And the PET scan said...

This last week I have had good things happen and bad things happen! It all started on Thursday Nov. 1st. I started having a really hard time breathing with coughing and a painful tightness in my chest. By that following Saturday I went to the ER to see what was wrong. They took a CT scan and said that I had Viral Bronchitis. So they sent me on my way and said just let it pass. Then by Monday evening my breathing got worse. So back to the ER I went. They ran more tests on me and said actually you have Pneumonia. They gave me a dose of an anti-biotic which made me feel better. They sent me home again. Then at 430am that following morning I woke up feeling exactly the same.  It really is the worst feeling in the world when you feel like you can't breathe. My husband and I decided that I needed to go back up to the ER and they finally admitted me into Huntsman. This experience was one of the most discouraging things for me. I shed a lot of tears. I kept thinking to myself. I just finished my last round of chemo a couple weeks ago! My recovery should be going smoother than this. I was just so frustrated, because I have been sick for so long. Dealing with a new sickness was very difficult for me. I really have tried so hard to be positive through this whole thing, but getting Pneumonia really broke my spirits. In the end the doctors found out that I have a certain kind of Pneumonia called PCP. It was somewhat of a relief, because they knew exactly how to treat it to help me get better. I am on day 5 of medications and I am feeling a lot better and breathing ok.

This last round of chemo I imagined that things would go a lot smoother than they did. I just expected to bounce back to feeling good like I did in the past. I am for sure looking more like a cancer patient. A lot of my eye lashes have fallen out and my eye brows are thinner. Don't get me wrong. I am so thankful and so lucky that I have kept my eye lashes and eye brows this long! I also am thankful that they have not completely fallen out. I know I have talked a bunch about not having any strength, but that has gotten worse. It is so sad that I can hardly pick up my little nieces and nephews to hold them. I dread climbing my stairs because it is such a challenge. The other day I knelt on the floor to do something and I tried to stand up and I couldn't! It was like I was stuck there. I was so discouraged. As tears filled my eyes I thought, this is so pathetic I shouldn't have to have someone to come in here and help me up! I eventually was able to get up off the floor. Things have been really hard for me lately. I know I shouldn't be hard on myself and I know within time my strength will come back. I just need to remember to be patient and that it takes time.

Now for the good news! On Wednesday Nov. 6th I got the report in the hospital that the PET scan came out clear and they didn't see any cancer. So I am now officially in remission! I only have to go see my Oncologist every three months for check ups for the next while.

The plan for now is focusing on getting better and healthy. If anyone ever wants to join me for a yoga class call me, because that is probably what I will be starting out with. Just something simple to help my body to get back to where it was.

I don't know how to express my love and appreciation to all of you. It runs so deep in my heart. I have had an abundance of blessings through this experience that I didn't deserve. All of you have been more than kind and more than helpful and have blessed my life more than you could ever imagine! Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You all have been so wonderful and amazing! You all have been angels in my life! Thank you for your continual love and support. My husband and I can't thank you enough! Their have been so many blessings. It would be impossible to count them all.