On November 29, 2017 I marked the ten-year anniversary of
my breast cancer surgery. I know that I have shared before that I think of that
day as my cancer-free date. Ten years ago I was healing from a lumpectomy and
facing a round of chemotherapy followed by radiation treatments. I was also
finishing up law school with a graduation date of March 1, 2008. I was
reviewing some correspondence to family and friends during that time and
thought I’d share a few notes with you.
From
November 2007:
“What is most
amazing to me is number of people I am sending this to. God has truly blessed
me with some tremendous friends. Your love and support is my strength.”
From
December 2007:
“I had a call
from my surgeon this afternoon. My lymph nodes were clear – no cancer. And she
was able to get clean margins. Both of these are excellent news. The diagnosis
is officially stage one.”
“We met with
the oncologist today. The doctors continue to get good news. As a result of my
various pathology reports the recommendation is to still do a series of
chemotherapy treatments. However, the treatments will be a total of four treatments,
every three weeks (as opposed to eight treatments every other week).”
“My doctor told
me I was a remarkable patient because the news is continually better than
expected. I know that it
is the power of prayer.”
From January 2008:
“Thought I’d share a funny
little side effect. I’ve been joking around at work that the chemo has
compromised my immune system so my brain isn’t working right. Little did I know
that there is a name for it: chemo-brain. Yes, I was reading last night that
some chemo patients experience significant short-term memory loss. At least
mine is minor enough to not cause too much damage at work.”
From February 2008:
“Wednesday is my third treatment and
everything went about the same after treatment #2 as it did after treatment #1.
Therefore, I'm pretty confident that I know how things will go. I did buy some
hats and am enjoying them. It is kind of fun to pick out a hat to go with
today's outfit. I have enough variety to keep it interesting.”
From
March 2008:
“Saturday,
March 1 was graduation. It was a wonderful and very special ceremony. My
classmates are my heroes. We accomplished something truly amazing. We made it
through law school and earned our degrees.”
“My update
comes as the result of a slight set-back. I was admitted to the hospital Monday
night due to a very low white blood count.”
From April 2008:
“I am feeling
better. My white blood count is up over 5,000, which is where it should be. My
head cold has gone away, though I still have a residual cough. My energy is
best in the morning and good in the evenings. I have a “2 p.m. slump” but I
think that is normal. I am told that I may begin to feel more fatigue after two
or three weeks of radiation treatments. It’s a cumulative effect. However, I’ve
been encouraged to do some light exercise; specifically walking (or the
treadmill at the gym). Now if we could just get rid of winter.”
“Thank you for
taking care of me over these months. Your prayers and love have been my
support.”
From May 2008:
“Radiation
treatments are routine and there is not much to report.”
“My hair is
coming in nicely. I am still self-conscious about the length and the amount of
gray so I will keep wearing hats for a while. Now that spring is here (I think)
I’ve switched over to my beautiful baseball caps. I have received many
complements on my different hats and it is kind of fun to pick out a hat to
wear each morning.”
“I hope this
finds everyone well. I am thankful for your love, prayers and support. I could
not have gotten through this without you.”
November 29, 2008
Dearest Friends
& Family –
One year ago,
on November 29, I had my surgery for breast cancer. I celebrate today as my one
year anniversary of being cancer free. I know I faced other challenges with
chemotherapy and radiation over the past winter, by I count those as
preventative medicine. I truly believe that I was cancer free as of my surgery.
I owe each and every one of you a huge debt of gratitude for your love, prayers
and support. I learned that you can get through anything with the love of your
friends. I also believe that I received the gift of healing between the time of
my diagnosis on November 2 and my surgery. Even my doctors were amazed at my
various test results. I know that came from the faith that each one of you
carries.
While the past
year was filled with challenges and losses, it was also filled with grace, love
and many gifts. I am thankful for so many things: my health, passing the bar
exam, and my new kitten to name a few. However, love and hope remain the
greatest gifts I received. Each one of you expressed your love in a unique way
and I treasure each one. I send this with a virtual hug and plan to give you
one in person the next time I see you. Please celebrate with me at this time of
thanksgiving.
Today
With much love
and gratitude, thank you for ten years of life.
If you enjoy my blog and would like to follow me on Facebook, I can be found at The Reluctant Survivor. And on Twitter @relucsurvivor.
