I Just Found Out I Have CANCER...HELP

The Little Lounge Coffee Corner - General Chat
101

“We’re off to get the chemo, the wonderful chemo for me. Because, because,
because, because, of the wonderful things it does.” Please, do not get me
wrong, chemo still stinks, but I had the song stuck in my head for a while and
decided to run with it.

We decided to treat chemo #6 as if it was our last chemo. With that in mind, we
were going to throw a “party” in the chemo room. With the help of my friend
from Puerto Rico, Michelle R., we spend Tuesday shopping for food, cutting
fruit, making brownies, cutting cheese, and making dinner.

This time, my appointments were a bit later and I was concerned we wouldn’t get
a room big enough to hold my friends who wanted to be there for the last chemo.
But thanks to Sue and the fantastic nurses of the chemo
area, we had a “suite” with a bed and a window. After settling in and receiving
my 13 pills which include a put-to-sleep-a-horse dose of benadryl, I felt
asleep.

When I woke up from a heavy sleep I saw all the wonderful faces of friends and family.
Even people that I didn’t know were coming showed up to surprise me!

One problem about chemo is that I am in a daze for quiet a while. Probably
because of the amount of benadryl. (They give it to me because I am allergic to
chemo…wonder why…I am allergic to poison!) So very often I need a recap to
jolt my memory.

Well, everyone was wonderful! I received flowers from my parents, and
I received a diploma from the Hematology Department for graduating
from Chemo University. Perfect attendance during 6 semesters. I completed all
the requirements and gave them a run for their money on some of those cycles.
But I graduated!!! Yeah!

Now (going back to the Wizard of Oz) I stand in the middle of my yellow big
road. Looking back at the last 6 months…can you believe it, we have been at
it for 6 months, I feel like the lion, the tinman, the scarecrow and Dorothy in
my journey.

Like the lion, everyday I search for courage to get me going. So many times I
wanted to quit but with the support of Craig, my family, my friends and even
strangers I hold on to the courage they helped me discover that I have.

The Tin Man looked for a brain. Well so am I. “Chemo Brain” is very real. If
you spend 10 days with me like Michelle did you would recognize it. She laughed
a lot. I imagine that while your brain marinades in poison it doesn’t work
well. I am glad we only use about 10% of our brain capacity. Maybe I can tap
into that 90%…soon.

The scarecrow was always my favorite character. He had a big heart and so did I
…really. My pericardium had started absorbing fluid which enlarged the heart.
It was protecting it from the tumor. As of the last x-ray it looked like my
heart has returned to normal size. In this journey I have found the hearts of
so many. There are people who have opened their hearts to my family that I
would have never expected. The cards, flowers, meals, phone calls, emails, walks, time,
hugs, laughs, tears. HEARTS EVERYWHERE have opened to me and my family. I am
so lucky!

Dorothy…Do you know I played Dorothy in a pep rally skit when I was in High
School? And we won that year! (Maybe I will post that picture) Like Dorothy I
want to “go home” after I am done. As much as I want to visit Puerto Rico, what
I mean is, I want to be able to click my heels and go back to feeling the way I
used to, go back to being Maria Elena, La Chispa de la Vida. I know it is going
to take time, energy, and discipline to continue on the road to recovery. With
courage, my brain and heart…I will get there. Michelle helped me with that.
We did snow angels in the snow…we will have to make them in the sand when I
visit her and we even jumped on a snowy trampoline. Thanks Michelle!

These days I am often feeling more like screaming…“I am melting! I am
melting!”
Some of you may not know that since chemo doesn’t stink enough
they have to add menopause to it. Yes! 50% of women get thrown
into menopause. I am one of the lucky ones! I am constantly sweating. The
other day Andew kissed my head and said…“Mom, your head is …wet!” Talking
about Andrew, I have discovered why he doesn’t like the wigs. He told me…“Mom
you are a boy! You have no hair. Take that (the wig) off!”

Now I am looking forward to this weekend. My parents, grandma and
and family are coming to celebrate my birthday! All I want is 41 more!

Now, we wait for March 10th when we have a PET scan to figure out what we do next.

Lots of love and prayers to all!

