Clomid...

I received the results from my HSG which came back normal. My remaining Fallopian tube and uterus were ready to start the journey to motherhood. My fertility specialist encouraged me to continue to eat healthy and lose weight as did my oncologist as this was a very vital aspect of my fertility. She also encouraged that I begin a prenatal vitamin. This was news to me because I thought you only took them once you conceived however this is now highly encouraged for women trying to conceive. 

So finally once the blood results were back and clearance from my oncologist was received I was given the green light to conceive. This process does require your mate to be involved to rule out any problems from both parties. We learned without being too graphic there were certainly no problems there. Once all of the results were in we started with a very noninvasive measure. In April of 2016 I took my first prescription pill to aid in this process of conception. My doctor informed me there are multiple prescription pills out there however she wanted to first start with Clomid which is typically the first course of action any fertility specialist take when you are in their care.  Clomid is the street name for this drug but it is actually called Clomifene. It is used to treat women who are trying to get pregnant and that are not ovulating properly. So in lamest terms in helps regulate your ovulation. It helps produce more hormones than normal that ultimately stimulate your ovaries to ovulate.

 Although this was not the case for me in this instance however many women who have PCOS or other inovulatory problems must take progesterone to bring down their cycle. It is not until your cycle comes that you begin taking Clomid. Depending on the fertility specialist and your own history is when they will decide which days of your cycle you will begin the Clomid. Some doctors advise that you take it cycle days 3-7 or 5-9. It has been said that days 3-7 produces more eggs and days 5-9 produces possibly less but more mature and quality eggs. My fertility specialist decided in my case we would try cycle days 5-9. On the next post I will discuss the side effects of Clomid, the dose (in mg) and the next steps of the process.

One Test After Another....

A few short weeks later I received the pathology report that confirmed I did not have uterine cancer and that the bleeding I was experiencing was just believed to be abnormal breakthrough bleeding. Before I left my appointment my oncologist advised me to speak with my OBGYN to discuss meeting with a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) or most often referred to as a Fertility Specialist to discuss my family planning options. After I received the results from the pathology report I called my OBGYNs office that put me right in to her desk line. This is one of the great benefits I have with my doctors. If I call and they are free they transfer me right over to her or if I leave a message I know she will return my call in 24 hours or less. I spoke with her regarding my appointment, the unexplained bleeding and my final results. I further told her my oncologist thoughts on starting a family ASAP and she was onboard with his decision. She provided me the name and number of a RE that she said came highly recommended. I followed up with a call to their office and made an appointment for February 2016. This initial appointment was basically information gathering to learn my family history, my previous diagnosis, how many children I wanted and ultimately what my next steps were. I even learned at this appointment that the RE was trained by my Oncologist as with my OBGYN and Primary doctor. What were the odds?! At this point I was comfortable with her due to this fact although I was not comfortable with the 30 minute drive to her office and I soon found out there were weeks I would need to visit her office 4-5 times a week. No fun!

Things started off really slow with this doctor because they had to run various test on me to determine how healthy I was, the condition of my remaining ovary and fallopian tube. Outside of blood work one of the first tests they did was a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) which is an XRAY that looks inside of your uterus and fallopian tubes via a small tube that inserts dye into your vagina, uterus and ultimately flowing to your tube(s). The test is done to check if there are any abnormalities or injuries to your uterus and to verify if your fallopian tubes are open and nothing is causing a blockage. I was warned this test would be painful by my REs office and it was very close to the pain I felt during the Biopsy I had to test for uterine cancer. I left feeling like everything would be fine because ofcourse I read online of other women’s accounts who stated that it’s usually much more painful if there is a blockage. I had to wait on these results to determine from my RE what my next steps would be.

Uterine Cancer?!?

