In my family Christmas letter last year, I wrote about the impressions I had throughout 2007 to let my family know that I loved them as they came and went each day. This Christmas season, I am feeling especially grateful to be healthy and whole.
I was impressed by a blog entry by my friend, Tirsa, in November. It has caused me to ponder the precariousness of life a little more this year; it served as a great reminder to be thankful and to continue "letting them know you love them."
My thoughts this December are often centered on the Spencer family in Arizona. This is an excerpt from Rashelle's blog:
Today is the start of the blog page to inform everyone on my (Rashelle’s) prognosis & how I am feeling. Most if not all of you know I had been having a cough that would not go away. I finally took myself to the doctors where they thought I had asthma, but they ordered an x-ray to be sure. The x-ray showed my right lung was full of fluid (plural effusion). So they sent me to a pulmnologist, where a few days later I had my lung drained. Yes I was awake and yes it hurt really really bad! After that they sent me for a CT. The CT came back and showed that I had a large tumor in between my lungs. We had a biopsy done of the tumor and they diagnosed me with thymoma (tumor of the thymus). They decided that it needed to be removed. So on November 11th, I went & had open heart/thorasic surgery to remove the tumor. Yes, crack my sternum open, spread me out, touch my heart and lungs, remove some lung, wire me back together & glue me back up. This I am still recovering from and I must say I think child birth was a walk in the park!
They discovered that the tumor was malignant and it had spread all through my right lung, into my left lung and had surrounded my heart. The surgeon took 80% of the tumor (which was the size of of softball) but he could not get the rest. After 2 weeks of waiting to have the additional biopsy’s done they diagnosed me with Mediastinal (thymic) large B cell Lymphoma. Cancer of the Lymph Nodes that started in my thymus gland. Our Oncologist has put in motion our plan of action. My first Chemo treatment will start on December 12th. Every 3 weeks I will be given another Chemo treatment. I will have 6 treatments. My treatment is called R-CHOP.
This week we will be getting further tests to determine if my heart can withstand treatment and if the cancer has spread to my bones. These tests will determine which stage I am at. We are hopeful that it is not in the bones.
I know that you may not know this family, but their story is one that touches us all in one way or another. If you have a moment to spare, please let her know that you care.
"Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees." Victor Hugo
Rashelle, I hope that you will feel all of those prayers ascending on your behalf.
