4th Cancerversary today!

Most people that see me today wouldn't have a clue what I've been through and overcome in the past 4 years.  When people find out  I often hear, "But you're such a picture of health." The more I progress the more I find out how far I've come.  We have a code of health in our church - most people know that we don't drink, smoke, or drink tea or coffee.  I'm grateful I was born into a family that followed that code of health.  

Back in February when I was hit in the pool, I received several CTscans.  After they determined there was no bleeding in the brain and no broken bones the radiologist was most concerned about all the scar tissue in my lungs. When I breath in I often hear a deep wheezing sounds from way down inside my lungs. Now I know why my oncologist said he wouldn't treat me if I smoked and drank.  My tumors were so large that I needed stronger treatment than most and a 'boost' in my radiation treatment too.  I found out that a large tumor is the size of a quarter.  My tumor mass was 3 inches wide and went from below my ribs (down near my stomach) all the way up into the middle of my neck. 

As you can see from this photo, I've come a long way baby! And I'm looking forward to a bright future. My migraines are under control with a preventer medication.  My food allergies are okay as long as I stay away from the foods that bother me and the grocery stores carry a lot of new foods that I can eat. Mentally I feel more up to carrying on the daily demands of life.  Physically I am much stronger than I was 4 years ago and I am improving a little bit at a time every day.

So now I have one more year left until they set me free.  The 5 year survival rate for Hodgkins Lymphoma is pretty good.  I'm so close to that benchmark I can hardly believe it. So thank you to all of you who prayed for me, brought meals, scrubbed my dishes, cleaned my bathrooms, took care of my children, mowed our lawn, scrapbooked with me, were kind and thoughtful, hugged me when I was bald, got Tyler out of the house, and weren't scared to be around a person with cancer. Thank you!