Thank God

Oly
Oly Member Posts: 19
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I was diagnosed with colon cancer last October and had a colonic resection in November, 2002. As bad as that was, it was the climax of a year I hope never to suffer again. In March, I contracted shingles that I suspect were invited by cardiac distresses that led to a hospitalization to insert a stent in July, followed by the same problem in another cardiac artery in August.

This year began with a cardiac procedure for DOUBLE restenosis in March.

I have to wonder: am I lucky or cursed?

The only light in this tunnel is that my cancer was class 1.

Comments

  • VictoriaC
    VictoriaC Member Posts: 2
    #2


    You are blessed to be here, and the light in the tunnel is your life! Celebrate the big picture! I am praying for your cardiac problems to be eased. :)
  • Jeff57
    Jeff57 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Having had the shock of my life when I was diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2002, I understand your feelings. I was lucky and we caught it early and despite the surgery and impact to my life I believe any of us who survive to talk about it are lucky. I also believe we should be here for each other and help educate people on the need for early diagnostic testing. I never suspected it was cancer and while, once in a while, I would have a symptom it was rare and not a pattern. I was fortuante enough to have a doctor who believed in testing and we caught it early but not early enough to avoid surgery. Lucky in that it had not spread into the lymphnodes and was contained in one area. They removed a portion of my colon and I had a follow up clonoscopy last month and was clean save for two small polyps which were benign.
  • Oly
    Oly Member Posts: 19
    #4
    VictoriaC said:



    You are blessed to be here, and the light in the tunnel is your life! Celebrate the big picture! I am praying for your cardiac problems to be eased. :)

    As another e-pal put it, it is, indeed, good to be heard from. It's just that every now and again the weight of recent events lands on me with a thud.
  • Oly
    Oly Member Posts: 19
    #5
    Jeff57 said:

    Having had the shock of my life when I was diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2002, I understand your feelings. I was lucky and we caught it early and despite the surgery and impact to my life I believe any of us who survive to talk about it are lucky. I also believe we should be here for each other and help educate people on the need for early diagnostic testing. I never suspected it was cancer and while, once in a while, I would have a symptom it was rare and not a pattern. I was fortuante enough to have a doctor who believed in testing and we caught it early but not early enough to avoid surgery. Lucky in that it had not spread into the lymphnodes and was contained in one area. They removed a portion of my colon and I had a follow up clonoscopy last month and was clean save for two small polyps which were benign.

    Although I have yet to have a follow up colonoscopy, and hope to be as fortunate.
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #6
    Ahoy, Oly -

    After hearing your story I am reminded of the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

    You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

    I remember how glad I was to celebrate New Year 2002 and wave goodbye to 2001! I hope you will do the same thing this December 31st!

    God Bless

    - SpongeBob
  • Oly
    Oly Member Posts: 19
    #7
    spongebob said:

    Ahoy, Oly -

    After hearing your story I am reminded of the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:

    You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

    I remember how glad I was to celebrate New Year 2002 and wave goodbye to 2001! I hope you will do the same thing this December 31st!

    God Bless

    - SpongeBob

    That was exactly how I felt on December 31, 2002! How was I to know that this years' hospitalizations would begin even earlier?

    To be honest, though, I cannot say I felt real "fear" as much as I felt just disconnected from my fate: a condition I am told is sybolic of being scared right out of your wits! Even now, I do not usually think of myself as a heart patient or a cancer survivor. I suppose that's more denial than savoir faire. Somehow, it all seems so unreal that, like Ronald Reagan, I feel that I never had cancer; something inside me did and it was removed.

    I, too, have heard many inspirational remarks over the years, including the one that goes, anything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

    I hope so.

    At least that one seems to work for my sister who had TB as a kid and grew up to get a double mastectomy and abdominal cancers, one of which is slow, but incurable and will kill her. In the meantime, she is the most joyous, upbeat, good natured cheerful person I know! She's almost seven years my senior, and I'm over 60! She is a truly amazing lady.

    Oh, yes, avast there me swabbie, I sold the boat 15 years ago.

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