102

have been meaning to reply to this thread ever since i saw it, never got around! and when I finally did I am getting ready to inshaAllah read about the great news in a weeks time…

i just lost a close friend’s wife who was only 22yrs to cancer, i was soo devastated all i cud think of was my friend and her… (and I met her only once!!!) then again she found out she had cancer at the final stages…

I am so glad that you are going to finish off chemo, n I so hope we get to hear the good news…

And chispa, aristotle said “i think therefore i am” something that moves me all the time, so I remind you, the best medicine is ur mind for everything… U believe it can happen and if u can have enough faith in ur belief you will see it happen… i have seen it so many times in things people wont ever believe in if I share even!

so believe in urself, u r gonna fight this off, mentally make note that many have survived so can u… i have known fatal diseases being cured with this mentality, read many stories as well… so chispa, even if it means u have to post notes everywhere arnd ur home, hospital room, keep reminding urself, you can do this, u can fight cancer and be cured soon, inshaAllah

103

I love your post and all your analogies. Thank you so much for allowing us to be apart of your journey. It has been something. I have learned a lot from you and your posts. Have a fabulous birthday and here’s to 41 more!

104

Happy Birthday and congrats on finishing up chemo! Please let us know how your scan goes.

105

was thinking about you yday n today and wanted to check how you are doing…
I wen to ur profile and found you last active today, so felt better but still wanna ask how you were doing!

106

Thank you, Chispa. It is an honour to be included in your journey. I think of you often and pray that all will be well with you.

107

Well Chipsa it is nice to see you have a sense a humor about this. I imagine I am one of few here to have experienced menopause and I think it is really cruel that on top of chemo you now have menopause. I wish you the best.

108

Hugs - praying you are feeling well soon.

109

Don’t worry , don’t be sad , keep a good mood ! And ask suggestion from the doctors.
Firstly, smell it. we can smell it by its unique leather sapper. If you study imitation coach purses deeply, you will know if it is fake or not by smelling it. But only those people who are quite familiar with purses coach products can do it. Secondly, check out the lining. It is a very import clew. Real coach bags’ lining have good flexibility. Thirdly, check out the inner cloth material. Inner cloth for authentic coach purses are made of canvas with wide grain and obvious veins. But if not real one, the vein is not clear and you cannot see the structure. From this point of view, It is not difficult to recognize real coach bags and fake one.

110

I am done with my treatments!!!

Boy that feels good to say. Currently, I am still feeling the side effects of radiation, which we are told last 10 – 14 days after the last treatment. Radiation sucked less than chemo, but the final verdict is not quite out yet…

A long time ago, in a hospital not too far away, I entered the radiology oncology department. Greeted by a number of aliens (doctors and nurses, go with the new theme), our favorite, Dr. Bradley, attempted to explain in her own language what the ins, outs, and insides of the procedures would be. Luckily, we had done much research and my own husband has been studying their language carefully. After many questions, we scheduled the planning CT Scan to pinpoint the area to be treated.

CT SCAN - I entered the freezing chamber (I was told they need to keep the room cold so the machine doesn’t overheat). I also had done research and asked them, ”When was this machine last calibrated?” I took them by surprise. Before they did anything, the commanding nuclear physicist appeared in front of me reassuring me that the storm troopers do not touch the machine and that the Commanders (nuclear physicists) calibrate every machine in the morning. Good, I thought.

They took pictures of their subject, me, and then proceeded to ask me to remove the upper garments…it is freezing. They were very kind and offered a blanket. Phew!

I was laid down on what seemed to be a blue beach raft. It was soft because, instead of air, it was full of little tiny Styrofoam beads. They placed a long hose on top of my abdomen and covered me with a plastic cover. In a matter of seconds, they immobilized me by sucking the air out of the bag. I could barely breathe. I found out the hose was a vacuum that sucked the air so the aliens could make a mold of my body…you think they may clone me?

After I was completely sucked in (now I know how a sausage feels), they placed me inside the machine and did the scan. Later, they placed a machine, a small box on top of my chest, to measure my breaths and their rhythm. This way they could track the movement of my invasive tumor.

Just when I thought I was done, two lovely aliens, one wearing a shorter coat than the other, wanted to tattoo me to map the position of the rays: two on the sides for leveling and two in the sternum area. Let me tell you, they are not tattoo artists, because if they were, they wouldn’t have any clients…they hurt!

I was thinking, as I layed on the million-dollar machine that could overheat, couldn’t they afford a tattooing gun? Well, they dropped a bit of black ink on my chest, inserted a needle, and wiggled it around until they were sure the ink had penetrated deep enough.
I felt as if I had been abducted and experimented on by aliens, and I have the tattoos to prove it! Maybe I could sell my story to the National Enquirer and make a few bucks.

After Dr. Bradley planned my radiation, it was decided I would receive linear therapy, which means I would receive the rays from the top and bottom, in a different machine than the one I had originally been planning. Regardless, 17 treatments - no more, no less.

The treatments were every day, no weekends.

