I've been a bit of a basket case lately while waiting for the PET scan results. I tried to prepare myself for all possible scenarios but I soon realized that if the doctor told me the cancer was back, I would be a mess in every way. And the more I rehearsed in my head how it would go if I got bad news, the more devastated I became. Depressed, I suppose, is the exact word. It's hard to describe the way this whole thing messes with your head. I try desperately to be positive and secure in knowing there is a bigger plan for me. But there is no security. And unavoidably there are dark moments when I am forced to wonder what would happen if my kids needed me and I was no longer there. It got bad recently when Omar Rodriguez passed away. That hit hard.
I didn't tell anyone, not even Steve about the way I was feeling. I didn't want to worry anyone. I've had a few strange physical symptoms lately including headaches, severe fatigue, and an occasional burning in my chest. Anyway, Steve and I drove up to Pasadena today for the appointment with Dr. McNamara. We mostly listened to Mark & Brian on the radio and didn't talk much. I was too distracted by my own thoughts to carry on a conversation. As it turns out, he was feeling much the same. We arrived at the appointment early and went in for the blood work. After labs, we headed to the 3rd floor to see the doctor. When we arrived in the waiting room, we saw a woman about my age sitting there. We saw her earlier in the waiting room for lab work and I couldn't help noticing the scarf on her head, hiding the inescapable hair loss from chemo. She was there with what appeared to be a female friend or perhaps a relative and she mentioned to the friend about her chemo infusion she would be having that day after she saw Dr. McNamara. But now she was sitting near us in McNamara's waiting room.
We sat in the waiting room for a few minutes when we heard Dr. McNamara's voice. As I listened, I could hear him walking toward the waiting room. At that moment he appeared, walking with a patient to the elevator and talking about some subject not at all familiar to me. He shook hands with the patient, who got on the elevator, and turned. He walked right past the woman with the scarf and came directly to me, which I was not at all expecting. He extended his right hand as he said, "Congratulations! Your scan looked great!" Steve and I both gasped with excitement and relief. We shook the doctor's hand and then hugged him. He said he would see us in a few minutes and then he walked back to the examination rooms.
Steve and I began to cry. I was so very relieved. Steve was relieved. And then it hit me. The woman. The woman in the scarf. What about the woman in the scarf??? As I dabbed my eyes with a kleenex, I looked in her direction. She was facing away from us, staring straight ahead and I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking after what had just unfolded in front of her. This was such a bittersweet moment for me. Call it empathy or compassion, I don't know. But my heart just ached. My heart ached for the woman in the scarf. I wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be ok. Instead I sat there and closed my eyes and said a prayer for her. I said a prayer for her like all of you did for me.
Not a moment too soon, the nurse called the woman in the scarf. And shortly after that I was called. The appointment with Dr. McNamara was great. The best possible news. I read the PET scan report which said, "The pet scan is now negative. There is no evidence of residual or recurrent malignancy." Dr. McNamara said he can't wait to show the report to Dr. Paz. Funny...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Upcoming Scan
I have a PET scan this Friday that I almost forgot about because I've been so preoccupied with other things. Recently we drove to Oregon to pick up Me-Mom who will be staying with us for a few weeks. Here are some pictures of the trip:
This is the view from Me-Mom's front porch. She lives in the woods in Williams, Oregon.
To celebrate Me-Mom's birthday, we had lunch with the whole family at a restaurant on the Rogue River.
Me-Mom has the tiniest frogs in her front yard!
Here's Janie holding mini Kylie with one hand!
And here's Kylie holding mini Ryan.
On the way home from Oregon, we stopped to see the amazing redwoods. It's like wandering through a land of giants, the greenest place I've ever been.
Ahhh...the fresh air...
But now we're home, back to real life. And Friday is my PET scan.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Exercise!
From the Summer 2010 issue of City of Hope's Restore publication: "Exercise has significant benefits for cancer patients, studies show. Workouts can strengthen immune function, increase appetite and help manage nausea and fatigue. Exercise also reduces the risk for developing certain cancers, decreases the likelihood of recurrence and, in some cases, improves survival rates . . . As for colorectal cancer, patients who regularly exercised after completing treatment for the disease had up to 50 percent lower risk of recurrence and death, according to the National Cancer Institute."
It's hard, but if this isn't motivation to exercise, I don't know what is. I read this and then got on the treadmill. I felt the stress melting away and I felt much more centered the rest of the day.
