A Few Reasons to Be Hopeful

A cancer patient can never have too many reasons for hope.  I never, ever, evah :) get tired of hearing about or reading stories that are full of hope and possibility.  Even if the story doesn’t involve cancer, I still love to hear it.  It lifts my spirit up and reaffirms my belief that anything is possible.  Because anything IS possible.  (Sometimes I forget that.)

photo source

Now that I’ve been immersed in the medical world in a way I would never have wished, I seek out articles about advances in cancer research and treatment.  The articles give me hope and remind me that cancer is not as bad as it once was.

We all remember the days when, if someone told you they had cancer, it was safe to assume the cancer would most likely end their life early.  That is not the case anymore.  There are scores of people being treated for and surviving cancer.  The greatest part of this is that they are not just surviving as shells of who they once were, they are surviving and thriving as humans who still have a lot of life to live!  Now that’s something to get excited about!

Marlo Thomas interviewed several experts in the area of cancer treatment and research and published an article in The Huffington Post about what they shared with her.  What she discovered is that there are lots of reasons for BIG HOPE when it comes to a cancer diagnosis and prognosis for survival.  Thanks to major advances in the study of DNA and molecular abnormalities, scientists are learning why certain cells turn into cancer and how to prevent or treat them in a much more effective manner.

What’s truly amazing is that some of these advances have come about just in the last 3-5 years.  Things are changing so rapidly in the area of cancer treatment that what was a horrible diagnosis two years ago is not nearly as bad today.  Such hope for all of us, not just those who presently have cancer.

Here are some of the key points from her interviews:

• The study of genomics is allowing scientists to better understand what causes cells to turn into cancer.  This understanding is resulting in targeted, “smart drug” therapies that zero-in on specific abnormalities.  These treatments are more effective and less toxic to patients.
• There have been significant breakthroughs in the area of cancer detection, to the extent that doctors are able to find the smallest of tumors, which allows cancer to be treated as a much earlier stage than ever before.
• Breast cancer is no longer treated as one disease because researchers discovered it is actually three distinct diseases.  This knowledge now allows doctors to treat the patient based on which of the three subtypes the patient has.
• Some cancers that were considered fatal just five or ten years ago are now routinely being treated by having the patient take a few pills each day.
• According to Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, 350 more people per day are surviving cancer than did 20 years ago.

If you would like to read the entire article, you can find it here.

Dr. Charles L. Sawyer, M.D. from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center provided my favorite quote from the article:

“No, we do not yet have cures yet, but we are much closer than we have ever been.  There has never been a time of greater optimism about the future of cancer therapy.”

Yes!!  :)

The word “cancer” is so devoid of hope.  The first time we hear it applied to our own health, it screams at us to be afraid, to give up, to feel helpless and hopeless.  But thanks to advances in medicine, we have new reasons for hope every day.  When we are diagnosed with cancer, we tend to zero-in on our own situation and lose site of the bigger picture.  It’s nice to be reminded that there are people all over the world working hard to discover new and better treatments for cancer, and even beyond that – a cure for the disease.

Here’s to a hopeful day – and future – for all of us.
♥ Rachel

This Will Rock Your World

I’m not kidding.  Well, that is, if you like corn on the cob.  If you don’t like corn on the cob, it’s not going to rock your world.  Sorry.  :)

For me, the very worst part of fixing corn on the cob is shucking it and trying to remove the silks.  It drives me insane because I want to get every single tiny bit of silk off the corn before I cook it.  And that’s just impossible.  You can’t get every single, tiny bit of silk off an ear of corn.

Until now!

Have I got a treat for you.  Either that, or I’m really late to the game and you guys already know about this.  If you already knew this, don’t burst my bubble by telling me.

Barry’s Aunt Grace sent me an email with this video in it and this sweet little man has given me the tip of the decade!

If you don’t want to watch the video, here’s the scoop.  Take one ear of corn in the husk (don’t wash it, remove the husk/silks or anything) and place it in the microwave.  Cook on high for 4 minutes.  Using oven mitts, remove it from the microwave.  Cut off the bottom of the ear.  Grab the top of the husk and shake, shake, shake.  Out slides a perfectly clean and cooked ear of corn!

