Never Give Up...From Hospice to Cancer Free

That is a truly amazing story. How did you get from hospice to cancer free. Did you go back on chemo/surgeries once you were strong enough to leave hospice?

carrieh said:

Fighting Spirit, Luck, Love

Hi Guys

Its a long story but in a nutshell....

 

People ask me how I did it and I beleive it was a combination of different actions and people. I definately didn't walk it alone. I will never know the true why or how of it. I started with positivity. I made the promise to myself to never say die...literally. I would say I'm sick and I'm going to get better. I guess some people think I'm the "annoying" positive girl but I feel that our minds tell our body what to do. I definately made it a point to keep fighting. I also....and I guess this is kind of bad....so no one do this please....but I wasn't allowed to eat or drink for around 6 months..NPO. I would throw up any and everything I ate but it would take a good half hour or so to come back up. I cheated BIG TIME. I had everyone sneak me fruit, cheeseburgers, slushies...whatever sounded good. I knew I would throw it up but it made me happy to taste food, to wet my mouth...and I woundered if maybe I would get some of the nutrition...honestly, I probaly lost more by throwing up...? But that happiness was a big deal for me. I actually aspirated during a surgery because of doing this though...spent 22 days on a ventilator with my hands tied down in ICU..so dont recommemd it. I also wasnt allowed to leave the floor of the hospital because of the amoumt of pain medicine I was on...again...I cheated. I would have to sit down every 10-20 steps and rest in hallway chairs...but down the elevator I would go and all the way across the hospital...outside into the sunshine and read everyday. The nurses and doctors would see me and eventually looked the other way. When I couldnt walk anymore, I had my family help me escape the hospital at least once a day. When surgery failed, doctors couldnt even get a feeding tube in, I was supposed to die of sepsis very quickly. I was sent home and told I had a couple of days. I remember the doctors telling me I wouldnt make it and thinking to myself watch me. I guess plain old stubborness played a big part. I had promised my daughter summer that I would come home to her NO MATTER what and I meant it. After 5 days at home...couldnt even  lift my own head anymore, clean myself, feel my legs...I had someone take me back to the hospital. If I had listened to the doctors and stayed home...I would have died from dehydration, infection...etc... but since I had outlasted their prediction I thought what the heck? Lets try again. They were shocked to see me. Did another surgery which was sucessful (radiation had melted my intestines)...and basically my body scarred in a way inside that blocked the infection from spreading. Was it positivity, sheer luck, friends and family praying, me being stubborn, an awesome surgeon...? Im not sure honestly. I think it was all of those things. It was my promise to my daugher. It was the hardest but most rewarding experience of my life. Doctors can be wrong and no matter what anyone says, I beleive its ok to hope against all odds. I hear people say not to have false hope and things like that...I understand why people say that...but gosh...what else is hope for? Ive had a couple of surgeries since hospice and have another one coming up because I still throw up everyday and have some other issues. I am currently cancer free, can drive, walk through a whole grocery store ALONE, and do 2 minutes on an exercise bike. Not bad for a "doomed" girl huh?  My cancer is HNPCC and has an 85 percent recurrance rate. Heres hoping and beleiving that it will never come back.

Lots of love, luck, and hope to everyone,

Carrie

You are remarkable!  Good for you!  Glad to hear from you.  It is awesome to hear such stories.  What we can accomplish from deep within is something no one can stop!

Keep going girl!

Thank you so much for sharing, you truly amazing. May cancer stay the heck away from you always.