Many of you know that my course of treatment from cancer did not include chemo or radiation. It included however Inhibin A & B blood draws every 3 months. I explained in an earlier post that they found my Inhibin levels raised when they did my initial blood-draw prior to surgery almost two years ago. My oncologist explained as a result these were good indicators whether cancer was present or not. The second course of action was yearly MRI's of my stomach region to check for any abnormal growth. (I had one done right after surgery as a baseline to use for future purposes and comparison)The final course of action was meeting with my oncologist every six months. 

I met with my oncologist in December of last year and I explained how I was once again having an irregular cycle. I classified it as that due to the prolonged bleeding. Due to this I wasn't sure if I should even attend this appointment but decided to go anyway because its very hard to get an appointment with my doctor. He was very glad I came in but I noticed his disposition changed. He went on to explain how the type of tumor (granulosa cell tumor) I had was a high estrogen producing tumor and as a result I was at high risk for uterine cancer and one of the symptoms of this was the bleeding I was experiencing so soon after diagnosis of ovarian cancer. I didn't know what to think other than I beat one cancer I'll have to do it again. I knew the Lord didn't let me come through all of that to end my story then.

He said I will need to perform an outpatient biopsy on you to confirm. I assumed I would need to schedule an appointment at a later date until he began speaking with the nurse about getting me a Motrin while he began pulling out instruments from his cabinet. I didn't even have time to get my mind right. Really?! I knew it would be painful because I never had an exam where they give you a painkiller prior. I have since come to know most patients know in advance they will have a biopsy and are told to take Motrin at home. I don't want to scare anyone but this was the MOST painful experience I have had to date. I do not wish this on my worst enemy and I pray I NEVER have to have another one done.

I left the office that am (yes, I often leave my oncologist at 2:30/3:00am) not knowing what to expect in the couple weeks. I prayed and I prayed. My oncologist explained at this appointment if you do have uterine cancer you will need a total hysterectomy and we will be performing it within two weeks. He knew my husband and I didn't have kids and asked if we wanted them. Ofcourse we do we explained and he said if you do not have uterine cancer I know you may not want kids right now but you need to start now in the event you have to lose your other ovary.

Suffering from PTSD?!

It’s been a while since I posted due to a much needed break for both mental and physical reasons. I mentioned in my last post that I just wasn’t the same anymore and that I was dealing with some fears and certainly some things I just wasn’t ready to discuss with the world. At that time I thought I was actually dying, not for any physical reasons, but because my mental state was just off. As I mentioned previously I had put off living and it was overnight that I changed my habits to simply doing. With that, I felt that my life was fast-tracked. I had the need to simply do and I could not figure out why, or the reason for the sudden onset, so I thought perhaps I was dying. They say when folks are dying they tend to know.  I have heard others in the past who went skydiving or even backpacking because they “knew” their lives were coming to an end, so I thought I fit the bill, however, I have now come to identify my behavior and changes to PTSD. If you are unfamiliar with PTSD, it stands for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. It typically develops after a person has experienced or witnessed a   traumatic or terrifying event. It is known to have lasting consequences and most often occurs within the first 3 months of a traumatic event,  however, for some (like myself), it can occur even years later. I realized I had many traumatic events that occurred back to back.

After thinking about it, I realized that I had a house fire where I lost everything and had to start over from scratch which sent me into overdrive to find a new home. Once we bought a new house it was shortly after that I was diagnosed with cancer.  I had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and I then had another cancer scare. Once that was cleared up I was told if I ever wanted a chance to have children I needed to try immediately. What a whirlwind of events and emotions. After I sat down and considered all of this I thought,  it's no wonder my life has been in overdrive and I feel like this. I never had the opportunity to deal with each situation and they all hit me at once. I can say that after a much needed break and prayer over the summer I am so much better.

I'm Just Living...

