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Everyone has a story! Would you share yours with us? Please email us and tell us about you and your walk through the cancer road, whether it is as a survivor, caregiver, family member or friend. It may be funny or inspiring, but it is sure to help someone else!
TO ALL WHO SENT A STORY BEFORE OCTOBER 30, 2008:
There was a glitch in the email setup, and your story was not received but fell into a black hole somewhere. We hope that you will accept our apology, and that you will resend your story!
You are so important to us, and we would love to hear from you!
Pam: I was lucky! By the time I was diagnosed, I was sooo sick that I felt tons better on chemo! I was also blessed with incredible support from friends and even people I didn't know. One of the friends who was so incredible, is Karen McDuffy, the person this site is dedicated to. When Karen found out I was in the hospital, she came and sat by my bedside. She literally held my hand through tests and my first chemo! Karen was my inspiration and my hero! My other friends were incredible, too. They tell me I never lost my sense of humor. Two things I remember are: laughing about how unfair it was that I lost the hair on my head, but still had to shave my legs! and that I got lymphedema--backup of lymph fluid that causes swelling, usually in an arm. Well, as luck would have it, I got it in my right BOOB!!! It was soooo huge the skin was shiny and I had to prop it up with my arm! Man, did it hurt! I went to my oncologist, a nice, reserved, shy-ish sort of guy, and told him: "If you don't fix this, I will have to pay your bill by being a right-sided porn star!" Well, he about died trying to cover his laugh, but... I never did get charged for that bone marrow biopsy he did....hmmmm...
Another sign of God's Grace: When Karen died, I was in Maine. I got back the night before her funeral, and with three kids and a husband to unpack, and all the other chores required when coming home from family vacation, I didn't have much time to think, never-mind do my nails. Well, I realized as I was leaving for Karen's funeral that the only shoes I had were open-toed, and my toenails were painted bright purple--totally inappropriate for a funeral. My husband said, 'nobody is going to be looking at your toenails! Don't worry about it!' Well, the very first people I see, are Nancy and Bill, Karen's mom and dad, and Bill looks out from behind Nancy and says 'Nancy, look, her toenails are purple!" Well, I about died of embarrassment until Nancy told me Karen's favorite color was purple, and they even had purple balloons inside! I paint my toenails purple every summer in memory of Karen!
Sandi: In 2006, both my husband and I retired from our full time jobs. 5 days later I found out that I had breast cancer. Through months of surgery, radiation and chemo, he was there by my side every step of the way. Having him with me gave me strength and made my treatments bearable. I thank God every day for my husband.
Kelly: I had surgery for brain cancer 5 1/2 years ago. I do not have any funny stories everything was a battle but I do appreciate all the wonderful people that helped me be it my mom, the doctors (there are too many to say), the nurses at the hospitals or the physical/speach/occupational therapists. My doctor at Allegheny General in Pittsburgh - Dr Oliver-Smith is a wonderful person. He saved my life!! I have a son who is 19 years old now and he had to deal with a lot at age 14. This time was not fun at all but you do what needs to be done for those in your life that love you and it is a miracle how the body can bounce back.
Theresa: My cousin went through breast cancer and double mastectomy. She has 4 sons, and they range in age from 9 to 18. She lost all her hair because of chemo --- and one day when she came home -- all four boys had shaved their heads!!!! She laughed and cried and sent us all photos!!
Just wanted to share this single experience of someone facing cancer, and how laughter is a necessary ingredient in the formula of cure!
p.s.--she also got reconstructive surgery-went from A to C size--and is considered cancer free!!!
Katie: There are many funny stories along the way, people just need to be looking. I went through treatment for breast cancer eight years ago. My daughter was two at the time. For seven months whenever we were getting ready to leave she would hear, "Let me put my hair on Emma and we'll head out." The day finally came when enough hair had grown back that we left the house without my wig. We were almost to the car and Emma cried out, "Oh no mom, you forgot your hair!"
Colleen: My sister-in-law Annie fought cancer for 8 years. She had a number of surgeries, 9 major surgeries in those 8 years. After each surgery, she stayed with us to recuperate. Her fourth surgery was at Christmas time. My children were young --- my daughter 6, my son 4. Annie became very close to the kids and wanted to spend as much time as she could with them. After surgery was to remove a growth in her left lung, she was doing her "breathing exercises", and my son asked her to blow up his sock-em boppers he had gotten for Christmas. We told him no, but Auntie Annie was a good sport, and didn't want to let her favorite nephew down. So, she blew for about 5 minutes to get one bopper blown up, gave it to my son, and told him he'd have to wait a little while to get the other. My husband decided to blow up the second, so my son asked his favorite Aunt to help him get the blown up one on. She did, though it took great effort. There she sat, out of wind, tired, but happy. Then my son hauled off and "bopped" his Auntie Annie! She laughed so hard! Anne: My mom was diagnosed after symptoms of fatigue - she always had so much energy, that this was so unlike her. The doctor thought she may have had pneumonia, so they took a chest xray. They did the tests, biopsies, etc and long story short, they gave her a year. She was 51 and I had just found out I was pregnant with my first child. She died at the age of 52, when my son was 3 months old.
If I can say something good came out of it, was that my mom, as well as me, found faith. We were Christians, but not practicing. Her best friend's mom (who was in her late 80's) would come and read scripture to her and help her prepare for her journey. Once my mom accepted that she would not recover (she was in denial for a LONG time), she found her peace with God. I,too, turned back to God for strength to get through this. Some days I thought I would collapse. I worked full time, had a baby, husband, house, dog and sat with her everyday from the time I got out of work until I was passing out from being tired. I was with her when she died. It was very traumatic, but I knew she was finally at peace.
Without my family and God, I don't think I would have made it.
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