I had a 12 hour surgery which is described by daughter in the archives (arrow down the page for all of the May posts) if anyone wants to go and read about it. I was in ICU for 6 days, and stayed in the hospital a total of 12 days. I had never in my life been away from home for that long.
I had an amazing team of doctors which I now see every three months. My two year check up is on Tuesday, May 11. After that, they said I may be able to space my visits further apart.
Dr. Ghali went in after putting the vent in, and started cutting out the part of my tongue that had the cancer, and then they would check each piece he cut out until they got to a point where there were no cancer cells. That was a long period of time.
Dr. Kim did the reconstruction by taking a piece of muscle from my forearm (called the flap), and rebuilt my tongue. He also took the big vein in my left arm. Looooong ordeal!
I also had 50 lymph nodes removed in my neck. Praise God, those were cancer free, and I didn't have to take chemo or radiation!
As soon as they took me off the vent, and I could cover up the hole, I could talk. I was shocked to even hear myself speak. I thought it would be a really long time before I could speak again. This was Day 9. Amazing, huh? Just another one of God's blessings.
It was a very long recovery, but I managed to go back to school that August, and teach until mid-term when I retired in January. It wasn't easy, but I made it with the help of my wonderful family and friends.
Now in celebration of being TWO years cancer free (I'm not worried at all about my reports), I am having a GIVEAWAY!
These are some pics of the goodies I'm giving.
A Clover eraser pen for taking out the blue and purple pen marks - and it works! Love mine!
A spool of white and a spool of black Madeira Polyneon embroidery thread.
How do you like this desk set of 3 notepads? Too cute, huh?
Since this is my first giveaway, one lucky person will win all of these items.
Instructions:
1. All I'm asking is that you make a comment below about someone you know that is battling cancer or has lost their battle with cancer. I want to know your stories. They don't have to be long. Just a couple of sentences.
2. If you are a follower of my blog or become a follower of my blog, make a separate comment to get an extra entry for the drawing.
3. If you have a blog, and you want to post about my giveaway, put a link in another comment for a third entry.
The drawing will be on May 14th. I look forward to your comments.
30 comments:
I have several stories that I can share about some who are now battling cancer, and some who have beaten their cancer, and some who lost the battle. I won't tell the details about their battles, but I will list them and tell just a tad bit about them.
1. my sister- Johanna - breast cancer beaten!
2. my friends - Beverly, Peggy, Marion, Teresa - breast cancer beaten
3. My sister-in-law - Lita - last the battle to breast cancer
4. My cousin - Jeri - lost the battle to breast cancer
5. My friend - Laura- battling mantle cell lymphoma now
6. My friend - David (Beverly's (my friend who beat breast cancer) husband - battling lung, lymph node, and brain cancer now
7. My friend - Irene - lost her battle with cancer
8.My friend - Donna - won the battle against Leukemia
9.Todd - a student - who fought cancer all of the 7 years of his short life
And...... many others
I am so happy for you that you are presently cancer free!
Well I can truly say you are bless beyond belief, the lord sure had a hand in your treatment. I cant imagine what on earth you went through but it was good you had your family and friends around, that had to lift your spirits. Praying continued health.
I am a follower and I will make note on my blog of your giveaway by this evening.
There have been so many in my life with cancer. My grandmother and father both lost their battle with cancer. My mother-in-law had breast cancer, a radical mastectomy, and lived cancer free for 25 years. One of my dearest friends had breast cancer, and has been cancer free for many years now. God is so gracious! A friend of ours, a plastic surgeon, had throat cancer. He's doing well, and is cancer free. My dearest friend has leukemia, and is in total remission. A friend at church had bladder and prostate cancer. They removed his bladder and prostate, then removed part of his intestines and made him a new bladder. This was only 2 weeks ago. We're praying for a complete recovery. I could go on and on, but the majority of people I know have lived for many, many years after their battle, with full, productive, happy lives. May God be merciful to you as well.
Debra
My sister lost her battle of brain cancer on Thanksgiving evening. I had brought her home to take care of her and also cherish the time we would have together. Cancer is so horrbile, I rejoice everytime I here someone has beaten it. Way to go Shirley.
nonie
I have been a follower for sometime now, love checking in on you.
I will now go to my blog and tell all about your giveaway.
nonie
I have 3 people.
My Father died with lung cancer from smoking, I pray anyone smoking will stop. Its not something you want to go through watching your parent died from this and its not right your parent would put their child through it. If you smoke, think about how many people you are hurting.
Another friend with lung cancer from smoking.
My aunt had ovarian cancer.
I have placed a link in my sidebar.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Hi Shirley. Congratulations on your anniversary!! I remember praying for you when I first read about it on Sew Forum 2 years ago. I am so glad you are doing so well.
I have many friends who have battled cancer but I am so grateful that a few months ago my stubborn father listened to me and got some spots checked out. He had several spots of skin cancer that just looked off. He finally had the doc check them out and had them cut out and radiated. He is ok now but still stubborn!!
And I have been a follower of your blog for a while now.
My husband's aunt who I have known since I was fifteen had tongue cancer over the past two years. I have seen the pain she went through and can relate somewhat to your situation. You are a brave soul, dear Shirley and have the utmost respect for how you battled this so bravely. May your medical reports continue to be bright and I wish you the best.
Shirley, I have SO enjoyed that new seam ripper you gave me when we went to AR. Ahem, were you trying to tell me something? LOL I could surely use these other additions. You may make a seamstress out of me yet. ;-)
My SS teacher's husband has really become very low lately. He is suffering lung, brain and bone cancer and is now bed ridden. What a terrible disease.