It was about this time last year that I started blogging. The time when I put my fears aside and began sharing with the world the life changes that occurred and took me by a surprise. It was then I shared I was an Ovarian Cancer Survivor and at that point it had been about seven months since I was diagnosed and seven months since my initial surgery. If you recall I celebrated being one year cancer free this past February and I realize another year will be here before we all know it. Time has flown by! I'm writing this post because it was placed on my heart to do so. I took an unexpected break from blogging back in June because I was dealing with some fears and challenges that I just wasn't ready to discuss with the world. I will be discussing some of those things in post to come. I decided to write this because when I thought of my blogging journey I realized so much has changed from this time last year. most of the change has been mentally and even some physically. As you all know I embarked on a weight loss journey and I lost 60 pounds (I've put back on some of that weight however; I'll share why later) but mentally I'm just not the same person.

After I was initially diagnosed with cancer I knew things would never really be the same but things started off slowly, mostly in words but not in action. I told myself I wouldn't work as much as I did, devoting hours into stuff that didn't bear much fruit but I found myself back in those old habits. Well, this summer has brought on a change and might I add for the better. I now shut down my computer at 5pm, if there is something I want to do, well I do it. whether its going to see a movie, a concert, vacationing or simply swimming all by myself in a pool my husband and I bought in our backyard. I now look at things differently. Things I would have passed on previous years I now enjoy such as fishing (who would have ever thought) laying out in the sun, trying kayaking for the first time; the true simple things/pleasures of life. My motto this summer has been: "I'm just living life!" I've decided I didn't want to simply survive but I want to live!

Be Proactive!

 

Over the next couple of years weight continued to pile on and over the course of four years I had gained 77 pounds. Every time I visited a doctor during those years they "gently" reminded me that I needed to lose weight. My reply was always the same, it seemed that no matter what I did I couldn’t seem to lose any weight and I wondered how I put on so much so fast. No one ever seemed to have an answer for me on that. They kept blaming it on my eating habits rather than thoroughly looking into it. I must admit I did not eat the best. I certainly indulged in way too much pizza and even pasta in our dorm facilities, however, even under those circumstances the weight gain was substantial. I recall during this time that I switched OBGYNs and at my first appointment she mentioned that my weight was a concern. I explained to her that I was now having irregular and nearly absent cycles. She determined that it was due to all of the weight I had gained and decided I needed a low dose of birth control pills called Junel. Looking back now I should have asked more questions and she should have too. She wasn't very thorough and due to my own ignorance of weight gain and absent periods I believed her. My cycles did become regular with the use of Junel, however, nothing changed about my weight. I suffered from thinking that maybe this is "how I'm just supposed to be." I thought about all the folks in my family that were overweight and the fact that I was never really small anyway and decided to live there for awhile. Oh, and the other syndrome many plus size women face, "I'm cute so who cares if I'm big." I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression here because I'm still plus-size, however, what I'm focused on is Simply Health. I’m focused on knowing my body. I’m focused on asking the right questions of my doctor and not becoming stuck in these attitudes that can very well become a matter of life or death. Learn from me and be proactive.

National Cancer Survivors Day

Yesterday, Sunday, June 5th was National Cancer Survivors Day. This day is said to be a, "CELEBRATION for those who have survived, an INSPIRATION for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of SUPPORT for families, and an OUTREACH to the community."

It was definitely a day of celebration for me for so many reasons. The main reason is I thought about ALL I have been through and realized I'm still standing and I certainly don't look like what I've been through. It is because of GRACE and MERCY. 

I took some pictures to celebrate being an OVERCOMER because that is what we all are. I have overcome cancer and recently and still in the process of my weight and ofcourse so many other things in my life and I wanted to document yesterday because regardless of life circumstances, regardless of whatever has been taken I never let it take my joy. I still have JOY. Unspeakable JOY.

