Cancer History

I was speaking with my friend for a few minutes last week ( hi Melissa!!!) and I realized that she did not know most of my cancer "history" I guess you can call it. And why would she, we just me when I started my new job in May. Then I started to realize most of my friends don't know the whole story. Of course my college friends do, because they were there from the beginning. I had to go over my medical history for the clinical trial team the other day and even I was getting confused.  Until a few years ago I had it down, but now it's been 10 years and I think it will just be better to have a compiled list. So for anyone who is interested on catching up, here it goes. I will elaborate more on this one than the one I will keep for myself.

This March will be 10 years since my initial cance diagnosis.

-In the fall of 2002 I was a college sophomore. I started playing flag football with my dorms team. During one game I was knocked down by a guy onto my butt. The fall did not cause the cancer. Over the next few days I noticed something that felt like a bruised area on my left buttock. For 5 months!!! I saw an idiot doctor who said it was a muscle contusion and was enjoying taking my money for physical therapy. I also saw another doctor in the winter who said it was just a muscle contusion. Fortunately in March 2003 my mom took me to a doctor who immediately did a biopsy.

-March 2003, 20 years old, still a sophmore. The same day I found out I was got an interview for nursing school was the same day I found out I had cancer. My parents were living in El Paso at the time because of my dad's job. I was in college in Arlington at UTA. My dad told me over the phone. I cried so loudly the the girl next door came over to see what was happening. I told her and she said that she would go with me to the doctor that I had been refereed to the next morning, My parents made it in the next evening.

-At diagnosis I had a grapefruit size tumor in my left buttock. It didn't seem that big to me, still seemed like a really big bruised area because most of the tumor was up in my lower pelvis. I found out it was cancer on Monday, Thursday learned that I had lung metastasis and Friday I had my first surgery ever, a thoracotomy to remove 2 lung lesions.

- One month after that I started chemo, this would last for a year with one break for surgery. I had to leave college and move home.

-June 2003, left buttock tumor is removed after a few months of chemo. Chemo worked well and most of the tumor was dead. This was my hardest surgery to date, I was in the hospital for weeks and had to relearn how to walk.

- Spring 2004, finished chemo, went back to college. Reapplied to nursing school and got in.

-at this point I'm being scanned, buttock and lungs every 3 months. Later in 2004, there is a new lung nodule on my left lung. I have thoracotomy #2

-2005 another lung nodule on my right side. I have thoracotomy #3. I am able to stay in school through all of these. My fastest turn around time was surgery on Friday, back in class by Tuesday. It was hard and I was sore, but worth it. I wanted to graduate!

2007- another lesion is seen on the right lung. Thoracotomy #4

2008- this was a scary one. I had a softball size tumor show up under my sternum with in 3 months. At the time of finding it is not operable because it's so close to my heart. I immediately start chemo. This chemo will last for one year with a break for surgery. The chemo is successful in shrinking the tumor making it operable.

-July 2009 While looking at the tumor during a ct it is hard for the radiologist to find my right coronary artery. It is discovered that I have had a heart defect since birth. Absolutely asympotomatic, I did sports all through high school. The tumor is removed and the heart defect are fixed in one 8 hour surgery at Texas Children's. I needed to be there because of the cardiologist.

Oct 2009- finished chemo and went back to working

Feb 2010- met the love of my life and married him exactly one year later in 2011 : )

Dec 2012- Thought I had a sinus infection.....

Dec 27- Right side brain tumor removal