One of my good friends came in to my hospital. room and said that I used another one of my many (nine) lives.
I'm not in the hospital, now. I am in my very comfortable home on a lake, hopefully getting better from the recent really scary diagnosis of acute liver failure. Even I was worried. The cancerous lesions in my liver have grown, multiplied and swelled so much that when I took in food it swelled to the point that the liver couldn't drain. Severe pain followed. My poop was ash colored and my pee was orange to brown. My skin was yellow to orange. I was given a few months if things did not improve. My oncologist said that she would try to reduce the cancer size with very strong intravenous chemo. No good practical advice came from the medical profession. In the hospital, my diet was "normal" so I did not eat. At home, Dr Google led me to the various websites of some cancer hospitals. The advice is to eat very small amounts of food each time and often and/or drinking fortified liquids, both of which I did, in very small doses.. On this past Monday, I woke up at 6am feeling like a human for the first time in weeks. I called my daughter and told her she could stop the worrying because I felt better! The crisis was and is over. Fingers crossed.
Before this latest crisis, I had invited alll my family to come and help me celebrate my eighty seventh birthday. They are all coming and so are two of my relatives from Scotland.
Happy spiritual season to all. May we rise above any negativity and embrace our precious gift of life!
Written by
jersey-jazz
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What a scary experience you went through! I’m so happy that the crisis is over and you’re feeling better. Happy 87th Birthday! Such a wonderful family celebration with even relatives from Scotland coming to participating!
I admire how strong and resilient you’re! True inspiration to all of us!
I hope you’ll feel better and get stronger every day!
Yes, I am amazed that they are all coming. We are not a tight knit family but spread miles apart. I think that they are coming in case this is their last chance before I check out. I have no intention of doing that just yet. Thank your the good wishes!
Thank you so much for the blessings. I truly believe that the blessings, prayers and good wishes that have been conferred upon me have taken hold of me and helped me up, out of the present danger.
Let’s hope the thumb sucking isn’t prolonged because you’re doing well.
Four phases of stage 4
Pre crisis - getting the best out of life you can
During Crisis- fortitude / stoic and hope it’s a temporarily blip
After crisis - crumple and say a bundle of thanks that you got through it
Post crisis - picking yourself up again off the floor to be your wonderful self again
I often think it’s about hanging on to be alive for when that magic elixir arrives and if it doesn’t, to at least feel you’ve gotten the best you could out of the crap cards you were dealt.
No, it wasn't the chemo. I started the chemo on Tuesday. It was Monday that I woke up feeling better. We have amazing bodies. We just have to work with them, respect them and listen to them. Last year before the I R slipped with the instrument and made a hole between liver and colon, I weighed around 126 lbs. I am now down to 94 lbs. Gone are my nice boobs, hips and muscles. Well, to tell the truth, the boobs were dismantled by the surgeon a few years ago but the leg muscles had helped me climb out of the bathtub with ease. I so miss my almost daily baths and have to settle for a chair in the shower stall. Maybe one day - - - -
That slipping with the instrument has really kicked things up but so glad that you won’t be Easter yellow this year for the holiday. The liver is amazing in that it repairs its self. Glad you feel better!
Wow! What an uplifting life story. The messages that my heart hears from yours is that positive thoughts affect not only our psyche, but our bodies. You gave yours space and grace to heal and she did just that. Thank you for sharing your story and I’m sending lots of love and healing energy your way. Namaste. 💕
Dear marmots----I seem to be out of the woods but the chemo is hitting me hard with lots and lots of pain. I just hope that this strong chemo is working to reduce the cancer to an acceptable size for the liver to work properly. This cancer is such a crap shoot. We win some and lose some , as long as it balances out. Tomorrow, I will feel much better, I hope. Thank you for your good words!
Springtime and Easter! Seasons of renewal. So happy you've been renewed for another season of life. Enjoy your birthday celebration with those you love.
Dear Manon---Yes, this is such a wonderful time of renewal. I am hoping for the pain to subside somewhat so that I can catch my breath and be thankful for our lives.
