Читать книгу Pink Ribbon Stories: A Celebration of Life - Tammy Miller - Страница 18

It started out with a nagging pain in my lower left side. When it went on for several weeks, I began to think about a doctor visit. I had had a hysterectomy back in 1980 but because of my age they had not removed my left ovary. With all the talk about ovarian cancer, I decided I had better have it checked out. On September 17, 2009 I had a female exam and pap smear. The doctor ordered a sonogram of my ovary which was done on Sept. 23, 2009. She also ordered blood work and, at the time, she asked if I wanted to have a mammogram since I hadn’t had one for 2 years. I told her,”Okay, we might as well do it all” and she scheduled it .

The technician who did the mammogram on Oct. 3, 2009 was very thorough….I thought a little too thorough as I was not a big fan of mammograms, but I left happy to have it over with. Later that week I received a call that my x-ray was abnormal and they wanted to re-do it. I was assured by many of my friends that this had happened to them also and everything was fine. So I went back on Oct. 14, 2009 ready to hear that all was well. Not so….the person who read the x-rays was present and when they were all finished, I was told I needed to see a cancer surgeon. Strangely enough, I was calm and had no fear whatsoever. I thought, “How strange. I should be falling apart.”

On Oct. 28, 2009 I had a consultation visit with Dr. Garguilo. He showed me on the x-rays, the spot they suspected was cancer and said a biopsy would need to be done to be sure. I had the biopsy at Johnstown Memorial Hospital on Nov. 18, 2009. The test results came back—cancer! Still...no fear. I had the peaceful feeling that everything was going to be okay.

On Dec. 9, 2009 I met with Dr. G. to discuss my options. Because of the small size of the lump, he said that a lumpectomy would be the best way to surgically remove it, and we scheduled my surgery for January 4, 2010. He also told me that I would be a candidate for a new way of doing radiation treatments but it was only done at the Indiana hospital. He would put a balloon in my breast after he removed the lump to hold a space for the catheter needed for the radiation treatments which would be twice a day for 5 days and I would be done. Wonderful! I checked with my insurance and everything was good to go.

In the meantime I had to have several scans to be sure there were no other cancers in my body plus blood work and consultation with the anesthesiologist.

On Monday, January 4, 2010, Dr. G. removed the lump from my breast along with several lymph nodes under my right arm. Testing on the nodes showed no spread of cancer cells there so I would only need to have radiation treatments—not chemo, so my stay at Indiana, PA was on.

I returned home the afternoon of January 4th with only a band-aid on my wound. My daughter (who drove me to the hospital) and I stopped at Wal-mart for a quick shopping trip on the way home.

On Wednesday January 6th, 2010, I drove myself to Lee Campus of Conemaugh Memorial Hospital for Dr. G. to remove the balloon and insert the catheter. I then drove myself to Indiana Regional where I was supposed to begin radiation treatments. Upon arrival, I found there was a slight problem….the machine needed was being serviced and wouldn’t be ready until the following week.

I was very disappointed because the roads were icy and snow covered (being wintertime) but I decided to journey back home. Early Monday morning, January 11, 2010, I began receiving radiation treatments as planned. Dr. Tunio and the staff at the Cancer Center were wonderful. I returned home on Friday.

Since that time I have continued to have follow-up visits with Dr. Tunio and Dr. G. I’ve had mammograms (still not one of my favorite tests but one I highly recommend!) which have all been normal.

I have been cancer free now for over a year. Although I don’t know why I had to have cancer, my faith is in God who made me, who has ordered all my days, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that I might live with Him eternally. He gave me peace, and led me to the right people to help me. This life is not all there is, so whether I am cured or die of cancer and go home to heaven, I WIN!

Joanne lives in Meyersdale, PA where she is part-time Secretary of the Grace Brethren Church, Treasurer of the Meyersdale Area Union Cemetery, and holds down a fulltime job at First National Bank. She is a widow with 5 grown children, eleven grandchildren, and one great, grandson. You may reach her at sjberkley@verizon.net

A Sprinkle of FUN from the Author…

“I have everything I had twenty years ago, only it’s all a little bit lower.”

- Gypsy Rose Lee