Featured Birthday Story
Pamela - Strength
Pamela & Her Daughter Mies & Odin
I was first "diagnosed" in March of 2008.. I felt unusual changes in my body and went to the doctor and did not ask him, but TOLD him something was wrong. Initially my PCP did not take me serious but finally agreed to do some tests after which he then grudgingly admitted I had some tumor which might be cancer, but common in people my age and not really of any concern.. After numerous tests, ct scans, any kind of "... scopy", biopsies and finally MRI we were told not to worry and they would see me in 6 months.... unless the MRI showed anything and they would call me... That call never came and actually after I called several times I was told in no uncertain terms that THEY would have called me if there was anything wrong.
So 3 months later I get a call to come in... Yes... the MRI person had gone on vacation and they "sort of forgot" to let me know I had cancer... Needless to say I told my PCP to go F*&K himself, "fired" his sorry behind, insisted on being transferred to Dana Farber and FINALLY met my wonderful REAL doctors in October 2008.
My diagnosis is NeuroEndocrineTumors or NETS /Carcinoid Cancer. I had a liver resection in December 2008 to remove a metastasis from my liver, about 8 hour surgery as they tried to find the primary which to this day has never been found.
There is no treatment (yet) for this form of cancer, except for surgery and/or trial chemo and/or radiation. I had frequent checkups at DF and all was well until I knew it was back.... This was in July (?) 2010, biopsy proved it was indeed back....this time in the lymph nodes between my heart and lungs.. I went first on Octreotide Shots, and then was picked for a chemo trial, a combination of Avastin and Sandostatin. Was on this trial til November 2011 when we found that it had no noticeable results and would stop... A tough moment, but I didn't miss the butt shots!
On January 1st, 2012 I started a new chemo called Temodar or Temozolomide. Tracy? Something told me NOT to take it... That it would have disastrous results... My Gerry said "honey then don't take it" but against my own better judgment I did... and something did go wrong... My body apparently could not at all metabolize the drug and I literally bottomed out within days.. My bone marrow was destroyed, blood... just about everything stopped functioning... Ulcers in my mouth, throat, bleeding, couldn't stop puking... What a MESS!!! God Tracy, I still cry when I think at my Mies by my side... So mature, so loving, yet so small and petrified and there was nothing I could do to make her feel better... I was dying and we knew it.... But something happened! Something inside me ABSOLUTELY rebelled! How DARE the medicine that was supposed to help me.. how DARE it kill me.. and honey!?! The fight was on!
I spent 4 weeks in the hospital, transfusion after transfusion, poked, prodded... And I'll NEVER forget the day my nurse said: "PAM, YOU WERE RIGHT! YOU'RE ON THE WAY TO RECOVERY... YOU HAVE 1 PLATELET!!!" Anyway, even though I was still neutropenic they sent me home and recover I did baby!
Now we fast forward to July 2012 when I noticed I had trouble breathing and was getting a fast face and arms.... Through all the chemo and other trouble the tumor had continued growing and was invading my superior vena cava.... So in September 2012 I had a10 day regimen of radiation including to my spine and left adrenal gland where there are more tumors developing.... Again Mies SOLIDLY by my side...
And then we were told that it hadn't worked except a tad to the spine and to make my final arrangements..... as I was no longer getting oxygen... To make a long story short... LOLOLOL. They offered me a surgery without any guarantees, but if it did work it would give me a bit more time... So of COURSE we agreed! And on December 19, 2012 I had the open heart bypass... YAYAY!!!! NO, they weren't able to get all of the tumor, as it's too close to my heart, but they got MOST of it! What would my saga be without complications, so my body decided to get pneumonia, pleurisy and some other infection which landed me back in the hospital and I finally came home at the end of February.... My sister Mies came from Holland to help us out as my Gerry had to work and was overwhelmed also, and even though I had the most incredible pain imaginable, looked truly like the stereo typical "cancer patient" ... one day when we were at Dana Farber; My two Mieses! <---- my sister and my daughter looked at each other and smiled and at THAT moment I decided to get over the pain also and get better!
Soon joined the Livestrong Program at the Y and haven't looked back!
Yes, the cancer sucks ( Steve Jobs died from it, NOT from Pancreatic Cancer. He had a "PAN/NET" a pancreatic neuro endocrine tumor... and Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's also died from this form of cancer)
Because of this I have met THE most wonderful people, I try to do as much awareness as possible, have been a speaker at the American Cancer Society Research Breakfast, as you know have gotten our esteemed Guv to make November Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month 3 years in a row and try to bring people together without being intrusive! I have also been on a radio show with my dear friend Jordan Rich from WBZ radio.