Here are a few pictures to document my joy and my weight loss journey. This dress was one of my Christmas gifts from my husband who bought it two dress sizes smaller then to motivate me to reach new goals. Well folks I've accomplished that so now I think its time for him to buy me something else for the motivation. Don't you agree?! ;)

 

 

Survivor Meet & Greet

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting over 60 fellow Ovarian Cancer Survivors. We have all been impacted by this disease but as one survivor pointed out we all have ran a different race. Many of us are running a relay and others of us, hurdles. It's a blessing nonetheless to come together with others who can relate, who understands and all share one common goal and that is to kick cancers butt! To read the story about MIOCA's (Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance) first Survivor Meet & Greet please click link below.
http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/northville/2016/05/23/ovarian-cancer-survivors-connect-northville/84810730/

Extra Weight...

 

 

 

 

I mentioned in a previous post that my oncologist asked if I wanted to live. I was flabbergasted by his question because of course I did! I wouldn’t have gone through two surgeries if I didn’t. What I learned he meant was whether or not I was willing to make some lifestyle changes, to do some things I was not accustomed to doing in order to help in the prevention of cancer and my overall health.

To give some history to this conversation I have been trying to put off is that since I was a really young girl I have always been considered plus size. I was never a size 2, more like a size 5, 7 or 9 type of girl. My weight was never a real factor to me even though my family was always warning me to watch it before I blew up like a house. Fast forward to right before I started college when I learned of the dreaded “Freshmen 15”, which is the amount of weight incoming students usually gain in their first year. Unfortunately, for me it was much more like the “Freshmen 30”! Before I knew it, over the course of 4 years in college I gained nearly 100 pounds. Yikes! Right?! It seemed like it snuck up on me.

Before I knew it, I was shopping at stores like Wet Seal then all of a sudden at Lane Bryant. Now this was the Lane Bryant that was pre “Plus is equal” and “love your curves.” This was a huge shell shock. The clothing options were much more mature than I preferred, but I really didn’t have a choice. Neither could I really afford to wear their clothes, but again, I didn’t have much of a choice at the time seeing as though my go-to stores like TJ MAXX or Forever 21 didn’t carry my size. I had so few options in my size that naturally, like any other college student, I got a credit card to begin buying my first plus size items. I was embarrassed to even carry the bags out of the mall. This was just the beginning of my weight issues...

 

 

National Women's Health Week

Did you know it is National Women’s Health Week?

 

It is observed on the second week of May. Usually starting on Mother’s Day, National Women’s Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority. The week also serves as a time to help women understand what steps they can take to improve their health. This year marks the 17th Annual National Women’s Health Week.

Many women ask what steps they can take to become healthier. I was in this place in September and am currently revisiting this place. It’s easy to overlook our health and constantly put it on the backburner with families, jobs and other extracurricular activities on the forefront. Ladies, let’s change this and truly move ourselves forward and become better, healthier versions of ourselves. I recall a quote I read before that said, “We can’t pour into others if we are empty.” I believe this can apply to our health as well.

Here are some things we can start with:

Preventative Screenings
Eating healthier
Exercising at least 30 minutes per day
Getting enough sleep
Avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking

Since my diagnosis with ovarian cancer I have been in the doctor’s office, which includes my gynecologist, oncologist, primary care physician and even my dentist more than I would ever like to, but this is a part of preventative measures. I am fully invested and focused on taking care of me. In addition to this, I have taken a different approach than I ever have in my life on being more disciplined with my eating. I will discuss my weight issues and eating on the next blog. Stay tuned.

World Ovarian Cancer Day

Today I want to honor mothers across the world, Happy Mothers Day! I want to call special attention to my mom who went out shopping yesterday to pick up teal ribbons to represent World Ovarian Cancer Day and to celebrate me as a survivor although its her day. I appreciate her selflessness and prayers. It is with this I want to pause in honor of both Mothers Day and World Ovarian Cancer Day.

The first World Ovarian Cancer Day took place May 8th, 2013. It is dedicated to creating and raising awareness about ovarian cancer, the women’s cancer with the lowest survival rate for which there is little awareness and no cure. On this day, ovarian cancer awareness organizations from across the world worked together with a singular focus and message for ovarian cancer and its symptoms.

