4 years ago...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
By: Julie Guay
4 years ago...
After treatment and 2 surgeries, it's been 4 years tumor free. This is why I'm part of the relay...
Four years ago I noticed a bump on my shoulder. After many Dr appointments and even some diagnoses, I finally met a specialist who told me it was a soft tissue tumor. It was a rare kind, called Fibrohistiocytic. I was told that they had little information on the kind, and I had more chances of being struck by lightning.
After this diagnosis, I had to receive radiation therapy, for a total of 25 treatments. I had to drive 1h30 to the hospital who provided it, and 1h30 back each time (thank goodness by mom drove me!). I could not stay in one of the rooms for radiation treatment patients because of my younger age. When I started radiation, the tumor was so large, it was difficult to breath.
I had my first surgery on February 3, 2008. They did not remove it all, the tumor had a "finger" around a main artery. I was connected to a special machine for a skin graph, and needed to be monitored 24/7. A second surgery was performed on May 3, 2008.
It has now been 4 years, and I am now tumor free. I just had my latest MRI, and my specialist says all is good. I am captain for the Relay for Life because I believe in it. The Canadian Cancer Society helped me pay for the gas to be able to go to my radiation treatments, which was a lot, and cost about 40-50$ a day. I could not stay there, and a hotel would have been expensive. I had been a university student, and had a job, but could not work. I would not have been able to pay for it, and the Canadian Cancer Society helped me be able to have the proper treatment I needed.
Being told you have cancer is already a blow and is a difficult time for the person who has it, and for everyone around him/her. To not be able to pay to go to treatments, or have financial strains, is not an extra burden these people need. Every penny can help someone.
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