What I love best? Being with my Mies, my Boo, my Odin, chatting with my sister back home, and my friends. My life has always been good so it's not as if I had a sudden new found appreciation.
I think though I am fortunate in that yes, cancer is part of me.. but it's my BODY.... not my mind and as long as I can stay strong so will my body.
So 3 months later I get a call to come in... Yes... the MRI person had gone on vacation and they "sort of forgot" to let me know I had cancer... Needless to say I told my PCP to go F*&K himself, "fired" his sorry behind, insisted on being transferred to Dana Farber and FINALLY met my wonderful REAL doctors in October 2008.
My diagnosis is NeuroEndocrineTumors or NETS /Carcinoid Cancer. I had a liver resection in December 2008 to remove a metastasis from my liver, about 8 hour surgery as they tried to find the primary which to this day has never been found.
There is no treatment (yet) for this form of cancer, except for surgery and/or trial chemo and/or radiation. I had frequent checkups at DF and all was well until I knew it was back.... This was in July (?) 2010, biopsy proved it was indeed back....this time in the lymph nodes between my heart and lungs.. I went first on Octreotide Shots, and then was picked for a chemo trial, a combination of Avastin and Sandostatin. Was on this trial til November 2011 when we found that it had no noticeable results and would stop... A tough moment, but I didn't miss the butt shots!
On January 1st, 2012 I started a new chemo called Temodar or Temozolomide. Tracy? Something told me NOT to take it... That it would have disastrous results... My Gerry said "honey then don't take it" but against my own better judgment I did... and something did go wrong... My body apparently could not at all metabolize the drug and I literally bottomed out within days.. My bone marrow was destroyed, blood... just about everything stopped functioning... Ulcers in my mouth, throat, bleeding, couldn't stop puking... What a MESS!!! God Tracy, I still cry when I think at my Mies by my side... So mature, so loving, yet so small and petrified and there was nothing I could do to make her feel better... I was dying and we knew it.... But something happened! Something inside me ABSOLUTELY rebelled! How DARE the medicine that was supposed to help me.. how DARE it kill me.. and honey!?! The fight was on!
I spent 4 weeks in the hospital, transfusion after transfusion, poked, prodded... And I'll NEVER forget the day my nurse said: "PAM, YOU WERE RIGHT! YOU'RE ON THE WAY TO RECOVERY... YOU HAVE 1 PLATELET!!!" Anyway, even though I was still neutropenic they sent me home and recover I did baby!
Now we fast forward to July 2012 when I noticed I had trouble breathing and was getting a fast face and arms.... Through all the chemo and other trouble the tumor had continued growing and was invading my superior vena cava.... So in September 2012 I had a10 day regimen of radiation including to my spine and left adrenal gland where there are more tumors developing.... Again Mies SOLIDLY by my side...
And then we were told that it hadn't worked except a tad to the spine and to make my final arrangements..... as I was no longer getting oxygen... To make a long story short... LOLOLOL. They offered me a surgery without any guarantees, but if it did work it would give me a bit more time... So of COURSE we agreed! And on December 19, 2012 I had the open heart bypass... YAYAY!!!! NO, they weren't able to get all of the tumor, as it's too close to my heart, but they got MOST of it! What would my saga be without complications, so my body decided to get pneumonia, pleurisy and some other infection which landed me back in the hospital and I finally came home at the end of February.... My sister Mies came from Holland to help us out as my Gerry had to work and was overwhelmed also, and even though I had the most incredible pain imaginable, looked truly like the stereo typical "cancer patient" ... one day when we were at Dana Farber; My two Mieses! <---- my sister and my daughter looked at each other and smiled and at THAT moment I decided to get over the pain also and get better!
Soon joined the Livestrong Program at the Y and haven't looked back!
Yes, the cancer sucks ( Steve Jobs died from it, NOT from Pancreatic Cancer. He had a "PAN/NET" a pancreatic neuro endocrine tumor... and Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's also died from this form of cancer)
Because of this I have met THE most wonderful people, I try to do as much awareness as possible, have been a speaker at the American Cancer Society Research Breakfast, as you know have gotten our esteemed Guv to make November Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month 3 years in a row and try to bring people together without being intrusive! I have also been on a radio show with my dear friend Jordan Rich from WBZ radio.
What I love best? Being with my Mies, my Boo, my Odin, chatting with my sister back home, and my friends. My life has always been good so it's not as if I had a sudden new found appreciation.
I think though I am fortunate in that yes, cancer is part of me.. but it's my BODY.... not my mind and as long as I can stay strong so will my body.
