And the journey continues……..8/31/15

I had a doctor visit this morning and the news was good. While I do have hepatitis C, the hope is my blood work will show I can be treated with the new drug therapy now available. This new treatment is less time-consuming and comes with minimal side-affects.

*Of course there will be another MRI/scan done to confirm the condition of my liver and to hopefully show that “nothing else” is going on in my body prior to actually treating the hepatitis C. Always have to look out for the cancer…. 

On the diabetes front I am still in the process of learning how to help control my diabetes thru diet and exercise. The big learning curve for me is discovering what to eat (and when) in order to control my sugar levels. My sugar levels have come way down and are now below 300. I cannot wait until my levels are below 200 or lower (actually back into the “normal” range). To say I feel a little better is an understatement.

As to “how I feel” about all of this……….. 

I am relieved my health issues appear to be leveling out. All of this, while serious, is not a big deal compared to the cancer. Needless to say, but say it I must, I do hope nothing else health wise shows up. I have had enough and need a break as well as no new bills.

At times I am stressed out and depressed. Not so much about the medical issues/cancer, although it would be nice to not have to have tests/scans looking for cancer for a while. I am primarily concerned with my finances and whether or not I will be able to remain in my home.

People have shared with me that “things will work out”. There is that part of me which has made peace with the “cancer”, but there is another part of me which is very concerned with what this disease has and is costing me as I continue to be a survivor. I will not say more at this time.

Sometimes I am just not able to talk about rainbows and sing “Zippity-Do-Dah” it’s a wonderful day.

Other times I am at peace and can really laugh at life and all of it’s absurdities. As I have said before, with out humor what do we have.

On this note, I end this update. 

I ask everyone to please share this. Hopefully it will be of service to someone out there. Once again please see below…..

To help please go to:

www.gofundme.com/j55wek

Update - 8/26 /15

Sometimes it is not the cancer but everything that comes after the cancer. 

I would so like to be able to not have to discuss this. “This” being my ongoing journey with cancer and the after effects of my diagnosis/treatment and now the new diseases (hepatitis C and  type 1 diabetes) which are currently being addressed and evaluated. 

At this time I can do nothing but wait until I see the hematologist on this coming Monday. I, hopefully, will receive some information as to what exactly is going on with my liver. 

I would love to say something very profound and awesome at this time. I can say I am breathing in and out. I continue to manage my diabetes with the help of friends and the folks at Emory. So far so good. Slow and steady wins the race.

Update - 8/19/15

New news! It’s official. I can now add diabetes to my medical resume. Yes, I am now officially a diabetic. I spent another great day at the hospital.

Between my astronomical blood sugar levels and the “weirdness” with my liver I am just going to keep on keeping on. As to how I “feel” about this latest development….who knows! Well I do a little bit. I am still processing the but feel good that they did find this and it is very treatable, but I am overwhelmed just a bit. Time for me to do my part, that being more exercise and paying close attention to what and when I eat. 

I see the hematologist on Monday, the 31st. The folks at the hospital are most anxious that this happens, as am I.

With all of this come more bills. Try as I might to ignore them they are still there and ever increasing. It is month to month now. I will ask once more for all of you to please share my story. Thank you

Update - 8/14/15 

New news. I have an appointment with the hematologist on Monday the 31st. I see my endocrinologist this coming Wednesday. Now I wait for more answers once again. 

In the meantime .... my eyesight has worsened over the past 3 weeks, quite radically according to the eye doctor, but the good news is my eyes look good (except for a little cataract) and new glasses will solve this. I had just ordered new glasses this past February .... nothing like getting older.  

My fatigue continues and as this and my eye issues are the most inconvenient problems at this point in time, I am extremely grateful that cancer is not, at present, the “issue”.

And now for a note of gratitude to all those who have and are giving me the gifts of time, patience and listening as I verbalize my way through each day. I do hope to return to a time where cancer/illness are not the primary topics of conversation. 

I must thank, again, the friends/family who have told me what I need to hear in a most loving, caring and direct way. In short, thank you for pulling my head out of my you know what by reminding me I do not know how my story ends. 

Lately there have been times when I have been overwhelmed, afraid, depressed and profoundly sad. This too is part of my journey. The “unknown” regarding my medical status combined with the bills and future bills, which just keep rolling in, are making my future not look to good to me. 

In spite of all of this, I do believe I will be around a lot longer. I do hope to be able to remain in my home of the past 15 years. Once again I am reminded I do not know what is going to happen. More will be revealed. 

I wish to thank all those who have given of their time and resources which have allowed me to remain “sane” and continue to live in my home.

I ask you all to share my story.   

Update - 8/8/15

Another week of waiting for results of my blood work and ultrasound. And there is some news. I found out I have the hepatitis C virus which is (hopefully) the main and only culprit in my liver “problems”. Hep C is treatable as far as I know. I am very grateful for this. Of course with the treatment come more medical bills. I was really hoping to get to a point where “new” bills would stop, at least for a little while.

I am waiting on the hematologist office to call with my appointment time. I am hoping to hear from them by Monday and have an appointment set for next week. 

I can tell you the fatigue is intense and I am drinking a lot of water due to cotton mouth. I am tired. My eyesight has also changed where new glasses are definitely in order. 

*Please note: there is also a part of me jumping up and down for joy due to the fact that this has not been diagnosed as cancer at this time. 

I will not find out everything until I meet with the doctor and in all likelihood have more tests done. At this point I am dealing with this latest development as an “inconvenience”. And an inconvenience it is.

As always I was trying to wait until I had something more definitive to report. But as a friend reminded me today, I need to share what is going on to allow people to walk with me and not try to walk with this alone. This seems to be something I need to keep working on.  

So my journey continues and my thoughts and prayers go out to all. 

 

Update - 8/3/15

The journey continues... I have had more blood work drawn today following my ultrasound on this past Friday. Not much to say about exactly is going on medically other than the focus seems to be on my liver and blood. 

A friend asked me the million dollar question ... “How are you feeling?”. At this point I am numb and staring fear in the face. The amount of horrible outcomes I have come up with in regards to this latest medical mystery is fascinating to me. What will be will be. More will be revealed. 

I was reminded by another friend to remember I do not know what will happen and to “follow my gut” as different treatments are recommended. I have to remember I do have the last say as to what treatment is or is not done. 

Above all I need to remember I am not alone. To remember this I am finding takes active work on my part. That means fighting through the negative thoughts in my head ie. - nobody really wants to hear this sad story / it is wrong for me to “burden” others with this /  nobody really cares anyway .... just to mention a few. There is a part of me that does know better as there is and has been massive evidence to the contrary.

So once again I thank all who are walking with me. Without you I could not continue this journey.