Post by gailywhaley on Aug 2, 2009 13:25:25 GMT -5
HI EVERYONE, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW BE, I'VE BEEN AROUND AWHILE..BUT I AM GAIL O'BRIEN WELBURN AND ON SEPT. 23 I WILL BE AN ELEVEN YEAR SURVIVOR...
IT BEGAN IN SEPT OF 1998..I WAS 36 WITH A SIX YR OLD DAUGHTER AND A 25 YR OLD SON..A SINGLE MOM, NEVER MARRIED, LIVING ON A DISABILITY PENSION.
I WAS DX WITH STAGE 3-B BREAST CANCER..THEY FOUND A LG LUMP IN MY RIGHT BREAST WITH SEVEN TAILS ATTACHED TO SMALL TUMORS..THESE TUMORS WERE ATTACHED TO MY CHEST WALL AND PECTORALIS MUSCLE. AFTER A LONG AND COMPLICATED SURGERY, THE TUMORS WERE REMOVED, 22 LYMPH NODES WERE TAKEN, THE PECTORALIS MUSCLE WAS REMOVED AND MY CHEST WALL SCRAPED. WHEN I WOKE UP, IT WAS TO A VERY DOWNTRODDEN SURGEON. HE SAID IT WAS PRETTY BAD AND THAT HE DIDN'T THINK I WOULD LAST A YR. THE RESULTS OF THE LYMPH NODE DISECTION SHOWED 11 OUT OF 22 WERE AFFECTED. NOT GOOD AT ALL..
6 MONTHS OF AGGRESSIVE CHEMO AND 39 DAYS OF RADIATION WHICH LEFT ME WITH 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON ALMOST A SQUARE FOOT OF MY CHEST, LEFT ME WEAK, SICK, AND BALD.
AND THROUGH IT ALL WAS MY NEW BOYFRIEND WHO SUPPORTED ME EVERYDAY..MY MOM CAME OVER TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE AND FRIENDS VISITED OR CALLED EVERYDAY. ONCE THE BURNS HEALED I WENT BACK TO MY SO CALLED NORMAL LIFE.
LIFE WAS BETTER THAN I EVER HAD IT..MY BOYFRIEND TREATED ME LIKE A QUEEN,, HIS FAMILY TOOK US IN AS THEIR OWN..I WAS IN LOVE AND ALIVE.
SIX YRS PASS..NEW THINGS HAPPENING ..MY BF RICHARD AND I DECIDE TO BUY A HOUSE AND MOVE IN TOGETHER. I FIND A JOB AT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP..BY THEN MY SON HAD MOVED OUT ON HIS OWN..MY DAUGHTER WAS IN GRADE SEVEN..NEW TOWN, NEW SCHOOL, NEW LIFE.
WITHIN A YR OF STARTING TO WORK , I DEVELOPED A COUGH..OHOH..I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING..I HAD DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING..BACK TO THE DOCTORS I WENT.
THEY DISCOVERED A SWOLLEN LYMPH NODE HAD GROWN IN MY THROAT PRESSING ON THE VOCAL CORD NERVE AND DAMAGING IT..MY ESOPHAGUS HAD ALSO BEEN NARROWED BY THE SWELLING..SIX SMALL SPOTS WERE DISCOVERED ON MY LUNG..THE BEAST HAD COME BACK..SO IT WAS BACK TO CHEMO AND THEN RADIATION AGAIN....I TOOK A YR OFF WORK.TESTS SHOWED THE SPOTS ON MY LUNGS HAD DISAPPEARED, BUT MY VOCAL CORDS WERE PARALYSED..I NOW HAD A VERY SQUEEKY VOICE AND GOT WINDED VERY EASILY..BUT I WENT BACK TO WORK..DID I MENTION THAT I HAD BEEN COUGHING SO MUCH DURING THAT TIME THAT I MANAGED TO FRACTURE SEVERAL RIBS..OUCH
BACK TO WORK I WENT AGAIN..MY CAT SCANS WERE NOW SCHEDULED EVERY THREE MONTHS..MY VOICE SLOWLY IMPROVED MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE EAR NOSE AND THROAT DOC..HE SAYS IT IS MUCH LIKE HOW AN OPERA SINGER CHANGES THEIR VOICES TO SING..I RETRAINED MY VOCAL CORDS..
