Welcome All Book Lovers

Welcome All Book Lovers

Sunday, November 25, 2018

My World ~ Cancer and stuff



When I first saw these words posted on a website, I felt relief that some out there felt like I do. The original picture was sort of blurry so I just made another one. I wish I could print these out and give them to everyone I know and give them to people that are having trouble after cancer treatment. It doesn't just go away. It's hard enough trying to get back to a normal place after all that was done to you, but you have to go through the scare of it coming back and all of the checkups over the next two years until they trickle down if your lucky. 

I went through my own personal hell, as did many people.  I had a slew of doctors, nurses, rt's and other random cancer specialists around me. That was a special thing. I loved the people I met; we had something in common. I could cry and they got it and I could freakout until my happy juice was put into my iv before the chemo started. They understood everything. They welcomed me and took me in and told me it was all going to be okay and I'm still friends with some of them today. I love these people and I hate what they all have to go through. Every time I have to go down there for something I like to bring goodies bags. I brought Halloween when I got my port flushed and bloodwork and I'm taking Christmas bags FULL of goodies! It makes me happy to this to make someone smile. I had it done to me and it filled me with happiness.

I got my chemo at my gyn oncology center because it was a small group of people and it was more intimate. There are only 13 chairs so I always pack 13 goodie bags. I actually had my radiation done across the street at our hospital in the cancer center. I had the regular outer radiation that was like 25 to 29 days (I forget) and the 5 brachytherapy surgeries that just about killed me in and of itself. I had to fight like hell to make it through these. They were internal radiation treatments and you have to get put to sleep and have this thing inserted and attached to a sleeve that was put into me surgically not long before those particular treatments started. Between the chemo wreaking havoc with my internals down there, I had to deal with the pain of catheters for all of these surgeries. My bladder is still trying to come back from all of it and I won't mention the problems I have to watch for with my colon. I'm scared every single day about things that might happen. I'm supposed to stay positive but it's hard. I cry most days as I still have my mental issues to deal with as well. I have so many battles and sometimes I would to give up and I deal with that as only I can do. 

Today I have been so very depressed. I have cried and cried. I was helping dad take down some of my bedroom stuff and carrying it upstairs the best I could. We got me a new bed coming that you can lift the head and foot area to help with pain and a tempur pedic mattress. My arthritis is worse after all of this as well. I cried because dad said he was getting too old for lifting and carrying things and I can barely do anything and I miss soooooooooooo very much miss when we were all younger. That this life wasn't my reality right now.  I miss being young, I miss life with my mamaw on the farm. I miss so many things. I want all of my family back and everyone healthy and happy. But this is life right.... 

I didn't want to get on here today but I had to put some reviews on my blog and stupid stuff. I don't even want to do things any more. I told myself I wasn't going to do things that don't make me happy because life is even shorter when something is had tried to kill you and still might at that. Then here I come back onto goodreads having feeling like I have to write a little review and then come over here to google on my blog so it won't get deleted. People don't hardly look at my blog so what is the point. After of these years I should have had over 500,000 views but I'm just not good enough I guess. I had a lot of people looking at my stuff before cancer. But since I'm not writing big drawn out reviews, they don't care I guess. I think everyone should be looked at even if they just give star reviews. In this world of books I just want to be happy with people reading books. On google, I want to get with my friends on beautiful pictures they post and try to start posting some again as well. I want to read their messages and poems and just freaking things. But I also don't want to come on the computer for days on end. GOD, I remember back when I wrote that thing a woman had written for her family to share after she died of cancer in her 20's. She basically said it's all bullshit. Spend time doing what you want or what you can in my case since I'm still homebound. Don't waste time on shit or shit people. I have done both. And I have put myself into debt trying to find some happiness by buying too many damn things since cancer treatment. I feel ashamed! I hope to make it better. I hope to make a lot of things better. That's all I have, hope... but I spent more money today. All I want to do is get healthy, spend quality time with my dog and family, buy little gifts for others as it makes me so happy when they send me a text of happiness. 

I don't even know if this is making any sense. I just wanted to get a few words out. I will write more later. There are all kinds of things I need to say about my fears and in depth thoughts about my cancer journey. And dad just came down, he always seems to do that when I'm crying. He came down to check on me and Lucy as we still sleep in the living room right now on a mattress. I need to be close to things still. We hope to be back down here in the room in January. I will keep you all informed of my visits and stuff. 

I'm going to add a few pictures. I'm not going to add many, if any of myself as I hate how much I have gone downhill after all of my medical issues. Thank you all for listening. FYI: I just noticed I put most of the pictures before telling you want they were, that description is down below the picture. Sigh... I think y'all will get it though.

Mel 





 (Above) This is a picture of Courtney. He was our valet and he was very special. Dad gave him $40 for being so kind and actually helping me to get from the wheelchair into the car on the days I had surgery. I miss him as he moved to another part of Tennessee to follow his dreams. Good luck, Courtney. He had beautiful braids but had them tied up. 




Above, dad carrying some of my stuff in for radiation. 






A couple of my lovely techs getting me ready for radiation. Notice my dog pillows laying there for my head. I brought them along. I was going to take pictures of the steel room where I had the internal radiation but just couldn't.








