Wednesday, May 1, 2019. It’s real. It’s happening. I have a date with Dr. Ewing. I’m a little scared and nervous about it, but I finally have a date for surgery.
I’m going under the knife on Wednesday, May 15. I don’t have a set time, but likely early afternoon. It’s an outpatient procedure, so I’ll actually get to sleep in my own bed that night.
It feels like this date has been a very long time coming. When I first met Dr. Ewing on Friday, November 30, I never envisioned it would take 5-1/2 months to get this thing, my tumor, to a point where it could be cut out. And yet, here I am. Having endured 13 grueling chemotherapy sessions, numerous procedures—MRIs, sonogram, mammogram, needle biopsy, and driven nearly 5,000 miles. There were a couple of minor setbacks as the chemo attacked all my fast-dividing cells, and my body needed a break before the next infusion could be given. It’s been quite a ride.
So now I’m at the beginning of the third week of recovery from my last chemo treatment on April 16. I still feel fragile and shaky. The subtle numbness in my fingertips and the soles of my feet lingers. I tire easily. I’m guessing that by my fourth full week of recovery, I will feel much stronger for this surgery and super-ready to be rid of this cancer once and for all.
Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it. —Ninon de Lencios
lana has cancer 