“Little Me”
2010 started out with many wonderful possibilities. I found a new city to live in with a new apartment meant just for me. In January I was returning from spending five weeks visiting family for the Christmas holidays. Sigh, so much fun but I was returning home with the worst case of the flu that I had ever had. The kind where all illnesses hit you in some kind of random order with my lungs being hit hard as the last new symptom. No, I didn’t get a flu shot. Bad me….
Too sick to unpack or do anything else but lay in bed, I finally made it over to the doctor. The doctor confirmed I needed antibiotics to get past the lung infection. The worst part of the visit was I had a lump in my breast. It showed up just prior to the holidays. The doctor examined me and said to make an appointment for a mammogram in a few weeks when I was better from the lung infection.
You know, thinking of my breast in pancake form between two very cold plates just never has any appeal. I was pleasantly surprised that they have improved the machine. I was also put through five more tests. A biopsy was one of them.
CANCER. Yes there was the word just hanging in the air. I really didn’t react. Which surprised me. I wasn’t upset…by the way I cry over everything and I didn’t cry. My family has. It has been the hardest on them.
My doctor works out of the Huntsman Cancer Hospital in Salt Lake City. She met with me and family members laying out the plan for my treatment. Somewhere along the way she mentioned the “kitchen sink”.
You can read many different places on the net about cancer, it’s treatments and it’s side effects. So I won’t dribble on about how numerous and miserable they are. The reason for even bringing this up was to help you understand why I have been gone so much.
After the first week of chemo treatment I was hospitalized. I couldn’t drink or eat. My immunity had bottomed out. I was basically “bubble girl” for over a week held in quarantine.
I was required to move in with my mother because the doctors didn’t think it was safe to be alone.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and kind words. I know I have been gone for long periods of time…usually tied to complications, hospitalizations and surgery. I did become septic and had a near death experience. I will blog another time about that experience.
cherluvya
Cheryl Gunter
cherluvya's blog 
September 1, 2010 at 5:16 am |
Cheryl,
My heart goes out to you and your family. I know what a strong and brave person you have been. I am always here and have you in my thoughts…
You friend forever and always… remember our pinkie swear? *Big Teddy Bear Hug*
September 7, 2010 at 12:02 am |
My continued prayers are with you and I hope you will continue to update us. I would be very interested in reading about your near-death experience. I’ve heard several over the course of my lifetime from different friends. Sounds like you have a good support system in place.