Yvonne, one of my readers, sent me encouraging messages about my sore mouth after just one dose of gemcitabine.
She wrote: "I feel your pain!!! ...In fact, I am rinsing along with you this week!!"
Now, it is really true that misery loves company, and I felt better knowing that I was not swishing alone. Thus, the Swish Sisters. That's us. And anyone else who needs to join the club.
Then today, Yvonne told me more of her story. I'm just going to quote the whole thing, and also post a great photo of her with her daughter at the Mad Hatter Fund Raiser her friends threw for her. What a great idea!
Greetings from Vancouver, British Columbia. Just wanted to drop you a line and say hello. I stumbled on your blog last October when I was in the throws of my recent diagnosis, yes the dreaded sea of pink month. It was absolute torture!
I have been not the most positive since this all went down, struggling on my own, or so I thought. I had fallen to a pretty dark place this past while, I had split up with my partner of four years after the diagnosis, was unable to work at my job as a paralegal, had no disability benefits, hit with a leaky condo special assessment of 140K and well was diagnosed with grade three stage three breast cancer five out of nine lymph nodes positive.
My pathology report indicate comedosis so this cancer was growing so fast it was cutting of its own blood supply. I had a 3 cm lump in my breast and I had no idea it was there thanks to my perky 42 year old dense breasts, in fact it was my first routine mammogram that detected the damn thing. I laboured over the decision re: mastectomy or lumpectomy, it really was a horrifying decision to make, and I did choose lumpectomy and sentinel node removal, then of course had to return again for surgery to remove more lymph nodes. I some times wonder if the mastectomy was the right decision but I guess that comes with the territory now.
Things in my life felt pretty dam bleak, To say the least I was downright lamenting on what life had to really offer in this heap of nastiness! I struggled to get out of bed each morning, no there was no missy positive shining light cheerleader here in fact if one showed up at the door I may have drop kicked her to the curb.
My friends and parents having been stellar in supporting me, but last night I turned a corner or rather was given that breath of wind in my sails, I am in the home stretch for treatment now I guess, just having my 5th Chemo last Friday, hating the side effects but wading my way through, then next radiation.
What turned the corner for me was friends, a few of them got together to throw a Mad Hatter Fund Raiser, it was pretty spectacular, and gave me a glimpse at all the wonderful people that have my back, that are incredible friends. It was pretty beautiful to be in a room of over 150 of people who have been some part of my life at one time or another there to support me.
The energy of the room was fun and laughing and dancing, they danced I watched. (I barely had the breath to talk) At the end of the day they raised a fabulous sum of $9,200.00 to assist me with expenses while I am off work, finances aside, it was defiantly the kick start I needed to get through this last leg of treatment.
I have attached a picture of my beautiful daughter and myself at last night's party. She is the one with the real hair...
Back to Jeanne: This post illustrates two of the reasons I blog: I get sympathy and solidarity (go, Swish Sisters!) when I need them, and I get people sending me fantastic stories like this one. Thanks, Yvonne.
@ Jeanne Sather 2009.
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