Well, shoot! I'm no good at this blog thing. LOL
To add to my previous comment: I'm so glad you are doing so well after what all you have endured. Those were some scary moments during those 12 days you were in the hospital. LOVE YOU!
Shirley,
What a blessing that your surgeries were successful and you are healthy.
I lost my Uncle Mack to leukemia when I was a young girl. My cousin was two at the time and it made a huge impact on me. My very best friends father also lost a battle to lung cancer when I was in high school. It is a horrible disease.
How sweet of you to do this give-a-way. I've never seen those bobbin holders or that eraser pen before. How cool!
Oh... and I also follow your blog.
:)
Two years ago my dad passed away due to cancer in the bladder. I am glad you are doing well. Take Care. I really enjoy seeing what you sew.
Shirley you are certainly a blessed woman but I am sure you don't need me to tell you that.
I have many cancer stories, most of them lost. I will tell you about two very close, important & dear to me.
I was diagnosed with Melanoma, a skin cancer that can attack your organs almost 20 years ago. My three children were young at the time, I didn't want to frighten them so I did'nt tell them, instead, I sent them away to visit with their Aunt for two weeks. I did eventually have to tell them after I knew it was all removed. I had one scare when a chest x-ray was read wrong and I was told there was 'something' and I needed to go in for another, thank God it was fine.
My other story is my Mother. She was a woman who took care of herself and went to the doctor frequently to make sure things were going fine with her health. Her back began & kept hurting her, visit after visit, nothing wrong. Got to the point I had to call an ambulance as she could not move without excruciating pain. Still nothing, sent her home and scheduled a physical therapist to come to the house to work out. Again, cannot move, we take her to a differnt hospital, diagnosed as 'full of cancer'. I brought her home, she died 10 days after her diagnosis. My mother had 7 daughters, we do not know where her cancer began, why?, because as a woman ages, doctors don't feel the need to do pap smears or check further into things going wrong. Because of this, we don't know what to keep an eye out for and it is a darned shame.
I am a follower of your blog, I don't write a blog of my own.
My sweet husband has lung cancer. He had chemo and radiation. June 1 is the next CTscan to see the status of the tumor.
I follow your blog. I'm so thankful that you are doing well after all you went through with the surgery.
I have your blog on my dashboard but I don't blog very much so don't know if that counts or not. I've tried to get the blogs that I follow on my blog but they don't show up, only on the dashboard, don't know what I'm doing wrong??
I can't believe it was 2 years ago, Shirley! PTL there has not been any re-occurance. You've been through enough!
I just now became a follower (I thought I was!) although I've had you bookmarked on my Google Reader f-o-r-e-v-e-r!
Take care, my friend & stay well!
Hugs,
Rett
Hi Shirley. A few weeks ago, Alina, a restaurant here in Chicago was named the best in the country. The chef/owner, Grant Atchaz (in his early 30s) was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer. He had surgery and treatment at U. of Chicago Hospital and is now cancer free and with his sense of taste intact!
Thank you for your sweet condolences for our dear puppy, Argos.
Best,
Bonnie
Congratulations, Shirley, on being cancer free for 2 years! There were many prayers lifted for you during those days and I know you felt them. Your blog was a blessing so that we could keep up with your progress.
I don't think there is anyone whose life hasn't been touched in some way by cancer. My father died from cancer when I was a junior in high school. It was a sudden thing for all of us and we didn't know much about cancer treatments and such at that time. I'm so glad that there have been so many medical advances in the treatment for cancer.
I've followed your blog but now I'm an "official" follower!
Congratulations Shirley on two years cancer-free!! There is a woman in our church who has battled cancer for about 15 years. She is such an inspiration to others because she never complains or gets discouraged when they find a spot somewhere else. She always has a positive attitude and joy on her face no matter how she's feeling that day.
I've enjoyed getting to know you and am a follower of your blog. Thanks for the great giveaway for such a happy celebration of life!
Hi, Shirley, what a sweet way to honor your two year celebration. My husband was so excited at his 1st year anniversary of prostate cancer surgery. He's doing great, and has so much more energy than he had had for a long time.
The person I choose to speak about though is my husband's sister. She endured that nasty disease for close to 50 years!! Her last battle lasted less than a very short month. I had a real need to go to California on our way to Oregon--feeling the need to see my Aunt Joy--I just had a feeling she wouldn't last much longer...but lo, and behold, the Lord was directing us to visiting Virginia. When we arrived at her home, we knew she was worn out...and while we were there, she just continued to get tireder...and we had good talks about our next trip to Norway, and, about heaven. She kept coming back to talking about Heaven. We left after 4 days, after she promised she would contact her dr. on Monday. She did, and was at home until just after the 4th of July and was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and had fluid removed from her lungs. This breast cancer had decided to attack her lungs, liver, and who knows what else...She left us on July 17, 2009. We were back in California in August for her funeral; and her children will bring her home to Iowa in August this summer. Her darling teen-aged grandchildren are all participating in the Avon Walk this summer in memory/honor of their Grandmother. I'm making t-shirts for them to wear, with a teen aged Virginia with her short-shorts on posing on a car hood!!! She was a true beauty in all aspects. A woman I dearly miss!!! And, I'm so glad she had those many many years of life...a life she lived to the fullest.
Both of my maternal grandparents died of cancer from smoking. My MIL had breast cancer 12 years ago and 18 months ago found out she had a ovarian cancer. She had major surgery and is on her 4th kind of chemo. Luckily, she hasn't had too many side effects from the chemo.
I'm just trying to change the comment response thing....
Did it! Rosieq
Rosieq, I think it did.
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