An adaptation of a great line from one of my favorite movies keeps rolling around in my head after finding out that, guess what? My disease is NOT not growing at all. Upon closer inspection of my radiology reports from the last 20 months, Dr G says there are two lesions in my lung lining…
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.
One Goal
If I were posting this in the old days (I cringe even as I write that, as those “old days” don’t seem…. old), there would be a wire trash basket full of wadded up pieces of paper in the corner of the room. And a bigger pile of paper outside the basket, since I’m not…
World Turning
I’m on a Southwest plane on the way back to Maryland/DC. I just spent six weeks at home in Park City, for the first time in about three years, I believe. It’s been terrific. I have been able to host friends and family, reconnect with local lovies, gain traction with my training, and set up a…
50-50
The news is…. a whole lot of ok. Good and, well not BAD, but not what I wanted and presenting more unknowns. It could end up being good, but it could also turn out to be terrible. Welcome to my life. First, the good news: Not only is the disease stable, there is some shrinkage…
Fear… Not
Some of my friends say they worry about me because I seem to be missing the “Fear Gene.” Fear is rarely a limiter in my life. I’m often agreeing to do something before I work through the details. And in most cases, leapfrogging over fear to decision-making (read: saying YES) has led to great adventure. It may…
The Thanksgiving Clock
For whatever reason, Thanksgiving has been a mile marker for my life, my whole life. It started in college. Thanksgiving was the first time I got to go home after leaving for school in Indiana. I’d be lying if I said the girls on my floor in Teter Quad didn’t have a pool going on whether…