How my cancer journey began

Wow! I can't believe I am blogging about my journey to kick Cancers butt! I guess I have a lot of filling in to do since this marks too many weeks since I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I am not sure where to even begin.

I have been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with metasis to my liver, omentum, maybe even my kidney and lung. It doesn't sound pretty but my choice is to fight it like crazy!

The support of my family, friends, customers and complete strangers continue each day to amaze me! It is so hard to ask for help. I am the person that is their to help others, it feels so weird getting help from others...

August 26th was a day that would change my life forever... little did I even know how much. It was a busy weekend for my business. I had 4 parties scheduled, one friday, 2 saturday and one sunday. I just didn't feel well on Friday and by Saturday I was wondering how I would make it to Sundays party. My lower stomach just didn't feel right. I went to my candle party on Sunday but sat thru most of it, I just didn't feel well, by then My lower stomach was hurting. When I left the party and dropped off my daughter, I headed for the local promptcare center. They xrayed me and said I had some stool and gas and gave me stool softeners. I couldn't drive, my stomach just hurt so bad and I looked like I was 6 months pregnant.

I went home and was trying everything I could think of to feel better, luckily my daughter in law Kristi came over and she decided to call my Dr. He said for me to stop everything I was doing and head to the ER. Once at the ER, they gave me a massive dose of pain meds, I don't know what they were but I was out of it. They sent me for a ct scan and I faintly remembered them saying mass in my colon and spots on my liver and they were admitting me. Hubby went home to get some much needed rest and I was out of it with pain meds.. totally clueless for what was about to come.

About 7 am the next morning I was awoken by my Dr, telling me how sorry he was for the bad news they had given me. I was thinking huh, what are you talking about???? He then told me that they thought I had cancer. I also had a blood infection.

The next 4 days were a big blur, with tests and mixed thoughts from the Dr's. One would say it was cancer, the next would say they thought it was an infection. Even when the biopsy came back from the hospital, I was fed mixed reports. The nurse told me there was no cancer just dead cells. When I demanded to see a Dr, a few hours later a Dr came in and said yes it looks like cancer, but we don't know for sure so we are sending your biopsy to Mayo for further review. We were on a bad rollercoaster ride...

I was on clear liquids for 18 days as the local surgeon was ready to operate. On September 6, my local surgeon had the results back from Mayo... it was cancer. My world fell apart right there in his office. I don't remember much else about that day...except knowing I had to get another opinion and a good one at that.

I quickly went to Mayo for a second opinion on September 13th and they said I not only had cancer in my colon, but my liver, and my omentum. After more tests at Mayo, They said that in the three weeks since my original ct scan, my tumors had grown and I needed chemo and quickly, no surgery option YET.. notice I said yet? If these tumors will shrink down, I can get surgery which is the best option available.

I am currently on 5FU, yep that's what they call it, makes ya go hmm doesn't it? Along with Avistin and oxaliplatin. Chemos tough to get thru but not as tough as I am.