How it Happened

I just finished telling someone else the whole story behind how I found out I have cancer. So I decided I should just type it out here and then direct people to read it...much more efficient!

In March of 2008 I had my standard gynecological visit...no new developments out of that meeting. Just your standard check up and clean bill of health. Towards the end of April, while lying on the floor watching TV I realized that one of my breasts didn't feel right. I rolled over to further investigate and I found that the right breast had a sizable lump that I could tell did not belong there. So first thing I did was get a consensus from my girls that indeed this lump was not natural. And of course the answer was a resounding; "you best go get that checked out" So I went back to the Ob/Gyn and had her examine it. She noted that it was very large in size (as i think to myself duh! Stevie wonder can see how big it is) and then she set me up for a mammogram and ultrasound appointment to get the lump checked outn although she thought given my age it would be nothing serious.

The first weekend in May I was in Dayton to help celebrate the graduation of my friend and I held a surprise party at my condo down there complete with food, drinks and a Wii which we played all night long. The next weekend, on May 11 I ran (I always walk this race every year but this was the first time I ran) the Susan G Koman 5K Breast Cancer Race for the Cure. I completed the race in 30.37 minutes.

That next week I began to feel a lot of back pain. I first just said it must be from playing the Wii all weekend or maybe from the run but it never did get better. I went to urgent care for some relief but they prescribed me muscle relaxants and some heavy duty pain killers and said I should not be working so hard at the gym. I tried the pills but they did not work! I had to even cancel a trip to my sister in law's graduation because of the pain. I even went to the ER but they once again declared it back sprain and prescibred more muscle relaxants and pai meds. It was this month I also finalized the sale of my condo in Dayton. So I had to go down there on the 21st to oversee my stuff being moved into storage and sign the paper work for the sale. On the 20th I had the mammogram and then flew down to Ohio that evening. On the 21st after signing the closing papers on the condo and watching the movers pack me up, I apparently got even worse as far as back pain and other symptoms and my friend decided to take me to the emergency room.

At the ER they saw that my labs were abnormal and decided to admit me. Apparently I had hypercalcemia which put my calcium levels at 20 when a normal person's calcium should be at around 9. Now I don't remember everything that was going on after this in the hospital (must have blocked it out) but I am sure Darlene and Aesha and others that were at the hospital with me can comment on whether I was in my sound mind or not! As they worked to get my calcium levels down I mentioned that I had a lump in my breast. They suggested to get a biopsy right away but I directed them to take the entire lump out. Which they did on the 25th of May. So by the 27th of May they were 100% sure that the diagnosis is that I have breast cancer that has metasized (spread) to the bones and liver. Oh and all the back pain? That was due to a fracture in my lower lumber due to my bones being weakened by the cancer.

So after two weeks in the hospital, I was released and stayed by my good friend for another two weeks as I received radiation treatments in my back. Then I moved to Akron, OH to be closer to my brother and started chemo treatments at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. And i'm still here...