It's hard, but if this isn't motivation to exercise, I don't know what is. I read this and then got on the treadmill. I felt the stress melting away and I felt much more centered the rest of the day.
Friday, June 18, 2010
"D Gets an 'A'"
From the July 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine: "D Gets an 'A'...at least when it comes to preventing colon cancer. In a huge study - 520,000 volunteers in 10 European countries - those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were 40 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer than people with the lowest levels. It's hard to get enough D from diet alone, so many experts now advise a daily supplement of 1,000 IU."
Could be a fad...but I know I'm taking 5,000 IU daily, prescribed by the homeopath.
Could be a fad...but I know I'm taking 5,000 IU daily, prescribed by the homeopath.
Something I Thought I'd Never Do
We had a big big day today. Today we celebrated Ryan, Kylie, and Jane's 6th birthday at . . . CHUCK E. CHEESE!!!! Yes, something I thought I would never do, we did. I let each of the kids invite three friends who were their special guests at Chuck E. Cheese so there were 12 kids plus a few siblings and a fine time was had by all. I must say that going to Chuck E. Cheese for your own child's birthday party is totally different than going there as a guest for someone elses. I found so much joy just by watching my kids have such a great time. The pure exultation on their faces was truly genuine. They felt so special being the birthday boy and girls and it was worth every second. At times I had to take a step back and take it all in with such appreciation for the moment.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Interesting Stuff
I had two interesting appointments with the homeopath last week. On Wednesday, I saw Vanessa for NET (neuroemotional technique). At the risk of unjustly and erroneously describing exactly what NET is and the theory behind it, here is the Wikipedia definition:
"NET is a psychotherapeutic/chiropractic system that combines a number of techniques and principles from traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic and applied kinesiology. It is an holistic approach to well-being focusing on imbalances in the structure of the skeletomuscular system, unresolved 'negative emotional blocks,' toxins in the body and deficiencies in nutrition. NET describes negative emotions as being stored in the body and claims to help resolve them. Research: When used to treat emotional trauma in a group of seven cancer patients, improvements of up to 88% were shown in symptom reduction."
So, here's what happened. Vanessa pushed on various pressure points in my wrists while she tested the strength in my straightened left arm. By seeing where I was weak, Vanessa could tell what negative emotions my cells were retaining which, in turn, were creating blocks in healing. She could tell at what age an incident created those negative emotions and she asked me what happened at that particular age that could have contributed to that emotion. Then after discussing the incident, she cleared the block by manipulating certain pressure points in my back. It wasn't therapy, she just listened to my description of the event so that she could clear the block. According to Vanessa, I was carrying around an overwhelming amount of guilt, a lot of humiliation and significant sadness.
As always, I went to the appointment with an open mind, leaving any judgement outside the office door. I BELIEVE that there are things I can do better in order to heal and I will do whatever it takes to be around to watch my kids grow up. Anyway, I was fairly astonished by the results. As I drove home from the appointment I was feeling very deflated, but in a good way. I felt very emotional from remembering painful memories, but I had a sense of relief. By the time I got home, I felt very much at peace. It seemed as though all my little aches and pains had disappeared and I had a lot of energy, which was amazing with the constant exhaustion I've been feeling lately. Maybe I just needed a good old-fashioned cry...who knows... But whatever happened that day, it was a good thing, something I needed to have happen in my human experience. I'm grateful for that.
The other appointment I had with the homeopath was just a lot of injections in the big scar on the front of my torso and a few other scars too. Apparently the injections were to help the energy flow through my skin. That's about all I know about that.
In other news, I've been challenging myself lately to only eat what comes from the earth, excluding any meat or dairy products of course. But my focus is to eliminate all processed food, which means giving up pretzels and tortilla chips and all sweet stuff. Basically all I've been eating are vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts. It's not that hard. I kind of miss the pretzels though.
"NET is a psychotherapeutic/chiropractic system that combines a number of techniques and principles from traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic and applied kinesiology. It is an holistic approach to well-being focusing on imbalances in the structure of the skeletomuscular system, unresolved 'negative emotional blocks,' toxins in the body and deficiencies in nutrition. NET describes negative emotions as being stored in the body and claims to help resolve them. Research: When used to treat emotional trauma in a group of seven cancer patients, improvements of up to 88% were shown in symptom reduction."