The treatments went like this…I walked into a room where my body mold laid on a bed. I disrobed from the waist up, laid down, all this time with a towel covering my private areas (I am shy, so I was glad). I was wrapped in a plastic cover with a hose placed on my abdomen and between my legs. They sucked the air out of the plastic cover while my hands were holding on to plastic bars above my head, so I couldn’t move. Breathing is apparently not a priority. The radiation machine rotates to the bottom, and everyone leaves the room. The rays go on for an average of 20 seconds, and then the machine rotates to the top. The radiologists come back and remove a plate from the machine, my arms are tired, then 20 more seconds of radiation from the top. The suction is released, Ahhh! I can go home now.

At first, I felt nauseous after the treatments. This got better with time. I also was tired, but no excuse was good enough for any of my drivers. They made me take 2 flights of stairs, as well as the long walks to the radiation department. Recently, as we were warned and thus expected, I have developed itchy blotchy skin in the radiated area and have had difficulty and painful swallowing. Sleep is hard to come by, but the Benadryl helps.

Some things I have learned…

Doctor coats: Depending on how long they have been practicing correlates to how long their coats are. Students wear short white coats, residents a bit longer and full doctors coats come to their knees. I want a doctor with a train!

My dad is finally letting his hair grow out. So am I! I have had a bad hair day for the last 7 months. Thanks Dad!

My family has been amazing, and even though we are far apart geographically, we have celebrated the milestones together. I know I will be the most popular at our summer get-togethers since I probably can zap mosquitoes as they get close to me.

Friends…wow! (Brillkids friends included) Everyone has been and continues to be so supportive.

I am so lucky to live in a place were the health care facilities are fantastic and up to date in the latest treatments. My doctors have been wonderful, compassionate and caring.

No one deserves cancer. It sucks! I firmly believe that having a support system is a major contributor to the survivor rate…I am sure of it! Thanks to all of my support system.

Prayer gives you hope! I rely on God to help me look forward. I know He is at my side and Craig (my husband) at my other.

My prayers go out to all of you.

Maria Elena

111

Maria Elena,

I am so happy to hear that your battle is over. I pray that you are healthy for the rest of your life. You should write a book. You seem to have a witty sense of humor that I like.

My sister-in-law has been battling cancer for the last year. She was stage 4. They can’t get rid of the tumors on her liver. I don’t know what will be the outcome with her. My cousin, 40 years old, was also just diagnosed with breast cancer. What a nasty disease.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your journey. May God continue to bless you and keep you.

112

Dear Maria,

I just tumbled upon this message as I was looking for some downloads. Ayurvedic has healed all those who have come to AYUSHAKTI and who has been diagnosed with cancer or any other disease by simply changing their lifestyle and practising ancient remedies that does not require anyone to undergo radiation or chemotheraphy. For more information on this powerful ancient remedy, check out the website www.ayushakti.usa

You can also write a personal email to the doctors and they will guide you on the llifestyle and treatments.

This ayurvedic programme is being aired on the Malaysian Channel called ZEE TV , CHANNEL 108. It is called YOGA FOR YOU; at the end of the segment the world best pulse reader, Dr Pankaj Naram or his wife Dr Smitha Naram would share the ancient secret to the viewers. It is a daily programme, and if you can you should watch them , it is reallly amazing and it really miracle so many people around the world has been cured!

I have seen people being healed from cancer, diabetic, blindness, coma and any disease by just following this ancient secrets.

Take care god bless you.

113

Dear Maria Elena,
I wish you a permanent victory over this nasty sickness, you are in my prayers! I second Krista G -write a book, your insight and humor will be appreciated by many!
God bless you!

114

Well I agree you should write a book. Your insight and clever way of explaining things I think would be refreshing to someone else facing the same hardships, as well as, help explain the process. I think your humor would help other patients cope and could be an important part of their cure. Try not to scare them too much if you write a book. :slight_smile:

115

SO glad to hear that!!! Even though it’s been a tough journey, I’m sure there are many wonderful, positive things you can take away from all this (I’m sure you can already think of many), and as time goes on, I’m sure you’ll find more and more positive things from having gone through this.

Life is a journey, and everything that happens can be a beautiful thing if you choose it to be! :biggrin:

116

wow. What a remarkable, humbling, inspirational story. So glad you were open with your children. We so often underestimate what they can handle and how much love and healing they have to offer. They deserve honesty.

Prayers and much love. You are an inspiration.

117

http://www.burzynskimovie.com/

Very interesting information - you can see 2 trailers in this first page.

Regards,

Gloria

118

I too think you should write a book. I love your sense of humor and your style of writing. I felt as if I was there with you:) You will remain in my prayers and it is so great to hear that you are done with your treatments!!! Take Care:)