Darn beast tried twice, but also lost twice.....I'm still alive and kickin!

KathiM
KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello, all!!!

 

I just 'celebrated' 11 years since my stage III rectal cancer diagnosis.  

What's so special, you are wondering?  Well, I was told all that long ago that I had "about 6 months to get my affairs in order".  Fooled THEM....at 6 months, I was starting treatment for my second cancer, stage II breast cancer!

 

Life sure has gone on, my book has a small group of loyal followers.  I am, as of October 11, an Oma (grandmother) of a handsome baby boy.  

I am also still living my wierd lifestyle of calling 2 countries 'home' (U.S. and the Netherlands).

My beau's new heart is now 2 years old. 

I experienced my first chocolate massage, and my first chocolate martini (both in the same spot during a weekend at Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania).

 

WHEW!

 

So, here I am....too onry for cancer to stick around long, I guess...

 

Hugs, Kathi

Comments

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,289 Member
    #2
    11 years, 2 cancers, man gets

    11 years, 2 cancers, man gets a new heart. Whew your tough enough for me to admire. Hearing "six months" would have knocked me flat, can't/won't think in time frames now or ever. I'd love to see Europe, but I don't see how chocolate can make for a better massage, seems a waste if you're not consuming it. Thanks for sticking around, it gives me hope..........Dave
     

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #3
    hugs Kathi

        Continuing congratulations on continued survival of you and your beau. I share the colorectal cancer with you and i probably share cyclosporine or some such horrible immuno suppressant with your beau. The Breast cancer is all yours. Seriously tho Kath all my love and best wishes, hugs ron.

  • lizard44
    lizard44 Member Posts: 409 Member
    #4
    Thanks for sharing

    your  good news about your 11 year "anniversary" and your man's 2 year new heart anniversary. I love survival stories Laughing

    Grace

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,428 Member
    #5
    Rock It Kathi

    Anyone who has chocolate massages and chocolate martnis ain't ornery, you are just good at giving the middle finger to cancer :)  

     

    Congrats on all the good stuff.  

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    beaumontdave said:

    11 years, 2 cancers, man gets

    11 years, 2 cancers, man gets a new heart. Whew your tough enough for me to admire. Hearing "six months" would have knocked me flat, can't/won't think in time frames now or ever. I'd love to see Europe, but I don't see how chocolate can make for a better massage, seems a waste if you're not consuming it. Thanks for sticking around, it gives me hope..........Dave
     

    Thank you, dear Dave!

    It's been a long road, and I have stayed 'in the game' so to speak....I mentor newly dx'ed cancer warriors...even wrote a funny book about it...

     

    As I say often, I hope that this road becomes the 'one less traveled', since that would mean cancer was on the downturn....until then, I just keep keepin' on...

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #7
    ron50 said:

    hugs Kathi

        Continuing congratulations on continued survival of you and your beau. I share the colorectal cancer with you and i probably share cyclosporine or some such horrible immuno suppressant with your beau. The Breast cancer is all yours. Seriously tho Kath all my love and best wishes, hugs ron.

    Hugs to you, too, dearest!

    Ron,

    I use your story (name removed...just call you 'one of my dear friends') often as an example of getting on with living after a HUGE fight!

     

    Yup....he is taking Celcept and Prograf.....and the side effects.....ewwwww....can you imagine....a big, tough, sarcastic Dutchman being prone to tears?  And now, of course, we get the second wave....he has his foot in a cast from Charcot foot from the diabetes from the 2 anti rejections drugs that are saving his life.  And the cardiac guy starts talking about 'long term sides' like cancer.....SHEECH!!!

     

    BIG hugs to you, my dear friend!!!

     

    Kathi

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #8
    lizard44 said:

    Thanks for sharing

    your  good news about your 11 year "anniversary" and your man's 2 year new heart anniversary. I love survival stories Laughing

    Grace

    You are welcome, dear Grace!

    As you can see, I am one of the 'golden oldies' (joined 2005) here....

     

    Lurk now, hardly ever posting....but I was thinking that this may raise someone's spirits to think that 2 people with life-threatening illnesses are still managing to live life LARGE!

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #9
    NewHere said:

    Rock It Kathi

    Anyone who has chocolate massages and chocolate martnis ain't ornery, you are just good at giving the middle finger to cancer :)  

     

    Congrats on all the good stuff.  

    Thank you, dearheart!

    I have, indeed, told cancer to pack it's bags, but never forget from where I came!

     

    CSN was a lifesaver for me, and I 'met' many friends that I still see....in fact, the trip to Hershey was to meet up with a group of gals from my 'other' cancer, breast....they (and now I) do this every year...

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • Cathleen Mary
    Cathleen Mary Member Posts: 827 Member
    #10
    KathiM said:

    Thank you, dearheart!

    I have, indeed, told cancer to pack it's bags, but never forget from where I came!

     

    CSN was a lifesaver for me, and I 'met' many friends that I still see....in fact, the trip to Hershey was to meet up with a group of gals from my 'other' cancer, breast....they (and now I) do this every year...

     

    Hugs, Kathi

    I think cancer just can't

    I think cancer just can't keep up with you! It never knows which country you are in or what you're up to. :-)

    keep enjoying life.