15 MONTHS WENT BY AND I WAS WELL..LOVING MY JOB..AND TO TOP IT OFF RICHARD FINALLY PROPOSED ON XMAS MORNING..WHAT A SURPRISE..I STARTED PLANNING OUR WEDDING..AT THAT TIME I DEVELOPED A RECURRANCE OF A BACK PROBLEM I HAD HAD YRS BEFORE AND RECIEVED SURGERY FOR, SO I TOOK SIX WEEKS OFF WORK..DURING THAT TIME I HAD MY REGULAR CAT SCAN AND YRLY BONE SCAN..THE RESULTS CAME BACK POSITIVE. NOW THE CANCER HAD SPREAD TO MY LIVER AND BONES..I HAD NO SYMPTOMS...
SO IT WAS BACK TO CHEMO AGAIN AND MORE RADIATION..BY NOW MY SON AND GF PRESENTED ME WITH MY FIRST GRANDCHILD, A BOY, CONNOR..HE IS MY PRIDE AND JOY..I WAS A NEWLYWED..LIFE WAS GOOD AND I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT INCLUDING THE BAD TIMES CUS THEY MAKE YOU APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD TIMES..
LAST WINTER I SPENT ON CHEMO AND ENJOYING HAVING MY NEW GRANDSON AND FAMILY STAY WITH ME. BY SUMMER TIME I WAS SICK BECAUSE OF MY ESOPHUGUS STARTING TO SHRINK AGAIN..I NEEDED SURGERY TO HAVE IT STRETCHED..I COULDNT EVEN GET A PILL DOWN..I CHOKED ON FOOD AND DRINK AND LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT..BECAUSE THE PILLS WERE GETTING CAUGHT IN MY ESOPHAGUS, I WAS STARTING TO HAVE SEVERE CHEST AND JAW PAIN..I THOUGHT IT WAS A HEART ATTACK ON TO FIND OUT IT WAS SEVERE INDIGESTION FROM THE PILLS DISSOLVING IN THE ESOPHUGUS..I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE DAYS, HOOKED UP TO AN I.V. TO HYDRATE ME AND ADMINISTER PAIN MEDS..AND THEN FINALLY HAD MY ESPHUGUS STRETHCHED. ONCE AGAIN I WAS EATING GREAT AND PUTTING ON WEIGHT..
MY REGULAR SCANS WERE DONE EVERY THREE MONTHS AND I WAS ON CHEMO PILLS DURING THAT TIME..IT WAS RECENTLY DECIDED THAT THE PILLS WERE NO LONGER WORKING AND THAT I WAS GOING TO START CHEMO AGAIN..DARN IT I JUST GOT MY HAIR BACK AGAIN LOL..BUT THE GOAL IS TO SHRINK THE TUMORS IN MY LIVER..BTW..I ALSO HAVE CANCER IN MY CERVICAL SPINE..FOUR DISCS ARE AFFECTED AND ONE HAS ALREADY COLLAPSED..LUCKY FOR ME I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PAIN FROM THIS CANCER..THE DOCS ARE AMAZED..I FEEL AWESOME EXCEPT FOR WHEN I HAVE A GALLBLADDER ATTACK.LOL
AS LENGTHY AS THIS STORY IS, I WAS HOPING TO GIVE SOMEONE HOPE AND STRENGTH TO KEEP ON FIGHTING AND KEEP ON LAUGHING..I AM A WALKING WONDER IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AND I KNOW IT'S BECAUSE I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AND COUNT MY BLESSINGS EVERY DAY..PEACE TO EVERYONE OUT THERE AND KEEP YOUR CHINS UP. ;D GAILYWHALEY
IT BEGAN IN SEPT OF 1998..I WAS 36 WITH A SIX YR OLD DAUGHTER AND A 25 YR OLD SON..A SINGLE MOM, NEVER MARRIED, LIVING ON A DISABILITY PENSION.