Dear WhippetX2---How kind of you to write that. We older people are slower than the younger ones but we think that we know more and so we become such wise asses, in a hurry to impart "wisdom". The interesting thing is that we have experienced more of life and so it is probably our job to share some of what we have learned. Happy Easter!
What a journey you have been on. I found your story amazing and up lifting. I love your sense of humor and appreciate your positive attitude. Hoping you continue to get stronger and have many more days to enjoy your friends and family. Happy Birthday!🎈🎈🎈🎉❤️
DinNorCal--Let me guess you name. Is it Dinah from Northern California? If we concentrate on the positive, thankfulness and try to be our very best person For me , things seem to balance out and send up upright. I really wish that those on this forum were all my age, not in early years with life ahead and youngsters to bring up.
Happy Birthday Jersey-jazz!! So glad you are feeling better! Awesome that all of your family near and far are coming to celebrate your special day. 🤗 and prayers for continuing recovery from the latest episode of a health scare. Glad you can eat again in small amounts. Every bite counts!
I am so glad and somewhat overwhelmed. As of today, I am crying with gratitude. Yesterday, bad things happened and people came to my rescue yesterday and now, again, today. Thank you for your prayers. They help me so much.
Happy Birthday 🥳🎂 I am so happy you're feeling better xx ☺️ enjoy your time celebrating with your family xxx and good luck with your new treatment sending positive vibes and love xxx 🤗🤗🤗
It is going to be great. I've been offered superior help from my amazing cleaning lady who is more than that. She is rearranging her time with helping her aunt during a three day weekend elsewhere and is showing up for this family event. She tells me today that she knows that her help will ward off possible difficulties with family members. I personally don't foresee any difficulties with family members but I was worried about how I am going to carry it off when I need to lie down exactly when I need to. That is when she jumps in and serves anyone who needs something while keeping the kitchen devoid of any dirty dishes. She is amazing.
Oh that's wonderful that you have an amazing cleaning lady/friend, I bet she's more like family to you. It'll make things so much easier for you when everyone is there and you won't feel overwhelmed. You get to be the Queen 💖 and just sit and rest when need be. Prayers and hugs 🤗💗.
Kudos to the cleaner great she's got your back xxx Hope you.had a great time with the family and all the best fir your treatment xxx sending positive vibes and lots of love xxx 🤗💖🥰
Yep - I'm an April fool and turned 60 yesterday thanks for the birthday wishes . So happy to be 60! When I was dx as stage IV at 56 I thought I'd only have 2-3 years left . I feel much more hopeful these days !
Dear Lou Anne. We all make choices about how we live. Let us hope that we pick ones that are positive, grateful, graceful and make us our best person. Thank you for your words!
Dear mudakurag, thank you for your good wishes! Good wishes and hopes for a good outcome for you too, on your journey. This trip with the dragon cancer is a truly tough one. We never know what is next.
May you continue your journey and your birthday is absolutely a wonderful and soul filling day, one that inspires you the way you have inspired all of us 💜
Dear SoulJourney, I am humbled by your comments. All of us on this forum are on the same train. We all understand each other and we all feel for each other.. Prayers for an easy journey to all of us!
Dear Shafight-----I'm doing heavy duty chemotherapy to reduce the cancerous lesions in my liver but taking a break from it for this week. I'm anxious to start targeted therapy but the oncologist is waiting until my blood results are better. After the big event on Saturday, I may push the oncologist hard to change her mind and let me at the drug that is designed attack my particular body. Good luck to you with Enhertu! I hope that it does the trick for you.
Just seeing all this! You are amazing! I am so glad you turned a corner, had family and friends out and are feeling better (And you mentioned the boyfriend too??). I hope it stays this way for a long, long time. xx
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thanks for the birthday wishes . So happy to be 60! When I was dx as stage IV at 56 I thought I'd only have 2-3 years left . I feel much more hopeful these days ! 
Mom has stage 4 mbc. looking for hope. 
Another bump in the road
Learning experience
update on changed cancer
