7 years ago tomorrow

September 1, 2005 was a Thursday that I will never forget. This is the day that I finally accepted the diagnosis that would forever change my life. I had been to 9 yes 9 different doctors hoping to receive a different answer to my symptoms. I got test after test and they all came back the same. Ovarian Cancer stage T3c progressing to stage 4. The prognosis was grim. I hit me like a ton of bricks. I cried, laughed, yelled, and broke things. I went through the 5 stages of grief. I will never forget how I felt that day. Over the next 6-8 months I would spend close to two months in the hospital, being operated on 5 times, and experience two grueling months of Chemotherapy. It is not an experience that I would ever want to relive.

The doctor told that I need an immediate hysterectomy. I refused. I was 24, just divorced and had no kids. I was told because of my choice relapse rates for stage 3 ovarian cancer are close to eighty percent.  He then tried to make me feel better about it by stating that, "Scientists are aggressively working towards creating an array of strategies for reducing relapse rates." HAHA I did not care.

Well he was right because 4 years later, after being in remission for 3 years I relapsed. After the last experience I vowed to NEVER endure chemo again. This time I used alternative medicine and a very aggressive radiation regimen.  Coming up on 9/12/12 will be my 1 year mark of being in remission again! I did. Another year.

There are days when I still am too stiff to get out of bed, or have to take tons of pills just to get moving. I am grateful for those days because they remind me I am alive and I can do hard things! Thank you to everyone who has helped me and continues to help me conquer all the crap life throws at me.