I WAS DX WITH STAGE 3-B BREAST CANCER..THEY FOUND A LG LUMP IN MY RIGHT BREAST WITH SEVEN TAILS ATTACHED TO SMALL TUMORS..THESE TUMORS WERE ATTACHED TO MY CHEST WALL AND PECTORALIS MUSCLE. AFTER A LONG AND COMPLICATED SURGERY, THE TUMORS WERE REMOVED, 22 LYMPH NODES WERE TAKEN, THE PECTORALIS MUSCLE WAS REMOVED AND MY CHEST WALL SCRAPED. WHEN I WOKE UP, IT WAS TO A VERY DOWNTRODDEN SURGEON. HE SAID IT WAS PRETTY BAD AND THAT HE DIDN'T THINK I WOULD LAST A YR. THE RESULTS OF THE LYMPH NODE DISECTION SHOWED 11 OUT OF 22 WERE AFFECTED. NOT GOOD AT ALL..
6 MONTHS OF AGGRESSIVE CHEMO AND 39 DAYS OF RADIATION WHICH LEFT ME WITH 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON ALMOST A SQUARE FOOT OF MY CHEST, LEFT ME WEAK, SICK, AND BALD.
AND THROUGH IT ALL WAS MY NEW BOYFRIEND WHO SUPPORTED ME EVERYDAY..MY MOM CAME OVER TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE AND FRIENDS VISITED OR CALLED EVERYDAY. ONCE THE BURNS HEALED I WENT BACK TO MY SO CALLED NORMAL LIFE.
LIFE WAS BETTER THAN I EVER HAD IT..MY BOYFRIEND TREATED ME LIKE A QUEEN,, HIS FAMILY TOOK US IN AS THEIR OWN..I WAS IN LOVE AND ALIVE.
SIX YRS PASS..NEW THINGS HAPPENING ..MY BF RICHARD AND I DECIDE TO BUY A HOUSE AND MOVE IN TOGETHER. I FIND A JOB AT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP..BY THEN MY SON HAD MOVED OUT ON HIS OWN..MY DAUGHTER WAS IN GRADE SEVEN..NEW TOWN, NEW SCHOOL, NEW LIFE.
WITHIN A YR OF STARTING TO WORK , I DEVELOPED A COUGH..OHOH..I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING..I HAD DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING..BACK TO THE DOCTORS I WENT.
THEY DISCOVERED A SWOLLEN LYMPH NODE HAD GROWN IN MY THROAT PRESSING ON THE VOCAL CORD NERVE AND DAMAGING IT..MY ESOPHAGUS HAD ALSO BEEN NARROWED BY THE SWELLING..SIX SMALL SPOTS WERE DISCOVERED ON MY LUNG..THE BEAST HAD COME BACK..SO IT WAS BACK TO CHEMO AND THEN RADIATION AGAIN....I TOOK A YR OFF WORK.TESTS SHOWED THE SPOTS ON MY LUNGS HAD DISAPPEARED, BUT MY VOCAL CORDS WERE PARALYSED..I NOW HAD A VERY SQUEEKY VOICE AND GOT WINDED VERY EASILY..BUT I WENT BACK TO WORK..DID I MENTION THAT I HAD BEEN COUGHING SO MUCH DURING THAT TIME THAT I MANAGED TO FRACTURE SEVERAL RIBS..OUCH
BACK TO WORK I WENT AGAIN..MY CAT SCANS WERE NOW SCHEDULED EVERY THREE MONTHS..MY VOICE SLOWLY IMPROVED MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE EAR NOSE AND THROAT DOC..HE SAYS IT IS MUCH LIKE HOW AN OPERA SINGER CHANGES THEIR VOICES TO SING..I RETRAINED MY VOCAL CORDS..
