John is in remission from three cancers!

We've waited and waited for this day.  Thirteen years to be exact.  When my husband John was 36 years old, as most of you know, he was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  It was unusual how John's physician, at the time, found the cancer.  Dr. Hall was doing surgery for a hernia correction when he found a tumor that happened to be the lymphoma.  It was both one of the worst things that could happen during a hernia surgery, yet a real blessing -- if the surgeon hadn't opened John up, he never would have found the tumor and John would have never started to fight the dreadful cancer he had, which, as I stated, was Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  John had more than one tumor, and was staged at 3B.  And the cancer was in his lymph nodes.  The surgeon stated that if he had not found the cancerous tumor when he had, John would have been dead within six months.  

Back 13 years ago, blood cancer doctors (hematologists/oncologists) didn't have a lot of hope for patients with NHL.  John was told that even if he was put into remission, he probably wouldn't live.  He was advised to be proactive, choose a method of treatment and do everything he could to fight. This would extend his life for only a few years, they said.  And this, the hem/oncs (blood cancer doctors), told John, could buy him enough time until enough time for another treatment  or cure came along, so that if it happened enough time, John would be able to live.

I have asked John how he could live like this.  He has told me, "You do what you got to do.  If you were going to die, you would do what you had to do.  There was no other option.  Everybody keeps calling me brave.  An inspiration.  I am not an  inspiration.  All I did was survive."

On the contrary, I believe John is an inspiration.  I'm not sure I wouldn't have gotten depressed and quit.  I'm not sure I would've been able to last the 13 years, before I was declared OK, and worked so hard.  But then again, you never know.  As John says, "You do what you have to do."  

Okay, this post has gotten long, so I am going to finish it tomorrow.  I hope you come back to read the rest.  Meanwhile, I've got a question for you:

I think John was an inspiration.  I think the fact he did work hard to survive is an inspiration.  I think he did "more than survive" and he's a true hero, trying and trying, until he finally got into remission.  I will explain how his remission, and how Dr Claxton is actually calling it a "cure", came 13 years later, in the next post or two.  But for  now, I want to ask you this:

Did John just do what he had to do?  Or is he an inspiration to you? Just wondering.  I am going to be showing him the answers!

Thanks Quotes

"Let us give thanks"

By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually, that is,the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."

Hebrews 13:15

 

 

"The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than those who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

H U Westermayer

 

 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

 

 

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest of virtue, but the parence of all virtues."

Cicero

 

 

"Heap high the board with plenteous cheer and gather to the feast, and toast the sturdy pilgrim band whose courage never ceased."
Alice W Brotherton

 

 

"Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness."

Robert Casper Lintner

 

 

"Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half-time takes 12 minutes. This is not coincidence."

Erma Bombeck

 

 

"When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them."

a Chinese proverb

four car pile up

It's been almost two weeks since the car accident.  It came suddenly, just like that.  One minute your life is going along as always, the next minute everything can change.  Well, not everything, but on some days it sure feels like it.

On November 1, John and I were stopped at a red light, behind another car.  We heard a big thud somewhere behind us. "Okay, someone is in trouble," I thought.  Right about that time is when I realized a car was coming toward us, from behind. Bang, right into the back of John and my car.  I thought, "Wow, now this is not possible."  I don't remember too much after that, except that my head jerked hard, John was doing his best to control the car, and then I went forward and then our car went right into the car in front of us.  A four car pile-up.  Yes, I was involved in a four car pile-up. 

The girl all the way in the back admitted it was her fault.  She was cruising along at 35 mph.  She said she was playing with the radio and didn't think the light would turn red, so she didn't look up.  Was looking down and playing with the car radio.  For all I know she was speaking on her cell or texting.  The she shrugged and said, "I didn't mean it.  You know, just one of those things."

But let me digress for a moment.  I said the last thing I remembered was the "bang" when we went into the car in front of us.  That's because I blacked out.  From putting things together, John thinks I was out two or three minutes.  I came to when the girl in the way back, Lauren, who had admitted to the accident, came rapping on my window, after the accident.

So where do things stand now.  I'm going to keep it short, as everything hasn't been settled yet, but I'm suffering from bad pain allover my whole body.  I have severe whiplash amongst other problems.  I am suffering neurological problems.  I am having troubles cognitively -- just trouble problem solving, and remembering.  I walk around in confusion a lot.  I am disoriented at times. For two weeks I didn't know what day of the week it was or what time of the day it was.  I have a lot else going on with my brain, and John has told me he can tell, but I can't tell you what is deficient right now.  That's because I am having trouble even thinking -- my head feels like it is in pea soup.  I don't know if that makes any sense or not. 

I am also having depression and anger.  I think anger in and of itself is a sign of a brain injury anyway. 


Okay, that's all I want to say about it now.    

Except that I am very, very angry.  I don't get angry.  Not like this.  I want my mind back is one of the reasons why I am so angry.  Gee, I am angry.  

I hope I get my mind back.

Would you be angry too, or is that a waste of energy?  I'd love to hear your thoughts, or just a hello from my friends.   krissy  :)