A Year Ago Today

Easyflip said:

It is

a roller coaster with big big downs so we have to make big big ups to balance it out, right? Pull out all the stops when celebrating because thelse moments are precious. Congratulations on your 1 year survivorship! Now it's time to apply the lessons learned going forward. Enjoy!

Easyflip/Richard

You, Sue and a couple of others were the people I first remember here, and you were the first one to mention the cream for the port to me.  Thanks again for that one  I have been my best to pay it all forward.  Though I am one of the ones who does not talk about having this to most people, when I find someone who has it, particularly more so for new diagnosis, I let them know and they see how I am doing.  I had a patient on my ambulance with cancer.  I mentioned my situation.  You could see the relief cross their face "You understand what this is all about" they told me and made it better for them.  One of those moments where I made lemonade out of the lemon

JanJan63 said:

Good for you. I try to do

Good for you. I try to do that as well. I don't go around telling people I have/had cancer but if someone needs some encouragement I try to do that as often as possible. And to advocate getting colonoscopies. I've told a few people that my husband had one recently because I'd pushed him and he had several polyps removed and one was precancerous. I hope someone thinks about what I've said and is proactive. I don't know what else to do. I don't want to hear about a single person getting this diagnosis ever again. I hope they find a good cure in my lifetime so I can rejoice before I'm gone.

Telling people is so important.  Like most things, I think these types of things thought of get glossed over, or "Yeah next month," which turns into next year.  "Hi I had my insides ripped out and poison pumped into me for six months.  Get this thing checked to stop this from happening to you." 

We will both celebrate JJ.  I know someone who went to Sloan recently for a different kind of cancer than ours.  Been living with this for awhile with not Sloan.  They are fairly confident they found the DNA sequencing and have a very targeted thing to work.  It will come for all of us.  

I really love your avatar. I think I said that before.  I love animals of all sorts.  

JanJan63 said:

Thanks New Here! That's my

Thanks New Here! That's my baby, his name is Prince. We've had him for over fifteen years. I'm also a huge animal advocate and owned a dog daycare before cancer took it away because I couldn't run it anymore. We have three dogs, too, a pitbull, a pitbull/rottie cross and a lab/cocker cross. They've been a huge help with my recovery. They're always up for cuddles or snuggles.

I should have gone for a colonoscopy a few years before the one that showed the cancer but I was scared and thought it would be embarassing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Embarassing? I've had someone look up my butt so many times since then it's laughable. And last year after the blood clot when I'd been paralyzed by the stroke from it I spent 3 months in a diaper being changed by nurses. Now that's embarassing. Having to call the desk to ask to have my diaper changed, ugh, embarassing. Having my ostomy bag fill up to the size of a grapefruit so it shows under my shirt, embarassing. Having it burst when out for a nice dinner theatre for which I'd paid $75 for the ticket and had to leave with the bag contents soaked into the whole tummy area right up to my bra, embarassing.

Jan

Animals are amazing.  I do not have any dogs now, but have had many through the years.  Took care of my Dad's dogs also in recent years, where they would spend a week or two with us.   We always had larger dogs (smallest maybe 65 pounds) and many 100+   The last one was about 85.  But when I was around she was a lap dog.  It was too funny.  She would look around to make sure the coast was clear before jumping on my lap and leaning back into my chest with a big sigh.  I was the only one though.  

I've had someone look up my butt so many times since then it's laughable. 

I had my port flushed today and that came up in conversation.  Before this, the thought of all those things left me embarrassed also.  After going through all this (including the wonderful catheter removal, was shocked when I woke up and saw that, though of course I should have known)  it definately  changed.  Want to talk about my bowel movements and passing gas?  Well pull up a chair and come over here to talk about it.