So, here's what happened. Vanessa pushed on various pressure points in my wrists while she tested the strength in my straightened left arm. By seeing where I was weak, Vanessa could tell what negative emotions my cells were retaining which, in turn, were creating blocks in healing. She could tell at what age an incident created those negative emotions and she asked me what happened at that particular age that could have contributed to that emotion. Then after discussing the incident, she cleared the block by manipulating certain pressure points in my back. It wasn't therapy, she just listened to my description of the event so that she could clear the block. According to Vanessa, I was carrying around an overwhelming amount of guilt, a lot of humiliation and significant sadness.
As always, I went to the appointment with an open mind, leaving any judgement outside the office door. I BELIEVE that there are things I can do better in order to heal and I will do whatever it takes to be around to watch my kids grow up. Anyway, I was fairly astonished by the results. As I drove home from the appointment I was feeling very deflated, but in a good way. I felt very emotional from remembering painful memories, but I had a sense of relief. By the time I got home, I felt very much at peace. It seemed as though all my little aches and pains had disappeared and I had a lot of energy, which was amazing with the constant exhaustion I've been feeling lately. Maybe I just needed a good old-fashioned cry...who knows... But whatever happened that day, it was a good thing, something I needed to have happen in my human experience. I'm grateful for that.
The other appointment I had with the homeopath was just a lot of injections in the big scar on the front of my torso and a few other scars too. Apparently the injections were to help the energy flow through my skin. That's about all I know about that.
In other news, I've been challenging myself lately to only eat what comes from the earth, excluding any meat or dairy products of course. But my focus is to eliminate all processed food, which means giving up pretzels and tortilla chips and all sweet stuff. Basically all I've been eating are vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts. It's not that hard. I kind of miss the pretzels though.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
June Has Been a Big Month for the Jenkins Family
I've been very tired lately. I had a cold that lingered longer than a cold should but I think that's pretty much to be expected. I finally started feeling better over the weekend, just in time for the kids' 6th birthday, which was great! We had the family over for swimming, pizza, salad and cake and the kids loved every minute of it.
I saw Dr. McNamara two weeks ago and he said my white blood cells, hemoglobin, etc. are all pretty low, a side effect of all the therapies and the surgery. It's a good reminder that even though it's been a while since the last round of chemo, my body is still in recovery. When I'm feeling really energetic, I have a tendency to run myself ragged. But when I'm exhausted just getting out of bed in the morning, I'm a little easier on myself. So, Dr. McNamara ordered a PET scan to be done in August. I've been taking my supplements exactly as directed by the alternative doctor and I have upcoming appointments for work on my scars (improve energy flow) and something called neuroemotional technique (NET). Both of those appointments should be very interesting. I'm very open-minded when it comes to all of the alternative therapies, but I'm curious to see what the results will be (if any at all). Just FYI about supplements, lately I've been reading over and over again in various studies and publications that just about everyone is vitamin D3 deficient. I spend A LOT of time in the sun and still I was severely deficient according to blood tests. It might be a good idea to check out a D3 supplement in your local vitamin store...it seems to be pretty important in preventing cancer, even Dr. Oz thinks so! Another important bit of information for those working graveyard shifts (or in my world its called "morning watch"), it seems vitamin D3 and Melatonin were very much lacking in those who work that shift. They are also lacking in cancer patients...hmmm... I worked at least 6 years on morning watch. A connection????
Lately, I've been following two survivor stories I heard about through friends. I hope you will visit the following Caring Bridge sites and say a prayer for these people. One, Omar Rodriguez, is a colon cancer survivor and the other, Tracy Ferguson, is a lymphoma survivor. Both of these people are young with small children. Here are the links:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/omarrodriguez
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tracyferguson
I remain grateful for every single day. As I have read so many other cancer survivor stories, I realize that I am a walking miracle, attributeable to the prayers I have received from each and every one of you. I know I've said it before but from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
I saw Dr. McNamara two weeks ago and he said my white blood cells, hemoglobin, etc. are all pretty low, a side effect of all the therapies and the surgery. It's a good reminder that even though it's been a while since the last round of chemo, my body is still in recovery. When I'm feeling really energetic, I have a tendency to run myself ragged. But when I'm exhausted just getting out of bed in the morning, I'm a little easier on myself. So, Dr. McNamara ordered a PET scan to be done in August. I've been taking my supplements exactly as directed by the alternative doctor and I have upcoming appointments for work on my scars (improve energy flow) and something called neuroemotional technique (NET). Both of those appointments should be very interesting. I'm very open-minded when it comes to all of the alternative therapies, but I'm curious to see what the results will be (if any at all). Just FYI about supplements, lately I've been reading over and over again in various studies and publications that just about everyone is vitamin D3 deficient. I spend A LOT of time in the sun and still I was severely deficient according to blood tests. It might be a good idea to check out a D3 supplement in your local vitamin store...it seems to be pretty important in preventing cancer, even Dr. Oz thinks so! Another important bit of information for those working graveyard shifts (or in my world its called "morning watch"), it seems vitamin D3 and Melatonin were very much lacking in those who work that shift. They are also lacking in cancer patients...hmmm... I worked at least 6 years on morning watch. A connection????