World Ovarian Cancer Day will take place on May 8th each year.

I Am One in Eight!

National Infertility Awareness Week® (NIAW) is a movement that began in 1989. The goal of NIAW is to raise awareness about the disease of infertility and to encourage the public to understand their reproductive health. This movement is recognized the last week of April each year.

Infertility affects as many as one in eight couples of reproductive age which is equivalent to about 7.3 million Americans. My husband and I are one in eight couples that this disease has impacted. Many of you know that I went to the doctor last year at the urging of the Holy Spirit and I was initially diagnosed with PCOS (PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome) which is one of the leading causes of infertility. I was then diagnosed with ovarian cancer and as a result one of my ovaries and fallopian tubes were removed further impacting my fertility.

For many years women dealt with fertility issues in silence. Even though there was a rather large community, a uniting factor, a sisterhood if you will, they most likely never supported or even encouraged one another because it was taboo or too embarrassing for women to talk about their problems with infertility.

I started this blog to bring to light women’s health issues and concerns and to be a gathering place where women can talk about these things and I’m glad to have a platform where we can throw out those old ways of doing things. Now we can connect, provide resources and encourage one another.

LIVE!

If you knew your time on earth was almost up would you be able to say that you lived a great life or when your obituary is read can others confirm that you did live a great life or would they need to embellish a little? I often thought about this when I was diagnosed with cancer. I knew there were a lot of things I wanted to do and many things I felt I needed to accomplish. So, I made it a goal that I was going to “live” once I was well. There were business ideas I wanted to implement, certainly places I wanted to travel to and grudges that I hadn't even realized I was holding on to that I had to let go. I had to freely give to others, take control of my work-life balance, spend more time with friends and family and certainly, lose weight. To let go, to breathe and to live freely. These are the things I have committed to doing because even though I have always known my time on earth has an expiration date, the diagnosis truly reminded me and set things in overdrive for me.

Recently I learned that Daisy Lewellyn, a star on Bravo’s show, Blood, Sweat and Heels died due to a rare cancer of the liver. She was just 36 years old. She was diagnosed in 2014 with cancer of the bile ducts in the liver. In an interview she did in 2015 she said, "I'm not afraid to go to heaven, but I would like to stay on Earth if I can. If it's my time to go, then I can say that I had a great life."

Let Daisy be a reminder to us to live, to have a great life. Let's stop putting things off and begin doing and living. The first thing I did was to stop putting off starting this blog. I always knew I needed to tell my story with the goal and purpose to help someone else. I started living simply by writing out a list of things I always wanted to do and a list of places I wanted to travel. I have begun checking things off already and I’m so excited. LIVE!

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

If you have been following my blog for awhile you will know that I am using this platform to highlight my story, the story of others and diseases that can impact us all in some way. April is now upon us which means new beginnings, a fresh start and hopefully spring for some of you. If you are in Michigan like me it’s looking more like winter with temps in the 30s and of course, snow. April is one of my favorite months regardless of what’s going on outside. Spring is my favorite season and of course, it’s the month that I was born in. I’ve always enjoyed celebrating my birthday and the countdown to my big day each year and so on. However, after a cancer diagnosis it seems I look forward to it even more. It’s just a reminder that I am still here and that I beat the odds.

With that being said, I have come to learn that in order to help others beat those odds whether its cancer or any other disease, we must bring awareness to it. So each month if there is a disease that impacts women in any way we will highlight it here. April is designated as National Sarcoidosis Awareness month. What is it you ask? Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs in the body, but mostly affects the lungs and lymph nodes. Sarcoidosis can also affect the skin, eyes, joints, liver, kidney, heart and other organs. In the United States the disease affects African-Americans 10 to 17 times more often than Caucasians. Generally, Sarcoidosis affects people when they are between 20 and 40 years old. The disease affects both men and women, although women are more likely to have the disease. Unfortunately the cause of this disease is unknown.

