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A long, hard road!!

A long, hard road!!
A long, hard road!!

In November 2010, as a 42 year old single mother of two getting the news that I had stage 3 colorectal cancer was devastating. Giving that news to my two girls was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Now, in 2012, I'm here and getting well.


In November 2010 I went for a fairly routine colonoscopy because I was having some problems with my stomach. On that day, November 23rd, I was told I had cancer. I don't remember very much from that day other than I was so hungry and all I could focus on was getting some food...LOL Two days later, the doctor who had performed the colonoscopy admitted me to the hospital to speed up the tests required to stage the cancer. I kept my fingers and toes crossed for 5 days but the news came back it was a stage 3 and very low colorectal cancer. I called my family together (of which I have an amazing, supportive, loving one) and we told the girls as a united front. The girls were only 9 and 11 at the time. It was devastating to see the fear in their eyes. I was terrified myself but determined not to frighten them anymore than the word Cancer did already. We spent that Christmas together without starting any treatments. The doctors had advised it wouldn't make any real difference to wait a couple of weeks. In January 2011 I started chemo and radiation together. The next couple of months were a whirlwind of appointments, treatments, preparations and feeling awful. We, in Ottawa, are so lucky to have the medical facilities we have and the teams of caring, supportive, people. I underwent surgery in April 2011 and came out of that with an ileostomy. My next appointment with my oncologist, a couple of months later, was when he told me that the surgery had been exceptionally successful. YAY... I did another round of chemo for 4 months and then, after recovering from that, was ready for the reversal of the ileostomy. Today, April 24th, is the day I'm having that reversal. It's been a long, hard road but my girls and I have come out the other side of this nasty disease and are going to walk in the Relay for Life to raise funds but also to have some fun and celebrate together. We have a team, EFF U CANCER, with lots of friends and family and we're determined to make a difference.

 

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