    CM

  • Easyflip
    Easyflip Member Posts: 588 Member
    #11
    Congratulations!

    You and your partner have a special insight into enjoying each day and making them all count. Keep on living "out loud" and experiencing what this beautiful world has to offer. It's the best way to beat cancer, show it that it cannot stop you from being your best self. Party on!

    Easyflip/Richard

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #12
    Cathleen Mary said:

    I think cancer just can't

    I think cancer just can't keep up with you! It never knows which country you are in or what you're up to. :-)

    keep enjoying life.

    CM

    I think you are correct, dear one!

    And now, add to that, I live in an Internationally famous town....Redlands, CA....the place of the mass shootings....sigh...

     

    I wish people would realize that there are ENOUGH things to kill people, without helping by killing them, too...

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #13
    Easyflip said:

    Congratulations!

    You and your partner have a special insight into enjoying each day and making them all count. Keep on living "out loud" and experiencing what this beautiful world has to offer. It's the best way to beat cancer, show it that it cannot stop you from being your best self. Party on!

    Easyflip/Richard

    Thank you, darling Richard!

    I will try to hold up my end....*grin*....especially around scope time!!!

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #14
    I want a chocolate massage, now

    I want a Cadbury's or Lindt chocolate massage.

    How wonderful that must have been. 

    You keep coming back here and shining your light. We love to see it, and follow. 

    Sue - Trubrit

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #15
    Trubrit said:

    I want a chocolate massage, now

    I want a Cadbury's or Lindt chocolate massage.

    How wonderful that must have been. 

    You keep coming back here and shining your light. We love to see it, and follow. 

    Sue - Trubrit

    Dear Sue.....

    I can only offer a chocolate martini (googled the recipe, found all of the ingredients....).

     

    Hershey WAS amazing, beyond just all of the chocolate.  We arrived at the hotel, greeted by the desk gal and handed a bar of chocolate.  Went on a trolley tour of Hershey, handed a bowl of chocolate kisses.  Even the street lights are kisses!!!  It's amazing!

     

    BIG hugs to you, dearest!

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • Buckles5
    Buckles5 Member Posts: 2
    #16
    KathiM said:

    Dear Sue.....

    I can only offer a chocolate martini (googled the recipe, found all of the ingredients....).

     

    Hershey WAS amazing, beyond just all of the chocolate.  We arrived at the hotel, greeted by the desk gal and handed a bar of chocolate.  Went on a trolley tour of Hershey, handed a bowl of chocolate kisses.  Even the street lights are kisses!!!  It's amazing!

     

    BIG hugs to you, dearest!

     

    Hugs, Kathi

    Thank you Kathy for sharing your story!

    Kathy my husband has colorectal cancer and it recurred one year to the month as it was diagaonised. It changed our lives as are whole world revolves around recovery. My world revolves around helping him feel better and the fear of losing him. But your story gives me so much positive hope. Thank you! 

  • Buckles5
    Buckles5 Member Posts: 2
    #17
    KathiM said:

    Dear Sue.....

    I can only offer a chocolate martini (googled the recipe, found all of the ingredients....).

     

    Hershey WAS amazing, beyond just all of the chocolate.  We arrived at the hotel, greeted by the desk gal and handed a bar of chocolate.  Went on a trolley tour of Hershey, handed a bowl of chocolate kisses.  Even the street lights are kisses!!!  It's amazing!

     

    BIG hugs to you, dearest!

     

    Hugs, Kathi

    Thank you Kathy for sharing your story!

    Kathy my husband has colorectal cancer and it recurred one year to the month as it was diagaonised. It changed our lives as our whole world revolves around recovery. My world revolves around helping him feel better, adjusting to our new normal,and my  fear of losing him. But your story gives me so much positive hope. Thank you! 

  • DD3
    DD3 Member Posts: 136 Member
    #18
    What

    a awesome story and even better outcome.  I guess cancer messed with the wrong individual.  Ha.... Congrats and here's to many more years posting on this board and inspiring us all.

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #19
    Buckles5 said:

    Thank you Kathy for sharing your story!

    Kathy my husband has colorectal cancer and it recurred one year to the month as it was diagaonised. It changed our lives as are whole world revolves around recovery. My world revolves around helping him feel better and the fear of losing him. But your story gives me so much positive hope. Thank you! 

    You are welcome, dear one!

    The hardest job, in my opinion, is caregiving.  I have had that role, as well as the patient role, with my beau of 24 years and his new heart.

     

    PLEASE take care of you, too, dearheart....without you being healthy, you cannot help him.

     

    My favorite story is this:  If you have ever flown in an airplane, before taking off, there is a safety speech.  They go through all emergency procedures, as well as how to put your seatbelt on.  One of the last things said is "If there is a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will fall.  If you are traveling with someone who needs help, PUT YOUR MASK ON FIRST, and then theirs."

     

    I try never to forget to put my mask on first....

     

    Hugs, Kathi

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #20
    DD3 said:

    What

    a awesome story and even better outcome.  I guess cancer messed with the wrong individual.  Ha.... Congrats and here's to many more years posting on this board and inspiring us all.

    Thank you, dear one!

    At one time I questioned why I survived.  And then realized the answer was (and still is) because I am not done yet.

     

    Hugs, Kathi

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