My wonderful tech, Pam whom always loved my funny shirts and held me when I cried. She also gave me a plant with a dog pot that I'm going to show next. I need to call her. 














Above is a random picture of my port. 






One of my favorite people, my oncology radiation nurse. I still call her to this day with any concerns over anyone else. I had just come out of surgery and rang the bell and it was the last day of treatment. Bell is on the left side of the picture. 





 A chemo friend. 






Another chemo friend. 





My chemo thing I had to drag around for 6 hours. I named him Herman. 





Some of my chemo nurses and my gyn oncologists wife on the left. She would bring her dog in to see the patients. He's a beautiful Aussie/Poodle mix and I want one as I had both of those dogs in pure breed. Oliver is in the picture below!







A couple of my favorite chemo nurses. 




Me and mom went to the zoo the last day of my external radiation. I had no energy so she had to wheel me around. I felt stupid. Little did I know the hell I was in for with the last 5 internal treatments. 



And my sweet Lucy who is with me through it all. ♥

 






And in closing, a random picture or the moon one morning on our way to radiation. I had a wonderful one on some of the night time mornings on our way to surgery but I don't think I took the picture. 

There are actually several more pictures but I don't want to share everything, just a few. 

I'm sad that I haven't gotten to do some of the things I put on my after cancer treatment list. One will have to wait until summer again because I waited too long and it's too cold and it involves feet and water. 

The other was to go trick or treating but it was too hot here that day and I couldn't so we ordered a Halloween cookie form the Great American Cookie Company. I should have put that picture on here but I'm tired. 

I have another thing on my list that I hope to do in December. I will let you know. 

Thank you for listening, reading and trying to understand what I have said. I'm too tired to proof read it right now. 

***Cervical Cancer Awareness***

Mel xo

27 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing. You (& all those dealing with cancer) are quite brave.

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  2. Thanks for sharing, Melissa. I understand all of what you have to share. I finished my 12 rounds of chemo the end of last Sept and a month of radiation in January. I don't feel recovered yet and feel like I have PTSD from it. It takes a long time to recover physically and mentally. <3 Shawnie

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    1. I'm so sorry you have had to go through this too. I'm glad however, that you understand what I'm going through. I think it probably is a form of PTSD. I'm constantly on edge and freak out at any little thing. There is so much more I can say but I will leave it at I know what you are feeling. xo

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  3. Melissa, I look forward to seeing your emails in my inbox. I know we are strangers but I think of you often and the fight you are going through. I just want you to know I'm here, you are loved so very much. I'm huge dog person and I enjoy seeing your pooches. I'm a person of faith and will continue to pray for you.

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    1. Thank you so very much! You have no idea how much that means to me! xoxo

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  4. This was beautiful and sad and wonderful that you shared this with us. I have tears in my eyes and I'm hoping so hard that things will be better for you soon, soon, soon.

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    1. Thank you so much dear, Donna. I'm hoping to do a follow up journey story of my actual thoughts and feelings through the how process and even to this day! xo

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  5. I'm praying for you, Mel! I know this journey is hard and painful, but you are such a wonderful kindhearted woman and I can tell that you have impacted many of the people you've met through your treatments. I pray that you find more joy as your days continue. I always like to say I don't have bad days, but God's days because through the midst of all the negativity there is still much to be thankful for and I know that you understand that kind of sentiment. This post really hit me hard and made me tear up. Sending much love your way.

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    1. Your post made me tear up! Thank you so much for the kind words. I have been feeling a lot lately that God hates me but I know it doesn't work that way and I'm trying to find new ways to get through this. I will be writing another cancer journey sharing my deepest feelings going through the whole process and one on my depression when I feel I can.

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    2. And thank you so much again for the kind words. I hit reply the first time before I was done. Sorry! xoxoxo

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  6. I'm glad I saw your post on Goodreads today. I have been wondering how you're doing. Thank you for sharing your update. You're so strong and resilient. I just want you to know I think of you and pray for your health and happiness. Sending love.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kindness. It's hard for me to share things sometimes, but I wanted to show some of the things during my journey. I will be writing another one later on about the feelings I had through the whole journey and how it still effects me now. xoxoxo

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  7. Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you are feeling so down. I for one and very happy to see your updates on GoodReads (I only now figured out you had a blog as well, not sure why I hadn't seen it before, but I'm following now!) and have been wondering how you've been doing as well. Sending positive energy for health and peace. <3

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    1. Thank you so much for the kind words. I will try to follow you back unless I already have, after so many years I still don't know how to do everything! I'm not very good at this stuff. And, I'm not sure if I'm going to keep the blog going. I'm not having as much fun any more. =( xoxo

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  8. Mel, thank you for sharing. You are the strongest person I know. To go through all the chemo and radiation treatments and to be able to write about your struggles, both physically and mentally, is amazing and a testimony to your strength. You're a loving and most compassionate person in how you treat others. I liked how you brought goody bags for the other patients. Lucy is a great comfort and a terrific companion. Snuggle close to each other. Sending prayers and positive vibes your way.

