So how in the world did I come to have stage 3b lung cancer at the age of 37 years old? Good question! And it's one that only God knows. For several months, I have been hearing about other people getting cancer, and I was beginning to become afraid that I would end up with it one day also. I never really dwelt on it, it was just there, in the back of my mind. Also, in the back of my mind, I was beginning to feel that my body was beginning to wear down just a little. I attributed it approaching 40. You know, you slow down as you get older!
July 10th, the day before my Livestrong Ride (65 miles!) I was in the car and rested my hand on my neck. I felt a hard lump under my finger. I thought to myself, "What is this?" Mike and Sue were in the car, and I told them to feel it. We decided I should go to urgent care that day since we were going on vacation for a week on Monday. I went to urgent care and the Dr. didn't know what it was. He said maybe a swollen lymph node. He had another Dr. look also. She said the same thing. So they told me to come back after vacation and have it looked at further.
The day after I came back, I went to my family doctor. He didn't like how hard it felt, nor the area, so he had me get it biopsied. I had a needle biopsy on Thursday by Dr. Barker. Dr. Barker told me that it could be cancer. I almost passed out in the office that day. Friday I left to go camping at Wrights Lake for a week. Dr. Barker told me I would know something on Monday. It was hard to wait the three days, but it helped to be at Wrights Lake, which is the most peaceful place for me to be. Unfortunately, Mike nor the kids could be there with me. But my dad, Nancy, and good friend Susan were there to help occupy my mind.
Monday late afternoon, Dad, Susan, and I drove down to Ice House where there is good cell phone reception and I finally got the news from my family doctor, Dr. Leib, that I have cancer. The hard thing though, was that he could not tell me what kind of cancer or where the cancer was coming from my body. I sat there and listened to him talk, and I didn't say much. It wasn't until after I got off of the phone, that I started to cry. I told my dad, "I just want to grow old with my husband." I could not believe that I had cancer. I could not comprehend it. The three of us just sat there, huddled together, sitting on a cement wall, in front of the store, crying. I then asked dad to pray for me, and he prayed the most wonderful comforting prayer, as well as Susan, and I immediately calmed down, and felt peace flooding me.
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