The most common symptoms are difficulty breathing, persistent dry cough, chest pain and fatigue. Sarcoidosis can affect every system of the body, the most common signs for the affected systems:


· Tender reddish bumps or patches on the skin



· Red and teary eyes or blurred vision



· Swollen and painful joints



· Enlarged and tender lymph glands in the neck, armpits and groin



· Enlarged lymph glands in the chest and around the lungs



· Nasal stuffiness and hoarse voice



· Pain in the hands, feet or other bony area due to the formation of cysts



· Kidney stone formation



· Enlarged liver



· Development of abnormal or missed beats (arrhythmias), inflammation of the covering of the heart (pericarditis) or heart failure



· Nervous system effects includes hearing loss, meningitis, seizures or psychiatric disorders (for example, dementia, depression or psychosis)

There is no one test or sign or symptom which clearly points to Sarcoidosis, because nearly all of the symptoms and laboratory results in Sarcoidosis also occurs in other diseases. Are you guys noticing the pattern? Typically there are multiples symptoms for different diseases and they are hard to pinpoint and certainly diagnose because the symptoms could be related to anything. This is why it’s important to go to the doctor and get checkups often. It’s also important to document anything that is not normal for you so you can bring it to your doctor’s attention. 

The tools used to diagnosis Sarcoidosis: Chest x-rays – to look for cloudiness (pulmonary infiltrates) or swollen lymph glands

 

· CT Scan – to provide an even more detailed look at the lungs and lymph glands than provided by chest x-rays.

· Pulmonary function (breathing test) to measure how well the lungs are working,

· Bronchoscopy – involves passing a small tube (bronchoscopes) down the trachea (windpipe) and into the bronchial tubes (airways) of the lungs.

Treatments generally fall into two categories – maintenance of good health practices and drug treatment.

 

Good health practices include:

· Getting regular check-ups with your health care provider

· Eating a well balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables

· Drink 8 to 10, 8 ounce glasses of water a day

· Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

· Exercising regularly and managing and maintaining your weight.

· Stop Smoking!!!

Drug treatments are used to relieve symptoms and reduce the inflammation of the affected tissues. The oral corticosteroid, prednisone, is the most commonly used treatment.

 

Informaion found on the National Sarcoidisis Society Page: http://nationalsarcoidosisfriends.org/

Do You Want to Live?

When I met with my oncologist to discuss my course of action following surgery, staple removal and the full biopsy report, he informed me that I wouldn’t need chemo or radiation. I was happy to learn this. He explained to me that all of the cancer had been removed from my body during my first surgery when the tumor was removed. Unfortunately, because my OBGYN did not know what she would find during the surgery, when the tumor was removed some of the tissue surrounding the tumor broke. This could allow cancer cells to leak into the abdomen and pelvis and is called surgical spill, which is reason to be concerned. Because of this I was initially diagnosed at stage 1 which later turned into stage 1C. He stated that my course of action would include following up with blood tests every three months to test levels of inhibin A & B. Unbeknownst to me, prior to surgery they had tested these levels and noticed that they were higher and so thought that this would be a good indicator to detect if cancer was present. In addition to the blood test they gave me a CT Scan immediately and once a year from that point on he wants me to have a CT scan for a baseline comparison. In the event anything ever shows up again they will have an idea of how things looked right after surgery and how it looks now.

 At this same time my doctor asked me if I wanted to live. I wondered why he would ask me this because, of course, I did. He then said I was going to have to make some changes. The changes included my eating habits. He suggested I get on a 1200 calorie diet. I asked about working out when the time came and he said he didn’t think that was all that important. He was focused on my eating. He said if I wanted to live I had to lose weight. This was easy for the time being because I was still on a restricted diet from surgery, but I ultimately knew I needed to make changes but wasn’t sure how easy this would be to do on my own.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Because HE died, we may live! Anybody glad that HE did?! My Saviour Lives! Happy Resurrection Day! 🙌🏾

God is on MY Side...