If you want to cook more than one ear, cook them for 4 minutes per ear.

It’s amazing! And the corn tastes great. I couldn’t believe it actually worked. :)

Now that we’ve gotten that earth shaking piece of information out of the way, onto other matters.

You know what this week is – Round 4.  On Wednesday, I’ll be doing the same ‘ole drill.  Labs, appointment with Dr. Daniel, and then a not-so-lovely date with an IV followed by a shorter date with the IV on Thursday.

There’s two ways to look at this.  It’s Round 4 which means I still have two more rounds to go after this.  Bummer.  However, it also means at the end of this week I will have completed 4 rounds and will be 66% of the way through treatment!  Woohoo!!!  That’s what I like to call progress.  :)

Happy Monday and Happy Halloween!  I hope your week gets started off beautifully!

♥ Rachel

I Wonder

I know we usually do Cancer-Free Fridays, but I feel like breaking the rules this week.  This week feels all out of whack with the stent removal on Tuesday.  Thursday felt like Tuesday and today feels like…well, I don’t know what it feels like.  Thaturday??  Frursday?  Who knows?  Everything’s off kilter a bit.   And since this Friday is sandwiched between the glorious {Can you hear angels singing HALLELUJAH??  I can.} stent removal and the not-so-glorious chemo next week, it doesn’t feel much like a Cancer-Free Friday anyway.

Source: ThinkStockPhotos.com

I look in the mirror each morning and think to myself,

“You sure don’t look like you have cancer, Rachel.”

In fact, I look pretty much the same as I always have.  Aside from my lightly thinning hair (which no one besides myself even notices), there are no physical appearance indicators that I am “sick.”  I’ve gained some weight back so I don’t look as skinny as I did starting out.

You know what’s strange about this?  Mixed in with my relief at not having lost my hair and being able to tolerate treatments fairly well, is a sense of guilt.  I don’t wish those horrible side effects on myself, but I feel guilty that so many others are going through much tougher experiences than I am.  Especially the children.  It’s very hard for me to accept that there are little kiddos struggling with much uglier forms of this disease than what I have.  They don’t deserve it.  None of us do.  I’m incredibly grateful that my journey is progressing well, but there’s an element of guilt mixed in with that gratitude when I see the other patients at COHA and realize how difficult this is on them.

I watch the patients and I wonder.

I wonder how traumatic it was for them to lose their hair.

I wonder if they have small children who are terrified because mommy or daddy is so sick.

I wonder what kind of cancer they have and how long they’ve had it.

I wonder if this is their first time “at the rodeo” or if they are repeat customers.

I wonder if they have adult children nearby to help them through this or if they are trying to take care of themselves.

I wonder if they are scared, with their precious bald heads, their dry coughs, and weak little bodies.

I wonder if they think this is my first visit because I look so “normal.”

I’ve had three treatments and I already feel like a veteran.  I know the drill now.  I know what to expect and how I will feel after treatment.

But I still wonder.

I wonder why I’m allowed to have (what seems like) an easier experience than some patients.  And I feel grateful.

I wonder how long the cancer has been there, quietly lurking in the shadows waiting for the day it would be noticed.  And I shudder at the thought.

I wonder how long it would have gone unnoticed were it not for the bumps on my skin.  Months?  Years?  Who knows.

I wonder what would have happened had I not gone to the dermatologist.  And I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

I wonder if the people I see at treatment have friends and family who are supporting them, encouraging them, and lifting them up in prayer.

I wonder if they feel alone, if they are alone.  I hope not because it makes me hurt for them.  I couldn’t do this alone.  No one should have to.

I wonder how people get through something like this without God.  Because there’s only so much your family and friends can do for you.  There comes a point when it is just you and God working through this.  As my Aunt Frances said early on, there are going to be parts of this that only you can do and you’ll have to dig down deep inside you to find the strength to do them.  She’s wise, that Frances.  :)

I also wonder what I ever did to deserve friends and family like you all.  I don’t feel worthy of the care, concern, and prayers you have been showering on me, but I am so very grateful for it.  You all have some of the sweetest, most caring hearts of any people on the planet.  Lucky me that I get to call you my friends and family!

♥ Rachel