Lately, I've been following two survivor stories I heard about through friends. I hope you will visit the following Caring Bridge sites and say a prayer for these people. One, Omar Rodriguez, is a colon cancer survivor and the other, Tracy Ferguson, is a lymphoma survivor. Both of these people are young with small children. Here are the links:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/omarrodriguez
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tracyferguson
I remain grateful for every single day. As I have read so many other cancer survivor stories, I realize that I am a walking miracle, attributeable to the prayers I have received from each and every one of you. I know I've said it before but from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Everything's OK
I had my appointment with Dr. Linsey yesterday. Basically all is well. Dr. Linsey said that I definitely only have one working kidney. My left kidney is totally nonfunctioning and there is no hope of it ever functioning again. I asked if I will need surgery to have the bad kidney removed and he said no, that it would become scar tissue. Surgical removal of the left kidney would just be a big, risky surgery that is not necessary at this time. The good news was that my right kidney is working very well and I should continue my vegan diet as a vegetarian diet is best for kidney function. WHEW!!!!! Thank you Lord!!!!
In other news, the kids' handmade mother's day gifts were precious and hilarious. They made books entitled, "Beth the Magnificent!" Ryan wrote that in mom's free time she likes to play outside and go shopping, she loves to cook tostadas, and she looks beautiful in her shirt and pants. Kylie wrote that going to Hip Hop class makes her mom happy and mom looks beautiful when wearing her pink gown. Finally, Janie wrote that in her free time, mom likes to sleep and eat peanuts and would love to take a trip to her mom's. The pictures are the best!
In other news, the kids' handmade mother's day gifts were precious and hilarious. They made books entitled, "Beth the Magnificent!" Ryan wrote that in mom's free time she likes to play outside and go shopping, she loves to cook tostadas, and she looks beautiful in her shirt and pants. Kylie wrote that going to Hip Hop class makes her mom happy and mom looks beautiful when wearing her pink gown. Finally, Janie wrote that in her free time, mom likes to sleep and eat peanuts and would love to take a trip to her mom's. The pictures are the best!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Doctor Appointment this Thursday
I completed a battery of tests to determine the extent of the kidney damage caused by the surgery I had in July. Dr. Linsey's (nephrologist) nurse called today saying that Dr. Linsey preferred to see me in his office to discuss test results and he wanted to see me this Thursday. Why in the world would he do that?! Doesn't he understand what I went through last year??? No one ever wants to hear that a doctor would rather discuss test results in person. C'mon!!! Honestly, I know what he's going to tell me. I'm certain he's going to tell me that I lost my left kidney, that it is completely non-functioning. It's not that I'm being negative; truly I'm being realistic. And I'm ok with that, it's not that bad considering what potentially could've happened. I've learned so many things in the last year and 4 months and one thing is to follow my instinct. Intuitively I know exactly what's going on with my body. But the most important thing is to always be grateful. I am so grateful to be where I am today. I got to celebrate mother's day with my family, my beautiful children. What more could a person ask?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Alternatives
I started feeling complacent. I don't want to always be a cancer "victim" but a recurrence would devastate me. And I realized after a weekend of Diet Coke bingeing that I wasn't doing everything I could possibly do to prevent a recurrence. It's been weighing heavily on me that I seem to be slipping back into my old bad habits, i.e. not drinking enough water, drinking WAY too much diet coke, putting Splenda in everything... I could go on and on. Haven't I learned anything?! More than anything else, I felt like I possibly had some emotional issues that could have helped to create the perfect storm, allowing cancer to grow in my body. After a lot of thought and careful consideration, I decided to try alternative medicine to help me find some balance.
