The Story of Cancer

I have thought a lot about this topic. The reason I have decided to write about what has happened to get to this point is that friends I have re-connected with or other who have been picked up along the way might not realize all that has happened. Now in saying I have thought a lot about this means how should I approach telling this story? Counting chemo treatments, telling you what drugs I have taken, or who my doctor was? I have decided this is not the story of cancer. I think the story of cancer is my life and what happened while I was at the same time going through treatment. Another reason I came to that conclusion is many times when interacting with other patients it is all about trading drug names and what kind of cancer you have, I want to shout in those moments, my name is Sharon, and I hate the cancer!

So it begins...November, 2005. I found a lump in my breast, was assured that it couldn't be cancer for various reasons. Haha! They were wrong. I received a call at work about the biopsy, they told me, "they found some cancer cells in the biopsy. We need to hurry you through all of these various steps, chemo, surgeon, blah, blah. Well I thought, weird, doesn't everyone have some cancer cells in them anyway? How could it be bad if there are only some? Ahhhh... the beginning of a journey. Also, who in Normalville calls someone at work and is unclear about the diagnosis and then dumps a crapload of news like that? I went back and sat at my desk and thought. I believe it was about 3:00 in the afternoon. I went home and called my parents. That sucked. Everyone was all good though. I did not cry. I remember actually thinking well this early. I figured I would get cancer later in life, there is an unfortunate amount of cancer that is in my family, I got it early. Oh well.

Now this is where I take my own path. I believe that the natural and homeopathic medicines can be invaluable to life. That is can save and cure, I believe that we were given such gifts with creation, however, there is also wisdom with conventional medicine. So I took my own path, with my parents' blessing and support, and only pursued this medicine. They were (are) ever faithful with their support and it is a rock to me. Anyway, I did no conventional medicine until July, 2006, when I met a naturopathic doctor who was able to open my mind to conventional medicine, and the timing was all God's I needed this doctor to help and God led me right to him. He was able to develop a plan that married the two together and made me feel safe. Off to oncology I went. It sucked. I can't even describe those days. In the end of all their poking, prodding, and scanning, I had a plan. To chemo. The first chemo treatments then began.

It was during all this evaluation I had begun a new job maybe 4 months before, and I had also met Craig that summer. I was a little to caught up with all my mess to really feel a green light to respond to his interest. However, at the end of the chemo #1, I called our mutual friend to see if he would be interested in still going out. Our friend fixed us right up. We went out for the first time in November, 2006, weeks after I finished chemo. I had an awesome comb over that he didn't say anything about, he got many points for that. Also at the time of our first date I told him I had cancer, that I sort of botched in my nervousness, but I remember him saying, that does not change anything. It was in these moments I knew I could marry him. That is a total disaster, but true. And it turns out that he has been incredibly well equipped to deal with this whole debacle as it continues. So Craig and I are dating and life is good.

My father's cancer during January, 2007 turned ugly, and sent him in and out of the hospital. I took Craig much earlier than I had anticipated to meet the parents and much family for the first time, in the hospital. He impressed me with his ability to be in those situations. He was good and kind. He was awarded many more points. In May of 2007, we were engaged, life was still good and exciting. However, my cancer was lurking, and it reintroduced itself in June-July, 2007, as my father still was struggling against his cancer as well.

Life's events which happen in chemo #2 are the worst. Summer was full of sickness. I was in chemotherapy. My father at home sick. Friends were so very good to us, they took me to chemo, and sat with me there, and then they made us so many many meals. Other friends cleaned. Such wonderful people. We lost my father in September. I was still on the chemo. I remember calling oncology and saying I wouldn't be in that week, and they demanded a reason. I skipped that week to have more energy and be at home with my family.

We also were working on planning our wedding as well. We had originally planned to be married in November, but ended up pushing the date back to March, 2008. It worked out perfectly to do that. I ended my chemo I believe in early December, 2007 that year, and had just enough time to grow enough hair to not look like a goober in the wedding pictures. That was a good day.

Then in June, 2008 it began again. I believe chemo #3 started in July. You know, I got a lot of good birthday presents with my birthday being in July. Probably had something to do with that chemo. Ha! We didn't let that slow us down. My youngest sister was preparing to be married in October, there were showers and plans to be made. We decided lets buy a house so went to looking. Plus we also got some feedback from the homeopathic doctor that suggested another oncologist so we looked into that. It was a busy fall! My sister was married in October, 2008, and it was great, my wigged head not so great, oh well. I can also be hired to do impressions of John Lennon, blasted crap wig. Anyway, after she was married we were off to Philadelphia and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). Wow, they easily convinced us to go out there and we thought we had good care here in Columbus. SUPER WRONG. The CTCA had that business cleared up in freaking 6 months where the other doctors had screwed around with this mess for what two years? I had a lumpectomy, and was eligible for a neat little radiation treatment that lasted only a week! That is awesome, other treatments usually last for 6 weeks. So blessed! That gets us to April, 2009. Life was good. Summer was great. We were at our new house, planting flowers, getting a new puppy, traveling, hanging out with friends and family, and it was good.

But we haven't counted number 4 yet. So here we are September, 2009 #4. The crap was trying to rear it's ugly head. The CTCA and naturopathic doctors said no way! Now comes the beating it to a pulp.