Story of Survival

Marci,

It sounds like you have so much support. What a true blessing! Cancer really teaches us to appreciate life and live everyday to its fullest. Thank you so much for sharing your story will us.

Amy

Hi, my name is Marci and I am 63 years old. My story started in 2002, two short years after my husband of almost 27 years passed away at the age of 58. I lived in Texas for almost 16 years when my husband died and I hung on there for about two more years before I decided to move to Colorado where several of my sisters lived. Two months after I moved here, I discovered a lump in my left breast and since I had lost a sister to breast cancer in 1992, I immediately knew it was cancer. I went for a mammogram and then a needle biopsy where I was told it was definitely malignant breast cancer. Luckily, after the mastectomy of my left breast, I was told that the cancer was estrogen receptor. My nephew, who is in cancer research, told me that estrogen receptor breast cancer was the most treatable. My surgery was in late October followed by four months of chemo therapy. Of course I lost my hair which didn't really upset me. As long as the chemo was going to get rid of my cancer, hair loss was no big deal. Then two more of my sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer. They were lucky that their breast cancer was in the very early stages and they both had lumpectomies and had radiation therapy every day for nine weeks. When I went back to my regular doctor in Aug of 2003 for a colonoscopy they found cancer in the polyps they removed. When I went to my surgeon for a colon resection, they found that my breast cancer had metastasized to my liver. At that point they put me on Tamoxifen. In November of 2003 my brother was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer. We buried him on Jan 31st of 2004. For the next 5 years and many trips to radiology for CT scans, PET scans and bone scans my cancer stayed hidden then suddenly decided to give me more trouble. It metastasized to my adrenal glands. They actually had trouble deciding if breast cancer was really the kind of cancer they found in one of the two adrenal glands and since they were afraid to wait too long in getting the results of the lab back, they thought the best move was to remove both adrenal glands and in July of 2008 I underwent a double adrenalectomy. That meant a new doctor in my forever future, an endocrinologist to monitor my body with drugs to take the place of my adrenal glands. Luckily for all my doctors that I have a great sense of humor because after it was discovered that it was metastasized breast cancer in both glands and had my oncologist known that, she would not have recommended the surgery but doused me with more chemo. I did undergo more chemo anyway from Oct of that year to Feb of the following year, 2009. More CT and PET scans and things were looking pretty good until Aug of 2009. My cancer had metastasized again to my right kidney and showing up more prevalently in my liver again. It had also grown from 5.2 centimeters to 8.9 centimeters. Though up until this time I had continued to work, my doctors all agreed that it was time for me to go on SS disability. I was getting sick more, more trips to the hospital and I felt that my employer deserved someone who is going to give the job their all and I was unable to do that any longer. I have been on a regular schedule of chemo since that time and it doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. I've been fortunate that I have a very large family and they have been my support group through all of this. My husband and I were never able to have children but coming from a family of ten, I have lots of nieces and nephews who have taken the place of the children I never had. My husbands family have also been a big part of my drive to keep going and not letting the cancer win. Yes, I am bald once again and again it is in the winter months of Northern Colorado. My family, friends and co-workers have commented over the 7 years that I have been fighting this cancer that they are awed by my indomitable spirit and sense of humor. I just knew that I had a mission and that mission was to fight this and take one day at a time. This cancer is going to have to fight harder to get me but I won't let it. In the past, my attitude was, "I got sick by myself, I'll get well by myself." Now, if any little thing doesn't seem normal, off to the doctor I go. I've almost become a hypochondriac. I don't take anything for granted anymore. I especially don't take life for granted. Every day I am thankful that I saw the sun come up. I'm still alive and I plan to stay that way until God says otherwise.