Now, I'm still a fan of Dr. Mc Namara, my oncologist. He's my number one doctor for sure and I will continue to be treated by him and I will religiously follow every doctor's order he gives. But I feel I'd be remiss if I foolishly believed that I made it though the last year and, now that I'm in remission, my work is done. No way. I still have a road to travel. So I did my research and I went to an alternative medicine guy. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to call him. He's an actual M.D. so I don't really feel comfortable calling him "alternative medicine guy." I guess I could also call him a homeopath or a naturopath. But in any case, I went to see him. I'll just call him Dr. Kaslow.
During my first visit, Dr. Kaslow's nurses conducted all sorts of interesting and funky tests, biorhythym tests, saliva and urine tests, electrodes attached to my forehead for some sort of reading, measurements of my arms and legs, and lot of other things. But the most interesting part of the appointment was actually meeting the doctor. He was tall and thin and reserved but reassuring, friendly in a quiet way, yet he talked a lot about different components of alternative medicine. He knew a lot about cancer and specifically colon cancer. The alternative treatments he mentioned for cancer patients were exactly what I'd been uncovering in my own research. There were lot of interesting things he said but one of the things that really stuck with me was that people who beat cancer are well because they believed they would survive. He also said that in his experience, the cancer patients who don't do well also don't work on the emotional component. My wheels have been turning ever since. While I still have a healthy amount of skepticism, I'm taking the supplements he prescribed. In the meantime, Dr. Kaslow is devising a whole body treatment plan to include the supplements, energy work (in the form of acupuncture I think) nutrition (although he was in agreement with the vegan plan) and emotional support. I'm looking forward to my next appointment with Dr. Kaslow.
Now, I'm still a fan of Dr. Mc Namara, my oncologist. He's my number one doctor for sure and I will continue to be treated by him and I will religiously follow every doctor's order he gives. But I feel I'd be remiss if I foolishly believed that I made it though the last year and, now that I'm in remission, my work is done. No way. I still have a road to travel. So I did my research and I went to an alternative medicine guy. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to call him. He's an actual M.D. so I don't really feel comfortable calling him "alternative medicine guy." I guess I could also call him a homeopath or a naturopath. But in any case, I went to see him. I'll just call him Dr. Kaslow.
During my first visit, Dr. Kaslow's nurses conducted all sorts of interesting and funky tests, biorhythym tests, saliva and urine tests, electrodes attached to my forehead for some sort of reading, measurements of my arms and legs, and lot of other things. But the most interesting part of the appointment was actually meeting the doctor. He was tall and thin and reserved but reassuring, friendly in a quiet way, yet he talked a lot about different components of alternative medicine. He knew a lot about cancer and specifically colon cancer. The alternative treatments he mentioned for cancer patients were exactly what I'd been uncovering in my own research. There were lot of interesting things he said but one of the things that really stuck with me was that people who beat cancer are well because they believed they would survive. He also said that in his experience, the cancer patients who don't do well also don't work on the emotional component. My wheels have been turning ever since. While I still have a healthy amount of skepticism, I'm taking the supplements he prescribed. In the meantime, Dr. Kaslow is devising a whole body treatment plan to include the supplements, energy work (in the form of acupuncture I think) nutrition (although he was in agreement with the vegan plan) and emotional support. I'm looking forward to my next appointment with Dr. Kaslow.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
How do I Ever Say Thank You?
I don't think anyone ever checks the blog anymore. It's hard to explain why I haven't posted anything in so long. I started many posts and then couldn't finish them. I became overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions and could never put anything into words. So I'll do my best to explain where I am physically, emotionally and spiritually these days.
Last week I had my first post-op CT scan. This was such an important scan because it would be the first indicator of my post surgical status. Before the scan, Dr. McNamara thought it was likely that I was in remission but there was no proof of that except that I had no symptoms of recurrence. I went in for the scan on Tuesday. On Thursday night, Dr. McNamara called with the results. He said it was the best possible news. There was no evidence of any cancer. I was officially cancer-free!!! A true miracle...