15 MONTHS WENT BY AND I WAS WELL..LOVING MY JOB..AND TO TOP IT OFF RICHARD FINALLY PROPOSED ON XMAS MORNING..WHAT A SURPRISE..I STARTED PLANNING OUR WEDDING..AT THAT TIME I DEVELOPED A RECURRANCE OF A BACK PROBLEM I HAD HAD YRS BEFORE AND RECIEVED SURGERY FOR, SO I TOOK SIX WEEKS OFF WORK..DURING THAT TIME I HAD MY REGULAR CAT SCAN AND YRLY BONE SCAN..THE RESULTS CAME BACK POSITIVE. NOW THE CANCER HAD SPREAD TO MY LIVER AND BONES..I HAD NO SYMPTOMS...
SO IT WAS BACK TO CHEMO AGAIN AND MORE RADIATION..BY NOW MY SON AND GF PRESENTED ME WITH MY FIRST GRANDCHILD, A BOY, CONNOR..HE IS MY PRIDE AND JOY..I WAS A NEWLYWED..LIFE WAS GOOD AND I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT INCLUDING THE BAD TIMES CUS THEY MAKE YOU APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD TIMES..
LAST WINTER I SPENT ON CHEMO AND ENJOYING HAVING MY NEW GRANDSON AND FAMILY STAY WITH ME. BY SUMMER TIME I WAS SICK BECAUSE OF MY ESOPHUGUS STARTING TO SHRINK AGAIN..I NEEDED SURGERY TO HAVE IT STRETCHED..I COULDNT EVEN GET A PILL DOWN..I CHOKED ON FOOD AND DRINK AND LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT..BECAUSE THE PILLS WERE GETTING CAUGHT IN MY ESOPHAGUS, I WAS STARTING TO HAVE SEVERE CHEST AND JAW PAIN..I THOUGHT IT WAS A HEART ATTACK ON TO FIND OUT IT WAS SEVERE INDIGESTION FROM THE PILLS DISSOLVING IN THE ESOPHUGUS..I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE DAYS, HOOKED UP TO AN I.V. TO HYDRATE ME AND ADMINISTER PAIN MEDS..AND THEN FINALLY HAD MY ESPHUGUS STRETHCHED. ONCE AGAIN I WAS EATING GREAT AND PUTTING ON WEIGHT..
MY REGULAR SCANS WERE DONE EVERY THREE MONTHS AND I WAS ON CHEMO PILLS DURING THAT TIME..IT WAS RECENTLY DECIDED THAT THE PILLS WERE NO LONGER WORKING AND THAT I WAS GOING TO START CHEMO AGAIN..DARN IT I JUST GOT MY HAIR BACK AGAIN LOL..BUT THE GOAL IS TO SHRINK THE TUMORS IN MY LIVER..BTW..I ALSO HAVE CANCER IN MY CERVICAL SPINE..FOUR DISCS ARE AFFECTED AND ONE HAS ALREADY COLLAPSED..LUCKY FOR ME I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PAIN FROM THIS CANCER..THE DOCS ARE AMAZED..I FEEL AWESOME EXCEPT FOR WHEN I HAVE A GALLBLADDER ATTACK.LOL
AS LENGTHY AS THIS STORY IS, I WAS HOPING TO GIVE SOMEONE HOPE AND STRENGTH TO KEEP ON FIGHTING AND KEEP ON LAUGHING..I AM A WALKING WONDER IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AND I KNOW IT'S BECAUSE I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AND COUNT MY BLESSINGS EVERY DAY..PEACE TO EVERYONE OUT THERE AND KEEP YOUR CHINS UP. ;D GAILYWHALEY
!!!!!!!SILLY ME..GOTTA BE THE CHEMO..YUP ..THATS MY EXCUSE AND I AM STICKING TO IT..LOL
