The Inside Scoop To Where I Have Been and What Is Going On

I am going to make a real effort to keep this short and sweet but will be happy to answer any questions you may have. So here goes. .....
February was Women's Heart Health month. Heart disease has affected my life on both sides of my family in huge ways, so it is a cause that I spend time promoting through education as much as I can.

My Story in a Nutshell
Christmas Eve 1999 I became pretty darn sick and within 3 days time, I find out that I have lung cancer but things looked hopeful.  All we had to worry about was if it had invaded the chest wall, if not then I was going to fly through it without problems, if it had attached to the chest wall we were in some serious doo doo for sure.   We had planned on going to Key West to watch the last sunset from Mallory Dock for 1999 and then to get on over to watch the activities and wait for the big conch shell to drop at midnight at JOE's and to welcome in the Millennium.    OMGosh we had so much fun and it was like we had not a trouble in the world.  We partied more that night then we ever had before and since.    We attacked 2000 with vigor!!   This was like our 5th trip to Key West and of course it was the best of all of them, that is until we go back each time and then that is the best of all, you know what I mean. After a week of the most fun we had ever had together, Steve and I headed back to Missouri to face the cancer beast face on.
Within a few weeks, and many tests and large doses of antibiotics and steroids I was in the hospital being prepped for surgery, expecting the worst but certainly praying for the best.  12 hours later, I am awake, the news is so darn good we just were so moved that during many bouts of crying we spent a lot of time praying and thanking God for taking me in his hands and guiding the hands of the surgeons.  The cancer was encapsulated with no attachments and they got it all.  Also it was non-small cell carcinoma, which if you have to have cancer that is what you would want. .So after 5 days I am sent home and it was just horrible. I just knew my whole family was lying to me and that in reality I was sent home to die and of course I had a huge meltdown, well maybe several huge meltdowns and they had to take me back to the hospital because I caused my lung to collapse yet one more time.  2 days later, back home and work on moving our life's into a much leveler plane that worked for most of us.    Now I have to say this, HA HA Ha, come on guys, there is nothing normal about me including the life I live.  Of course I was on major drugs and didn't know my butt from my feet so that helped pass the time quickly (or so I thought).  I find out that sometime during the 5 days after surgery, my lung had collapsed twice. The best part of all that is being on the "wonder drugs"  I didn't feel a thing when they punched into my lung the first two times but this time they were unable to give me drugs as they didn't want to cause any form of compromise to my respiratory situation. 

Moving on, it has not been an easy 12 years but it certainly has been better then the alternative!!!   Just in case no one told you "Cancer is a disease, Cancer is not a death warrant.    So up until this last episode I had just experienced my longest period of time without having to go into the hospital, 18 months!!  Woot Woot.  So I had my chemo treatments, huge doses of antibiotics, and blah blah blah.  I really did listen but I won't be going around and about too many places for a bit.  There was bad news attached to this episode.  I am no longer in remission, I apparently did some damage to my heart, at least that is what the cardiac enzymes were saying.  Oh yeah, I forgot, I was having some pretty severe chest pain at the time too.  So without going on any longer here is the plan........

March 15th  I will be having a chemical stress test done to see exactly what is going on. So from the mind  that educates about Heart Health for Women, I ask that you pray for a very good outcome to all of this

Until then, that is all I have for now. 

Spring forward   Fall backwards.  ++

Keep the faith and I just know that everything will be just fine.

Jeanne