We passed a couple of major milestones this weekend. I don’t want to be reminded how the past two years changed my life, but my husband did. In face, I would not have remembered January 11 if he had not invited me to lunch to celebrate.
“Celebrate, my head in a box?” I asked. I think he was celebrating no visible signs of brain tumors. I can appreciate that.
It was a nice and thoughtful gesture. The day was perfect. We watched nine-year-old Oliver play basketball and then off to the Walrus. I can still taste the garlic.
Actually, it’s two rather important milestones. When I was diagnosed in January of 2023, I didn’t expect to be around for Christmas that year. But I was, and feeling fine until December 24.
My oncologist, Dr. Rocket, warned me. He said, “Lung cancer likes to go to the brain.”
“It doesn’t have to,” I replied. But, he was right. Really right.
After a couple of weeks of doctoring for what we thought was an ear infection affecting my balance, we discovered it was not. I first went to the walk-in clinic and followed up with my general practitioner later in the week. I finally contacted oncology. I should have started there.
Dr. Rocket knew right away what had happened. Until the MRI, we didn’t realize how right he was. Not one, not two, but five tumors had taken up residence in my brain. This caused a loss of hearing in my left ear, more tinnitus and I was too dizzy to walk straight, much less drive anywhere.
I was immediately sent to the Bismarck Cancer Center to be fitted for another plastic mask. In the meantime, I asked to go to Mayo.
The doctors at Mayo responded immediately and before I could make that first treatment at the Bismarck Cancer Center we were on our way to Rochester, Minn.
Blood work, an oncology appointment, a neurosurgeon appointment on January 10, and then I had to be at the hospital by 5:30 a.m. for Gamma Knife surgery the next morning. We were on the way home by 11 a.m. on January 11. It happened pretty fast.
My blood work included a genetic test for mutations. They found the Kras gene, a common mutation in lung cancer cases. This was good news. While recovering from the Gamma Knife surgery, I started taking the drug targeted to prevent this gene from further mutating.
It was a long five months until my health began to improve and I was able to function day-to-day. I planted my garden. I baked bread. I sold bread at the farmers markets. I occasionally threw up. But it got better.
And here I am, two years later, writing my heart out and doing jigsaw puzzles, but. Yes, there’s always a but, isn’t there?
On Friday, I will have my CT scan to determine what’s happening in my lungs and other organs that lung cancer loves to move into. I’m not going to lie, this has not been an easy couple of weeks of wonder.
It is not the kind of wonder I feel when watching the sunrise every morning from my favorite room of the house. Sunrises should take your breath away, not lung cancer.
PS: You may have seen the photo accompanying this post on Facebook Sunday morning. A cell phone photo cannot compare to seeing it firsthand.
It was not five minutes after writing that last sentence that this spectacular sunrise appeared; followed by a strange sense of peace. An affirmation from you know who.
INDYchildrendotme 
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