Fuel for Thought
Just a reminder
***I know that I have posted this blog before, but I wanted to re-post it as a reminder.***
This year will be the first annual Great Lakes Convoy for the Awareness, Prevention and Cure for all Women's Cancers. It will be held Saturday, September 24, 2011, in Toledo, OH. There will be a bike convoy, a truck convoy, and a party in the parking lot afterwards. This is an event I am very passionate about. Not many people know my story, but I am willing to share it, for such a great cause.
Last January, I was diagnosed with a uterine tumor that was cancerous. When I found out I had cancer I was in shock. I thought to myself, "I am only 25, I am relatively health, I can't have cancer." I had not really been sick at all. I did have a "crampy" feeling quite often, but I figured that it was just normal female things. I went to the doctor for a routine yearly exam, and when I told her about the pain I was having, she said that she wanted to do an ultrasound, and that was when we found the tumor. It was about the size of a ping-pong ball. I had it removed, but there were still cancer cells in my uterus that still needed to be destroyed. I chose not to have a complete hysterectomy, as Nick and I want to have children in the future. I also chose a less damaging procedure than traditional chemotherapy, that is a hormonally based form that is also used for treating prostate cancer.
I kept things quiet, as I did not want people feeling sorry for me that I was sick. I had my good days, and I had my bad days. After my first injection, I started losing my hair. I made Nick brush it, because I didn't want to see it coming out. When we were in Louisville for MATS, I went and cut my hair short. I didn't lose it all, as it wasn't as strong of a medication as individual chemo treatments. There would be days when I was in the passenger seat getting sick, and Nick would be driving, rubbing my back. I was real good at putting on a smiling face, and not letting anyone know what was going on. The only support system I had was my family, a few friends, and my wonderful husband.
I received my last injection the Monday after the Expedite Expo ended last year. I went back to the doctor in October, and at that time, they no longer found cancer cells in my biopsies. In February of this year, a little over a after my battle began, I learned that I was still cancer free, and was considered to be in remission, since it had been almost 6 full months since my last clean biopsy.
I am so thankful that I made it through, but still think that had I not brought up the extra crampiness, that I may not have made it with the same outcome. This is why I feel that it is so important to advocate for prevention, and a cure for ALL women's cancers because they don't always present obvious symptoms.
If you would like to find out more about this wonderful cause and event information can be found at http://greatlakesconvoy.com/
Jenny Marcu
Leased to Load 1
2006 Sprinter