I have been home now for 11 days. I have no plans to get on a plane for 17 more days. Even with my rudimentary math skills, I calculate 28 days at home in Park City at 7000 feet. That’s nearly a month. That hasn’t happened since January, if I remember right. And back then,…
Chapter II
In September of 2013, doctors diagnosed me with a malignant 5cm mass, discovered during a regularly-scheduled MRI (which I have as part of my follow-up from a 2001-2002 breast cancer battle). After surgery and tests, I learned that I had thymic carcinoma -- a rare and fast-growing cancer of the Thymus gland. Usually, it’s not diagnosed until it’s already spread to the lungs, heart, or other places, because it can be fairly symptomless. I was blessed, as my oncologist said, that my regular MRIs helped catch it early. My outlook would have been much worse if this had been discovered months later.
I am documenting my journey through Cancer Part II in the hopes that it will educate and inspire others who are facing a difficult diagnosis. In the days after I left the hospital, I sat down with my colleagues at Growing Bolder to share my thoughts on this new challenge. As we say -- I am Surviving & Thriving.
“Let’s See What Happens”
I suppose my entire experience with Thymic Cancer has revolved around “Let’s see what happens.” I suppose everyone who lives clinical trial to clinical trial can claim that as well, rightfully so. As of Thursday, I am in a new “Let’s See What Happens” phase, but one that is not going to push my cancer…
Change Your Mind
Wow. This post might have been better named “Change Your Course.” I started down one little tributary and ended up in a completely different rushing river. Here’s the tributary (illustrated, of course): We either have been that person (ARE that person… and in that case, what are you doing here?) or know that person. We…
Never Surrender, (Dorothy)!
OK, So the title of this blog is a negative: “NEVER surrender.” Much different than my usual positive messages of DEFY! LIVE FEARLESSLY! EAT PIE FOR BREAKFAST! Sometimes, putting myself at the helm of the battleship every minute of every day gets a bit tiresome (except for the “pie for breakfast” part). I just keep…
Good News With no *’s or BUT’s or Qualifications
I have had a couple of Very Good Days in a row. Not good days relative to other days, but genuinely good days, full of good news and forward movement. My CT scan showed no disease progression, even though I’ve been off the Everolimus for a month. Doctor Akerley used the word “remarkable,” which is…
RX => R and R (and then whatever comes next)
I’m going to pretend like three weeks didn’t just whiz by with no update. Because there’s a pretty good update. The bronchoscopy revealed that I had an impressively gnarly Pneumocystis jirovecii Detect by Real-Time PCR (that’s what my chart says). My docs think I may have had it since my first pneumonia back in November. That…