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View Full Version : Back among the living. (Literally) -long post-



Coldcat
07-09-2005, 12:54 PM
Hey boarder buddies, how are ya all?

I just got my summer handed back to me. Last time I posted I was in the middle of house shizzle, moms cancer shizzle, and my own fresh bad news shizzle. Well, things got a bit out of hand. I had a small opration, and after that was done, the doc called with the results. You know (actually I hope you don't know), that kinda call: "Well, ma'am, the results are a bit worse then we feared, I don't want to tell such things on the phone, so I'd like to schedule an appointment this afternoon at the hospital so I can explain whats up. It can be treated by an operation, we think, but please come to my office this afternoon"

So I know now what it's like to be dazed all day. To not care wether you want to drink or eat.To buckle up.

I had a tumor back in there (in there, yes) that had already grown beyond the cervix. They proposed a full Wertheim surgery: the whole shindig was going out. Womb, tissue the womb is suspended in, and all the lymph nodes surrounding it, in the loins. Once they got my womb and its accesories on a steelplate, they can cut it up and see how far it spread, wether Ill need further treatment, chemo or radiation or both.

I was freaked about them taking all those lymph nodes out more even then the cancer itself (Somehow I knew, or convinced myself, or both, that this ***** was not going to kill me. Make my path through life hard, maybe, but NOT kill me!) because I know one can get seious circulation troubles when there are lymph nodes missing. The folder they gave me about cervix carcinome andlymph oedema werenot pretty: No heavy sports, and be careful with extreme heat and extreme cold. F%$#K! F%$#K! F%$#K! F%$#K! Does that mean no more snowboarding?? Does that mean another side job? Does that mean painting sitting instead of standing up as I normally do?
Besides that, there werethe consequences of the operation; a lot of nerves run in that area, and they cant promise not to sever one. Women have known to become unable to hold their pee up, or not crave sex anymore, becuase vital nerves that regulate all that, got severed. What the F will happen to my body?

They told me the specialized hospital in Leiden did the operation in a new way: they work around the nerves as best they can, and have gained some valuable experience in that. So I went there, and had the operation the 23d of june.

I can tell you now that methadon gives one some crazy **** ass dreams! Wow! Not to mention making me nauseous for three full days. It was monday evening when I first succeeded in keeping some light food down instead of spewing it against the wall. (I apologize to the nurses...) and after that, I recuperated fast. The doctors did an excellent job. There is an area in my left upper thigh that feels numb, but lately that has been growing less. They left the ovaries in, so I wontbe going through menopause. As far as I have checked, everything is working and still wired up. I can at least feel everything. I can hold my pee up and feel when I have to go. They told me all lymph nodes looked so good when they opened me up, they didnt take the surface nodes out the groin, just the deep ones that line the womb itself. So I might snowboard after all.

The results on the tissues came in ten days later. I AM CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!

They got the bugger! He had JUST begun to invade the tiniest veins around the cervix, but they didnt find a single cancerous cell anywhere else. I dont need further treatment. No chemo, no radiation! Hello summer!!!

The house is put on hold (I wont get a mortgage before I am clear for five years) and Ill need another month to get my strength back but I am allowed to go back among the living, among the unworrying, back to planning and living.

Whew. Life can get so f^%$ing crazy. All this happened in a month, a month and a half at most. It seemed like a century.

Tantrum
07-09-2005, 01:37 PM
Great news CC!:D Another lease on life can clear your head and get your priorities in order. I am so happy for you! Now you just need to convince your doctor that hard charging snowboarding is just what you need to get back into life. Woo hoo!:D

jibnot
07-10-2005, 07:18 AM
Scary situation, so glad the corner has been turned :)
Thanks for sharing, keep strong.

MARK
07-11-2005, 04:05 AM
Congratulations Marije! That is some of the best news I've heard in awhile. Was it a by-chance routine physical that first exposed the situation?

NoKnees
07-11-2005, 07:35 AM
Wow Marije, glad you are truly back among the living. I'm really glad to hear things are going back in the right direction for you. I knew you were going through some rough time, but didn't quite grasp the scope of it. I'll keep sending happy thoughts and I know you will continue to come out on top...

Ripzalot
07-11-2005, 08:01 AM
wow. sorry to hear about the ordeal but the outcome is great news.

congrats on kicking cancer's ass! :)

canuck
07-11-2005, 09:57 AM
holy Sh!t!!!!

I had no idea, I mean, none, I read about your mom etc, but this on top of it! yikes.
I'm really glad that the surgery went so well, and that you're in top spirits.

Go have a few scotches (liquor? I don't even know her) and celebrate!!

Here's hoping you have an awesome summer!
Canuck

TBone
07-11-2005, 11:14 AM
So glad to hear it, and "welcome back!" :)

T

CanariaChick
07-11-2005, 02:28 PM
Totally knew you would, though ;)

You already sounded pretty upbeat when we spoke after the surgery... girl, your accent is sooo cute!! We can celebrate by snowboarding together next winter, ok? So you take good care and recover, so that we can kick some ass!!

Lurv,
Canaria

elex
07-12-2005, 08:00 AM
Wow, great news! Kind of a shock, I also didn't know what was going on. I only read post that Canuck replies to, I kid. I can't imagine the emotional roller coaster ride this must all have been & the thought of not snowboarding probably was the back breaker.
My best wishes & prayers,
e

Coldcat
07-12-2005, 01:39 PM
Thanks for all the good thoughts, people. And yeah, it all piled up on top of each other, this year (My mom had a good result too, I cant remember if I told that here? She is also clean and fast on her way to recovery as well) The year is only half over and already it feels like three. In the beginning, this didnt seem so severe, a lot of women get cervix carcinome in the early stages (which is what the standard five yearly check ups are for..though I went in between because I had noticed something was not right..If I hadnt missed my regular check up last time, I might have caught it earlier...but I didnt. ) and usually, the small operation I had should do the trick. Unfortunately it was only then it became apparent to the doctors that it wasnt in the beginning stages anymore, but full fledged cancer that had already grown beyond the cervix. It feels exceptionally strange to have cancer and then two months later to not have cancer. It feels strange and jarring, period. So now my mom and I can look at each other and know what its like to live through both sides of the story.

Im recovering quite well (so well the doctor is wiggling his eyebrowes and telling me I really should not stop taking my rest) and looking forward to a renewed life without the female curse every month.

And Canaria has got fire in her voice, much as I expected. :D

Oh, and here......the impressive scar I now got. If somebody comments on it on the beach, I'll just say: Yeah, dude, that was a shark...but I kicked it off my board!

Tantrum
07-13-2005, 06:25 AM
"The Trail to Happiness." ;)

CanariaChick
07-13-2005, 01:17 PM
"The Trail to Happiness." ;)

Or

Stairway to Heaven :cool:

pinkyj
07-15-2005, 10:43 AM
yay! for making it out of the woods. now you can get on with the fun stuff.

--jerel

DrBunda
07-21-2005, 01:36 PM
WOW! I had no idea. I haven't been on the board in forever so I dont even think I knew about your mom!! So glad to hear you both are doing excellent.

Your scar ROCKS!! Scars are cool :).