Heather contacted me to see if she could help spread her story on my blog. I said, "Absolutely!" I think it's a wonderful lesson in hope.
Lessons from Cancer: Surviving the Impossible
Throughout life we are taught all kinds of important lessons, especially ones about humility and strength. There are times when you think you can't ever come down from happiness, but then life throws a curve ball. I got that curve ball about eight years ago. It was just 3 ½ months after I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Lily. It was so unexpected that it's still hard for me to believe now. I was so happy when Lily was in my arms that I could never imagine what was to come just 3 ½ months later.
I went to work full time after the baby came. I was tired all of the time and I began to notice that I was losing weight at a rate of about 5 to 7 pounds per week. Something was wrong, but I didn't really know what it was. My doctor had to run a lot of tests, and it was just three days before Thanksgiving when I went back to hear the diagnosis. I was expecting some kind of vitamin deficiency, something that I had been forgetting to do all this time that was suddenly catching up with me.
As my husband and I sat in the doctor's office, I couldn't believe what was happening to me. I had malignant pleural mesothelioma, a type of cancer that infiltrates the lining of your lungs and other organs. The doctor only gave me 15 months to live without treatment. That simply wasn't going to happen. I had to be there for my daughter and husband. It was the only thing going through my mind. I wasn't done with life. There were a few hospitals, but no one had the program that we needed except for a specialist in Boston.
I traveled from Minnesota to Boston and my surgery was on February 2, 2006. The surgery I had was an Extrapleural pneumonectomy, which removed my left lung, part of my chest lining, heart lining, and diaphragm. I spent 18 days recovering in the hospital, and after another 2 months of recovery I began chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Some days were worse than others, and I'll never forget trying to find the strength just to hold her and remember how lucky I was to have her.
I don't know what would have happened to our family without the help of my parents and friends. My parents were the ones who cared for Lily while I was in the hospital. Family and friends really wanted to see me get better and helped us all fight together. It was such an amazing lesson in friendship and being humble towards others while also finding inner strength. I'll never forget nor can I ever thank them so much for what they did and the help they provided.
Although cancer is such a
horrible life-changing event, it is important that we find the positives of every
situation. This changed my life and helped shape who I am today as a person in
more ways than one for the better, and I am thankful to be alive today for my
family and to share my story.
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OMG, Heather - I was reading your post and nodding my head throughout. Like you, 8 years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer (malignant ductal carcinoma in situ aka breast cancer in left breast). My son was 22 months old at the time, and when he hit the 18 months zone, I had a bout of post natal depression. That's when I started to lose weight at a staggering rhythm. But I thought it was the depression, and me not eating well in the middle of coping and caring for a toddler (usually alone, coz my husband travelled a lot back then). I lost close to 20 pounds in 2 months, and at first I was happy the pregnancy/baby weight was coming off.
ReplyDeleteFinding a lump in my breast when I was showering was a wakeup moment. This happened a week after my 22nd birthday. I never imagined cancer could strike so young. Followed up came surgery (radical mastectomy) and a battery of tests. A month later, I had started chemotherapy, and after 5 months, it was radiotherapy.
But true, cancer teaches you to find faith and courage and strength when you feel none of that will be possible - exactly as you say it - surviving the impossible.
Still, I think people like you and I should speak up, because there IS life after and beyond cancer! Everyone should realize that, esp people who've just been diagnosed and feel like the world is falling apart around them.
You have amazing strength and courage, Heather! Thank you for sharing and reaching out! HUGS