Psalm 56:9 

My doctor’s orders were to take 6 to eight weeks to heal from my surgery. During this timeframe I was on a lot of pain medication which caused me to sleep for most of the day. I was to follow-up with my doctor if I noticed anything that wasn’t a part of my “new normal” and certainly to follow-up with my oncologist about getting my staples removed and follow-up treatment.

About a week after being home my breathing wasn’t right and it seemed like my heart was almost skipping a beat. I knew something was off and I thought perhaps it was due to the medicine but I didn’t want to take any risks. I called my oncologist on his “after hours line” and he got right back to me. He was concerned that I may have a blood clot which is normal, however very serious after the kind of surgery I had and the fact that I wasn’t moving around a lot. He instructed me to go to emergency immediately. The first thing the doctors checked was my heart, so I had an EKG done. Then they checked for blood clots and saw none and then finally I had a CT Scan and waited for the results.

The results came back and the doctor informed me that my heart was enlarged. Enlarged?! I couldn’t believe my ears and quite honestly, I was fed up. Hadn’t I gone through enough? Was I under attack? Was it not enough that I had cancer at 25, had two surgeries and now this? The doctor was adamant that this was the case and wanted me to stay until the next morning so I could see a cardiologist. I spent yet another night in the hospital. The next morning I waited and waited and found out that a cardiologist wasn’t going to be available for quite some time. I asked to be released. I just couldn’t spend another hour in the hospital. I had just gotten out of the hospital and I wasn’t expecting to go back so soon. The doctor was against my decision and made me sign a waiver to leave. It honestly didn’t sit well with me; I just couldn’t believe that after having two surgeries that an enlarged heart wouldn’t have been caught so I gladly signed the forms and agreed to follow-up with a cardiologist of my choosing.

Upon returning home I called my primary doctor to let her know what was going on and she referred me to a cardiologist. I scheduled an appointment for the following week. When I went for my appointment they ran several tests and the doctors confirmed my thoughts that my heart wasn’t enlarged, but it did appear that there was some fluid on it and that was normal given I just had surgery.

Later that week I had my staples removed and it was pretty painless until they got to my lower abdominal region. I was finally on my way to truly healing and happy to be on this road of recovery. I knew that cancer was removed from my body, both surgeries were now behind me and although totally unexpected issues with my heart had arose, they had been ruled out and now the staples that were binding me together were gone. I had a little pep in my step; I think both figuratively and literally. It was like the staples really had me bound and bent over, but once removed I was able to stand a lot better on my own. I guess I never considered my entire journey. I now know it wasn’t and still isn’t going to be easy and some days will be harder than others, but one thing I do know that is certain is that God is on my side and with Him I can overcome anything.

I Hope to Never See You Here Again....

Once I finally made it home from the hospital after surgery #2 I was hit with a whirlwind of emotions. The morning that they told me I was going home I was elated about the news. I recall getting dressed and being wheeled to the lobby, but before I left all the nurses came by my room to give me a hug and one thing they all said that stuck out was, “ I hope to never see you here again.” I had grown an attachment to these nurses over the past couple of weeks and although I was happy to be going home I knew that I would miss them and their genuine concern, prayers and the 24 hour care I received from them. I guess I didn’t know what to really expect because I had heard so many horror stories of how nurses treated patients and so on, but this was not my experience. I was really grateful for them and it truly made me appreciate my oncologist, OB/GYN, the nursing staff, (whom I have since visited), and even the hospital itself.


