Living with The Big “C”
There is one thing you should know about me. I don’t go to the doctor. Oh, once a year for my girlie checkup. I’m not a sickly person – never have been. I have always said it’s a good thing I grew up in the 70′s and 80′s rather than the 60′s. I would make a terrible doper 
Times when I rarely don’t feel well I’m not big on conventional medicine either. At the first sign of a sniffle it’s 1000 mg of Vitamin C and some Echinacea for me – works without fail!
In October 2008, I woke up one morning with severe pain in my left shoulder. Naturally I figured I had slept all kooky, took some Advil and went to work. For the next three months I was Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Alright, alright, to the doctor I go! Poking, prodding, Xrays. Naproxen for inflammation. The pain persisted. Bloodwork…..BINGO!
I will never forget the look on Dr. Anthony Behler’s face as he sat across from me on his stool and spoke the words:
UNDIFERRENTIATED ADENOCARCINOMA
That’s doctor-speak for Cancer of Unknown Origin. WOW. Are you kidding me? I had joked to a co-worker a month before that maybe the pain in my shoulder was cancer. Now that it was, I wasn’t laughing. I wasn’t doing anything, really. I was just numb. It’s still pretty surreal. I do remember saying, “That’s not in my schedule!”
Dr. Behler referred me to Dr. Paula Weisenberger. I knew the name. I had met her once with my mother 2 weeks before she died. My first appoinment with Dr. Paula was on Feb 19, 2009. I love my oncologist. She ordered an MRI. She explained to me that my cancer is metastatic, a cancer which has spread from an initial (primary) site to another one. The tumor is called by the primary site (ex. breast cancer that has spread to the brain is called metastatic breast cancer to the brain). It’s not a growth that can be removed then blasted with radiation. I have “spots” on my scapula, a rib, my spine. I also have a lot of bone deterioration, like osteoporosis. Dr. Paula believes my cancer is either breast or lung, so I take chemotherapy for both.
Chemo started right away, in March 2009. Chemo is evil. I became deathly ill after my first treatment, but they have become tolerable over time. I also get medication for my weak bones. At first I had chemo once a week. Yes, my hair fell out. It was alright, I’m a biker – I have Do-rags . After three cycles of chemo (3 months), I went for more scans. The spots on my bones had shrunk! YAY! Chemo is every three weeks now!
By June I was feeling much better. Well enough to attend my cousin’s wedding with Gramps. What to wear? SHOPPING! A new dress, shoes, and definitely a HAT were in order. We had a blast, even though I got pretty tired.
I’m not sure what I could have possibly been thinking wearing heels. I had not worn a pair of heels in several years!
The 4th of July was great! My brother Bernie and his wife Tina came for a cookout, along with my nephew Aaron. Needless to say, we had a great time. I felt good enough to make and drink golden margaritas poolside!
On July 12, 2009 I celebrated my 47th birthday by riding my bike to Symmes Tavern, our local watering hole) for a small celebration with family and friends. I had not been on my bike in almost a year, so it felt great to ride again. Remember what I said about do-rags? And you thought they were just a fashion statement!
It’s almost time to celebrate my 48th birthday. I am officially a “Cancer Survivor”! The spots on my bones continue to shrink, and my blood cell count continues to be good. I’m still taking life one day at a time.
Stephanie
