On Jan 26th, 2023, I was in an accident. I had my head turned while my friend was driving. We were hit from behind in a roundabout. I developed whiplash. I had pain and tightness in my neck & back of my head. Went through four months of physical therapy. Which is why I stopped writing. Looking down was very painful.
That started off the year, thankfully, pt helped, and God used that experience to teach me the value of rest. Then, at the end of May, I started looking at homes on Zillow in a different area. Being on staff at church and my husband on the worship team, it made sense to move, plus we both wanted to be closer to our friends & church.
We found a home that met the requirements we talked about. We called our realtor, who was wonderful in helping us through the process. Although it took two months to get an offer on our house. We finally got a cash offer with a closing in three weeks. Our friends helped us pack and move an entire house. Approximately 3000sq ft home into a 1520 sq ft with a basement. There was no time to decide what to give or throw away, but God was with us the whole way with all the stress of ups & downs of selling and moving a home. We moved in August 2023.
I had been feeling tired more than I ever have. My theory has always been pushing through no matter how you feel. It has worked for me up until this year.
Although I’ve lived with pain all my life, this year felt different. I felt exhausted, which is not me. I blamed it on packing & moving, menopause & my thyroid. In May, before the move, I had a biopsy on a mole come back basal cell, but with moving, I put the surgery off until October 11th. The basal tumor was on my chest they removed it and sent it off to pathology. After two weeks of stitches and on the removal day, I was told pathology found something, and they needed to do more smears. Oh, ok. No big deal. I have had basal cell cancer three times now, so it wasn’t a big deal.
I was supposed to get a mammogram in May, too, but I put it off. I have been putting it off for four years. So, since my pathology report was taking time, I thought it was ok to get your mammogram & bone density done. So, my appointment was Nov. 7th Mammogram came back enlarged left lymph nodes, so they scheduled an ultrasound, no big deal I have had that before.
Ultrasound showed 4 suspicious malignancy meaning (very suspicious). As the radiologist was talking, I let her know I was waiting for the pathology report on the basal tumor removed. They scheduled a lymph node biopsy for Nov 30th. The next day after the ultrasound, I contacted the dermatologist, Dr., who removed the small tumor. It came back as lymphoma but due to the small amount of tissue they could not determine what type.
Being clueless I said so that means then it is not cancer. But I was wrong. It is cancer. Two days later, I got a call from the skin Dr asking me to please make an appointment with a hematologist/oncologist. I was going to wait but my daughter who works for my family practitioner also was insistent.
The oncologist office would have seen me on Nov 20th but I wanted to wait till the biopsy was done.
Nov 30th, I had the left lymph node biopsy they took 4 biopsy’s and left a sand size titanium marker. My appointment with Dr. S was Dec 4th. My daughter didn’t go because we didn’t think he would have any reports. But he did he had contacted the pathologist who gave him a preliminary report. Yes, it is a low-grade (slow growing) lymphoma B-cell.
Dr S. ordered a Pet-scan, which was Dec 11th.
The pet scan showed it in my neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
My appointment with Dr. S was scheduled for the 18th, but I called, and they saw me on the 13th. The cancer is Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma called Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia. He said it was stage 3b. He ordered a 24-hour urine test and a bone marrow biopsy, which was on January 8th, 2024.
The bone marrow biopsy came back with either marginal zone lymphoma or lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. The Dr believes it is Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma because my biopsy from the lymph node had enough tissue to get a specific diagnosis. My treatment is Bendka and Rituxan. Two times every four weeks for six months. But first a Port Cath was put in on Jan 31st and my first treatments were Tuesday Feb 6th and 7th. Today I am doing well just a few side effects. I have a great support system of family, friends and Church.
I know God will bring me through this and heal my blood & lymph nodes from cancer. Thankfully, it is not in my organs. With all that said I would encourage you to trust God in whatever situation you are walking through. I believe in miracles and healing. I know He promises in His word Isaiah 43 tells me he will get me through to the other side. We do not always know all the answers of why, but we can learn to trust God to provide and help us through whatever it is we face.
Since I started this post in Jan it is now July 2024 and God brought me through treatments I ended treatment the beginning of May. Thankfully, I only had to do 4 months of treatment to be in remission. Trusting God through it all.