in the gut, the tears, sobbing, calling my fiance, my Mom and Dad - my sister. My boss/friend and a few more friends. More sobbing and then curling up in the fetal position. Literally curling up in the fetal position. My boss/friend Carol came to my house surprising me. She rescued me that day - brought me flowers and took me to get a bite to eat.
I was 35 days out from getting married. (honestly my life during that period sounded like a made for TV movie that was about meeting the right person, getting married, getting cancer etc) I had been feeling fatigued and it gradually got worse over 3 years. I tried to find out why but medical professionals never took the next step. I wake up with a pinched nerve earlier that week leading up to the finding. I go see my Chiropractor and at the end of the week he sends me for an MRI. That's where they found the cancer. In my bones.
I had/have Non-Hodgin's lymphoma and it was in nearly all my bones at the point. The official breakdown : Follicular lymphoma, high grade - mixed follicular and diffuse pattern B- Cell stage 4. I had it so long that it was transforming into an aggressive form. Those who know me - know I am an over achiever . heehee
Fast forward - to now. I've been in remission since 12/18/14! There have been ups and downs. I still am not physically what I used to be and never will be. I look older thanks to Chemo! In many ways I am not the person I used to be. My core values are the same of course - but I do suffer from depression at times and get so tired I sleep all weekend. My husband is a Staint!
There is no cure for my type of Non-Hodgin's lymphoma. There is much more to my cancer journey I didn't tell you about. But I will tell you chemo is hard. Fighting for your life is the ultimate challenge. We all know there is no guarantee in life - but knowing you have cancer, that it will or can kill you and surviving to live another day, week, month and year is winning. It's the ultimate gift. Sending good thoughts, good vibes and prayers to my friends who are beginning the battle and those who are still fighting the good fight. #KOKO
So why am I celebrating today? Because I am a statistic today. I happily accept I am in the 62 percentile that is alive at the 5 year mark after being diagnosed.
Cancer.net
"The 5-year survival rate tells you what percent of people live at least 5 years after the cancer is found. Percent means how many out of 100. The overall 5-year survival rate for people with NHL is 71%. For men, the 5-year survival rate is 69%. For women, it’s 72%. For stage I NHL, the 5-year survival rate is almost 82%. For stage II the 5-year survival rate is 75% and for stage III it is 69%. For stage IV NHL, the 5-year survival rate is almost 62%. These survival rates vary depending on the cancer’s stage and subtype."
Thank you to:
My Husband Kerry - who kept me alive
My children - Logan and Lindy
My Mom, Dad, Sister and Brother
Dr.Philip Connolly
Carol Blake
Dr. Reyes
Dr. Yacoub