Once I stepped foot on the other side of the doors I appreciated the fresh air. Going through a traumatic experience changes something on the inside of you. For me, it was being thankful for all of the small things and taking focus off things that really didn’t matter. I read somewhere, “It made me slow down and realize the important things and not sweat the small stuff.” This was true for me as well. When you undergo the knife not once but twice, you honestly don’t know if you will make it out. whether you will wake from surgery, if you will wake with all of your organs, or at least the ones you thought you would, if your organs will function the same and certainly when and if you’ll be going home. So when I got up from the wheelchair and smelled the fresh air, I could have cried because, let’s be honest, the hospital is filled with an array of smells many of which are unpleasant. I could have cried because I was leaving a place that had become home, I was leaving a place that had become comfortable and all of those concerns I had, had been lifted. It hit me that I was going home and I was cancer free. I knew my story wasn’t over and there would still be many hills to climb, but this day was the first of many blessed days to come because, unlike some, I made it out.

 

Endometriosis Awareness Month

 

Have you or anyone you know been affected by endometriosis? I wasn’t very familiar with this until a few years ago when my coworker experienced the very painful and quality of life effects of it. Well, I learned that March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t shed some light on this condition that affects 176 million women worldwide. It’s very important because it is the biggest cause of infertility in women.

 

Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects an estimated one in 10 women during their reproductive years. Of the 176 million affected women worldwide it usually begins between the ages of 15 and 49. This conditions means that tissue (the endometrium), which lines the inside of a woman’s uterus, grows outside the uterus. It can involve the ovaries, bowel or the tissue lining the pelvis. When a woman has endometriosis, tissue acts like it is supposed to, except that it is thick, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Since the tissue is displaced it has no way to exit the body. This means that surrounding tissue can become irritated and eventually lead to scar formation and adhesions. The biggest problem as mentioned with endometriosis is infertility, however, it is estimated that up to 70 percent of mild to moderate cases will eventually allow for pregnancy without treatment.

 

Risk factors include:

• Family history- if you have a family member who has had it
• Pregnancy history- women who haven’t had children have higher risk
• Menstrual history- women with short, heavier or longer than normal cycles may be at higher risk

Symptoms:

• Pelvic pain-most common
• Painful periods
• Pain following intercourse
• Discomfort with bowel movements
• Heavy bleeding during or between cycles
• Lower back pain
• Inability to get pregnant

Are You Willing to be a Sacrifice?!

I had an amazing week celebrating my cancerversary. It was my first and I'm believing it's the first of many, many years of celebrating Gods healing and miraculous works in my life. On my actual cancerversary date I celebrated at dinner with family to surprise my great-aunt on her birthday. It was important to me to celebrate her because this is the same aunt who flew to MI just last year to help take care of me, provide support and comfort to my husband and to see to the needs of our home after my surgery. It's just a testament to her that one year she would fly here to take care of me and the next year to celebrate with me. God is truly good and certainly in the blessing business.

I ended the week with a Cancerversary Celebration dinner party with 50 of our friends and family. It was an amazing time, an amazing outpouring of support and love and I was totally speechless by it all. As I mentioned before, you truly realize how blessed you are when you consider some women do not make it one year after their diagnosis, or much worse even two months after diagnosis as I mentioned in an earlier post.

I want to end this post with what I consider the most important point of all. I can recall right after diagnosis that I would often debate with myself, or perhaps it was the turmoil in my mind, about whether to question God on WHY ME? Why would He allow something like this to happen to ME? I was faithful. Hadn't I been through enough? What if my parents had to bury me and were then left childless or my husband had to bury me and be left all alone? These kinds of thoughts were running through my mind and really before they set in, or before I even considered speaking these things, God had already answered. The first thing he said was, “Why not you? Have you considered that not all things you go through are only just for you? You will gain something from this and so will many others.” Well, it wasn't until my cousin posted the image below that I was reminded of that. She told me that it was after I was diagnosed with cancer that her faith in God had increased because of me. She wasn’t the first to say this, but boy, when I saw it written it really sparked something in me! I want you all to remember that not everything you go through is simply just for you. God uses situations like this to get the attention of His people. Are you willing to be a sacrifice?!

It's MY Cancerversary!!

The facts are gruesome but God said different. I am one year cancer free!