I went to his office the next day to discuss the results in detail. We were ecstatic about the news that I was cancer-free. There was only one problem, I had kidney damage in my left kidney. The CT report read that my left kidney had severe atrophy and was only marginally functioning. Honestly, Steve and I didn't really know what to make of that. Dr. McNamara explained that the damage likely happened during surgery because they were doing so much intricate work in that area. Apparently, blood flow may have been compromised to the left kidney. So in typical, wonderful, Dr. McNamara-form, the doctor put it into perspective for us. He said that if it would have been him, and someone had told him a year ago that he would be cancer-free in one year but that he had to pay with a kidney, he would've done it in a heartbeat. He told me that a kidney was a reasonable price to pay for being cancer-free. With that, I took a deep breath and reveled in the miraculous news.
On January 30, 2009, I was told I had cancer - adenocarcinoma originating in my colon. First, I was told it was stage III and then it was re-staged to a IV...a virtual death sentence. And on February 19, 2010 I was told I am in remission, cancer-free. Words cannot begin to describe what I feel so I won't even try. But in some way I need to say thank you. Thank you to every person who prayed. Thank you to every person who contributed to the healing consciousness that brought me here. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am grateful beyond words...
So what now? Well, I will be seeing a kidney specialist to discuss treatment. Hopefully he (Dr. Linsey) can tell me that the kidney can be saved. But if not, I will live a long life with one kidney. And I intend to continue my vegan diet. I love it. I would not eat any other way now. In the beginning I started a plant based diet because I wanted to be healthier. But I've done a lot of research lately about factory farming and where my food comes from and happily, my consciousness has changed. I'm living a vegan life for many other reasons. I'm raising my kids to be vegetarians and we no longer eat at McDonald's and my kids are fine with that. I'm still hoping to run a marathon someday but for now, I'm doing yoga which is SUPER hard (for me anyway). After we figure this whole kidney thing out I will return to work. Life is good...
I love every single one of you who reads this blog. I love every single person who said even one prayer for me or who kept me in his or her thoughts. You will always have a very, very special place in my heart.
Last week I had my first post-op CT scan. This was such an important scan because it would be the first indicator of my post surgical status. Before the scan, Dr. McNamara thought it was likely that I was in remission but there was no proof of that except that I had no symptoms of recurrence. I went in for the scan on Tuesday. On Thursday night, Dr. McNamara called with the results. He said it was the best possible news. There was no evidence of any cancer. I was officially cancer-free!!! A true miracle...
I went to his office the next day to discuss the results in detail. We were ecstatic about the news that I was cancer-free. There was only one problem, I had kidney damage in my left kidney. The CT report read that my left kidney had severe atrophy and was only marginally functioning. Honestly, Steve and I didn't really know what to make of that. Dr. McNamara explained that the damage likely happened during surgery because they were doing so much intricate work in that area. Apparently, blood flow may have been compromised to the left kidney. So in typical, wonderful, Dr. McNamara-form, the doctor put it into perspective for us. He said that if it would have been him, and someone had told him a year ago that he would be cancer-free in one year but that he had to pay with a kidney, he would've done it in a heartbeat. He told me that a kidney was a reasonable price to pay for being cancer-free. With that, I took a deep breath and reveled in the miraculous news.
On January 30, 2009, I was told I had cancer - adenocarcinoma originating in my colon. First, I was told it was stage III and then it was re-staged to a IV...a virtual death sentence. And on February 19, 2010 I was told I am in remission, cancer-free. Words cannot begin to describe what I feel so I won't even try. But in some way I need to say thank you. Thank you to every person who prayed. Thank you to every person who contributed to the healing consciousness that brought me here. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am grateful beyond words...
So what now? Well, I will be seeing a kidney specialist to discuss treatment. Hopefully he (Dr. Linsey) can tell me that the kidney can be saved. But if not, I will live a long life with one kidney. And I intend to continue my vegan diet. I love it. I would not eat any other way now. In the beginning I started a plant based diet because I wanted to be healthier. But I've done a lot of research lately about factory farming and where my food comes from and happily, my consciousness has changed. I'm living a vegan life for many other reasons. I'm raising my kids to be vegetarians and we no longer eat at McDonald's and my kids are fine with that. I'm still hoping to run a marathon someday but for now, I'm doing yoga which is SUPER hard (for me anyway). After we figure this whole kidney thing out I will return to work. Life is good...
I love every single one of you who reads this blog. I love every single person who said even one prayer for me or who kept me in his or her thoughts. You will always have a very, very special place in my heart.
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