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    1. I just notice my message published as an Unknown November 30, 2018 at 3:47 PM. My name is Candace Peterson from Goodreads.com.

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    2. OMG! I sat here hitting the reply button over and over and it was already sitting here for me to reply!


      Thank you for your kinds words. I am going to do another post about my feeling during the whole process of my treatment, it will be brutal but I want people to know they are not alone out there. I'm also going to write about my depression. I'm still on the fence if I'm going to keep up blogging though so we shall see.

      xoxoxo

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  9. From your old friend in Utah, you've not only shown more courage than I ever knew you had, you've shown more courage than I would ever be capable of. I love you

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. Everyone says I have so much courage and strength, even during the times when I was crying my eyes out during treatment. I don't think of myself that way. I think of myself as someone who just got through it to stay with my dog. xoxoxo

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  10. Melissa - what an awesome post! I know you seem to think nobody reads your stuff, but that's not how the internet works. Some day, some random stranger like me is going to wander past, driven here by a review you did on Goodreads, and your story is going to make a difference. I've just had my scans 1 year after my chemo ended for my cancer, and I read what you said and just cried, and I'm a sensible middle-aged English bloke so that's not how I'm supposed to behave at all. I'm supposed to talk about the weather and cricket and the Queen and stuff, and instead I'm admiring a blog post from someone I don't know in a place far far away, but with a story oh so near.

    It's just all so true, though! Your treatment sounds ten times worse than mine was, as I just had chemo and no radio, so I can barely imagine what you went through.

    I hope things are on an upward curve for you, even if you still have bad days, and know that people out there in the world are moved by your story, and wish you well on your journey.

    xxxxx
    (Plus, how ever do you read so much!? I barely managed 60 books last year on Goodreads... I'm a little jealous of that...)

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  11. Thanks for sharing your difficult journey with us, Melissa. You seem like such a sweet and a special person. I pray for you that it only keeps getting better from here.

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  12. I'm so happy you have the courage to fight. You will win,.

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  13. Melissa I just wrote a whole bunch of stuff and my other finger hit something and it’s all gone, I could really scream. I’ve had cancer too. But it was/is breast cancer.
    That was 29 years ago. It’s very easy to remember because my youngest was 8 mos. old. And in 8 days he’ll be 29. And I have a 4 yr. old granddaughter.
    What I had was really bad. But I didn’t know. I’ve had 3 reoccurrences. The first was 13 years later in my other breast. And I called my original breast surgeon and he told me none of them thought I was going to make it that first time. But I had 3 very good reasons to fight with everything I could. I’m Catholic and I said the rosary every night begging God and the Blessed Mother to just let me live long enough to bring up my three children.
    I remember clearly feeling as bad as you after the first time. It was awful. You have every right to feel as you do and I believe I had a much easier chemo than you, I had 9 mos of chemo and then 28 days of radiation. And 5 years of tamoxifen. I had the strongest treatment they had then.
    I don’t know when this journey started for you, but I clearly remember sitting at the end of our road on the curb because I couldn’t have stood for any length of time; waiting for my 5 yr. old “baby” to get off the school bus from kindergarten. And I was so depressed that I still felt so bad. I was thinking if I can’t stand up here am I ever going to feel well enough to do the food shopping again. I did.
    I have more to tell you but I have to finish this tomorrow because I have to go to bed.
    But just keep fighting and praying. I shouldn’t have lived but I believe God heard me.
    And I’ll pray for you too.

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  14. Hi Melissa !! Your profile came up in my FB timeline so I clicked on your profile and found you blog. I haven’t talked to you in years. We became friends on Facebook when Joyce Meyer came to Chattanooga. She’s still my daily source of inspiration. Happy to see you have conquered cancer. I have too!! Don’t worry about what lies ahead. You have no authority over it anyway. Enjoy this day that God have us. ((Hugs)) up you!

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  15. HI Mel.

    This is your Goodreads friend, Mary, the chick who always loves your book pics and reviews. Well, here I am stalking your blog. I just wanted to tell you that I admire your courage and strength to go through all of this, then turn around and pour your heart out. Thanks for sharing your journey. I do hope and pray for your continued good health. My dad is one year cancer free, after a frightening fight with the beast. Ironically, his younger brother was also diagnosed with THE SAME FORM OF CANCER within a week of one another. My uncle did not recover and passed away in November 2019. I feel your fears. I can deeply sympathize with you. My father has been struggling to regain his strength and taste. (Radiation destroyed his sense of taste) But, every day we are grateful for his presence. He's been suffering with depression, but I know he'll find his happy again. I hope you have also found peace and health since your brave post. Pray that you have found a sense of normal in this crazy COVID world of now.

    Never think your posts are for naught. If they inspire one person you have brought one smile through the day. I, for one, love your posts! If it weren't for you I wouldn't have some of the greatest, coolest books on my shelves. I rely on your opinions to lead me to the good stuff. But, I never want you to feel pressured to write a post if you don't feel well. Keep yourself happy first. The rest will follow.

    Sending you hugs and love. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, your life, and your love of books with me. I appreciate YOU!😍👊🌹❤

    Xoxo,
    Mary

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