It's MY Cancerversary!!

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

Praise Report

I would like to pick up where I left off with my story from December 31, 2015. At the end of December I wrote that I was in a place of vulnerability. A foreign place, a place I had never been, a place I didn’t want to stay, however, this place is where I learned and gained my strength. I told the story of how I was now in the hospital after my second surgery. I was being pushed to walk and become active at least three times a day. I had to push through the pain; I required help up and down from the bed and with basic everyday functions. This continued for a week, and each day I got a little stronger.

Every day my husband would push the visiting hours to stay as long as he could because I had a roommate and hospital rules prohibited someone of the opposite sex from staying overnight. He would stay until nearly midnight most nights and return again as early as 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. the next morning. We tried to get a private room so he could stay, but my name was at the bottom of the list. On Thursday, one of the nurses informed me that someone had been moved and I could now finally have my own room. I was elated! My husband could stay the night. Friends came by and it was like being “normal” again in the privacy and comfort of our own home. That night the nurses mentioned that I might possibly go home and that was the best news I had heard in a long time.

The next morning around 5:00 a.m. when the nurses came in to check on me the first question I asked was, “Has it been confirmed that I’m going home today?” After checking with my oncologist the nurse was able to confirm that I was going home. I arranged for my grandfather to pick me up from the hospital because he had a truck and I had already learned after my first surgery that a truck would be easier to crawl in and out of and to minimize the effects of speed bumps etc. My husband, on the other hand, packed up the room filled with flowers, edible arrangements and teddy bears and headed home to prepare the house for my arrival.

Upon leaving he ran into my oncologist who yelled out, “Reverend Bridges, Reverend Bridges, we have your wife’s pathology report!” My husband said this caught him off guard because this same doctor had never addressed him by anything other than Sir or Mr. Bridges even though he had been introduced by his profession and calling of, Minister Bridges. We learned that my doctor unlike us, was not a believer. He went on to say,” I have been practicing for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this before, it’s as if your wife never had cancer in her body. Take her home and get ready to start your family. I don’t know who or what you believe in, but I want to get to know Him!”

I’m Just a Nobody Trying to Tell Everybody….

On Tuesday February 2^nd one of our teal sisters got her wings just less than two short months after diagnosis. Brittany Burns, fiancée of Tony Steward a Buffalo Bills linebacker at age 25, just like me, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It is said she had a very rare form of ovarian cancer. Right after her diagnosis she and Tony started a campaign to help other women facing similar hardships. Her campaign is called “Fight Like a Girl” and if you would like to support it you can do so by following this link: https://www.crowdrise.com/brittandtonysfightli

I wanted to feature the life of Brittany this week for a couple of reasons: 1. The first thing I thought about after reading her story was something I have already said and really got to understand this last year and that is that cancer is not discriminatory. Regardless of your age, race, notoriety, or even the amount of money you have it can impact you. I realize that it’s a blessing I am still alive. I am just a nobody, no notoriety and no money, but I am thankful that God saw fit for this nobody to live and talk about the somebody who saved my life and can do the same for others. I simply started this blog to share my story and stories like Brittany’s and others because I realized it’s a blessing to live, to advocate and certainly bring awareness of cancer and other health concerns that plague women.

The second thought I had is very similar to the first and that was; knowing the symptoms of cancer is very important. We learned that Brittany lost her life just less than two short months after diagnosis and I can’t help but wonder if she had symptoms. If like me, she realized after diagnosis that it all began to make sense; the fatigue, back aches, bloating, frequent urination and abdominal pain just to name a few of the common symptoms of ovarian cancer.   The fact remains the same; the best detection is early detection and that can be achieved by awareness.

 

It's World Cancer Day!!

 

 

 

What is World Cancer Day?

 It's a global event that take place every February 4th that unites the population  in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.

Why is it important?

 

Currently, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years)

 

More than 1,085,000 are diagnosed with Gynecologic cancer worldwide.

 

 

How can we help?

 

• Let's turn our profiles purple
• Support advanced research
• Promote earlier awareness
• embrace healthy lifestyles
• Share the warning signs