It's been a year since I've posted anything here. I guess I didn't have anything to say. Well all that has changed for me. I'm fighting for a longer life right now. Yes, the big C, Cancer has caught up with me.
My story starts back in 2021 during our year of lock down due to Covid. I went to my primary Doctor for a normal check up as I do every 3 months. I'm type two diabetic, therefore my blood work gets checked on that schedule. While there I told my Physician's Assistant I was concerned by some vaginal bleeding, a concern when you're post-menopausal. She suggested I make an appointment with a genecologist. From this point I'm going to outline the time frame for you:
February 2021 - Saw a genecologist.
March 2021 - had an ultrasound
April 2021 - I went back to genecologist for results and consultation. Her recommendation was to have a biopsy. I was told I would get a call to set up an appointment at the hospital.
This is where things went wrong, I never got a call from anyone. Also at this time (May 2021) I found out that my son Bob was diagnosed with cancer. The next months were some of the worst of my life. He passed away in September and I was devastated. As you might imagine, I wasn't thinking about me and my health. In other words, I blew it off. I had plenty of excuses, must be covid related reason for hospital not calling was the one I used the most.
Jump forward to 2022 - Another appointment with my primary. He asked me about my original concerns regarding my gynecological problems. I told him I never got a call from anyone and I wasn't too thrilled with the Doctor I saw anyway. He recommended another Doctor and urged me to make an appointment. I did because now my discomfort has increased to add pain to the mix.
April 2023 - First appointment with Dr. Sutherland. His recommendation was a biopsy. I agreed to have it done at Community.
June 28, 2023 - Checked into Same day surgery and had the biopsy done.
July 5, 2023 - appointment with Dr. Sutherland for results. Biopsy is positive for Cancer. Referred me to Dr. Hackett for further treatment.
July 13, 2023 - First appointment with Surgeon, Dr. Hackett. He recommended complete hysterectomy.
July 26, 2023- Went to Community for pre op testing.
August 8, 2023 - Checked into Hospital for surgery. Things didn't go as planned. My surgery was more complicated, Dr. Hackett couldn't do the laparoscopic/robotic procedure. My hystorectomy was done the old fashioded way. My stay in the hospital was 4 days.
August 16, 2023 - Follow up appointment with Dr. Hackett. My prognosis was not good. My cancer has spread outside the uterus. Dr. Hackett referred me to and Oncologist, Dr. Tang.
August 24, 2023 - First appointment with Dr. Tang. I liked him right away because he didn't hold back on the reality of what I'm up against. There's no cure but my condition is treatable to extend what time I have left.
Sept. 8, 2023 - Appt. at Community Outpatient dept. to have port implanted. This is for easier administration of Chemo drugs. The actual procedure took about an hour. It was uncomfortable but I was mildly sedated and alert.
Sept. 11, 2023 - Back to Community Outpatient dept. for a CT Scan. This was to establish a base line for future scans. Hopefully future scans will show improvement after receiving chemo.
Sept. 18, 2023 - First day of Chemo treatment. Reported to Infusion Center at 8:00. The center is very well run and everything was going smoothly. Around 1:00 pm I had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs. The staff were incredible and reacted immediately. Treatment was cancelled and I was transported to the ER. I was checked out there and it was determined it was indeed a reaction to the drug.
Sept. 25, 2023 - Reported to Infusion Center to start again. Everything went well this time. A replacement was ordered and I received my full chemo treatment. I will be going every Monday for how ever long it takes to receive treatment.
This brings me up to date on my timeline. So far I haven't had any side effects from my first chemo treatment. Keeping my figures crossed to keep it that way.
I know this has been long, but hopefully even if it helps only one person going through something like me, it will be worth it.
If I can give one good piece of advice it's this, Don't be afraid to seek treatment for anything abnormal with your health. Your life could depend on it.
I will try my best to update my blog at least once a week.
