Tomorrow: The Beginning of An Unexpected Chapter

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the day after today, that is what tomorrow is, right?

Yes, but it is not just tomorrow for me, my family, my best friends. It is the beginning of a new chapter in all of our lives. This chapter is going to be full of many many ups and downs. Let's just be blunt. It IS going to be a chaotic roller coaster in every way possible. There is no way around that, but we will make it like we always do! Nothing is going to stop us. Ok, so what I am rambling about?

Here you go. I was admitted into the hospital on November 18 due to severe nausea, and other things related to that. I was given a couple bags of fluid and medicines to help with nausea etc. while in the ER. Also, while there they did a CT Scan of my abdomen and ran tests on a stool sample. The sample came back positive for C. Diff, which is an infection of the intestines. (Bad bacteria takes over in your GI tract). The CT Scan did not show any obstructions in the bowel. However, the doctor told us they did find a mass and a spot on my liver. I think we all just kinda sat there at that point. I don't know how my parents felt mentally or emotionally then. I began to prepare myself for the news that would follow a couple days later, I just had a gut feeling and knew.

I get to my room Wednesday morning around 9:00 a.m. or so. I am starving by this time because I have not had anything to eat or drink for quite sometime. Of course, I am on a clear liquid diet. [CLD]. That evening I have to drink the lovely drink that preps you for a colonoscopy. *I have a trick for drinking this, flavor it with water flavoring drops, except for red.* Thursday morning I have an ultrasound done of my liver, and then that evening around 5:00 I have the colonoscopy done. The results come back, and the mass that was found on the CT Scan is in my colon/rectum. We have to wait a while for pathology reports to come back but the surgeon was positive the mass was malignant (cancerous) To make an already long story short: most of the pain that I have been having for the last several months that was thought to be many other things, turned out to be colon cancer.

Yes, I said/thought/typed the word that no one likes to hear. Does it bother me? Not at all. Remember, I had a gut feeling after the results of the CT Scan came back showing a mass. So, I've had time to process the fact that I have cancer. Now, we treat it. Tomorrow is the first step. My first appointment with my oncologist, and Friday I will see my colorectal surgeon. Am I afraid of this new chapter that is being written in my life? No. I have always had a hunch that I would experience something like this in my lifetime. I know, it is odd to think that way, but I do so that if something does take place it is not such a shock for me. I am glad I am able to do that.

So, now we put on our armor and we fight this battle headstrong! 

For anyonne who may read this I would like to ask, if you have scripture or a quote that encourages you, please share it with me here or on Facebook. You may also email them to me at: prettigirlsmiles@gmail.com I am writing each of them down in a journal that I will take with me to treatment so I will always be encouraged by friends and family while they cannot be with me.

We can all rest in knowing that God allowed this to happen for a reason and He will be GLORIFIED in the end!!

I am not asking for much from anyone. Just be encouraging, not just to me, but each other as well.

Hugs & Love

When Your Words Mean So Much - JoJo

Yes, that's JoJo again. This morning when I woke up, I checked Facebook like I always do...

I saw I had been tagged by Jo Jo in a status, which is not something that happens often. When it does, I know it's special. Today, he shared the blog post I had written about our friendship. You can read that here if you haven't read it. Above the post, he thanked me once again for writing, but after that he said something that I have kept with me all day. He said, "These words could not have come at any better time. You are my rock." I have been going through some difficult times of my own, which are written in the previous post. It seems like he and I always know when we need a pick me up. I'm so blessed to have him in my life and call him a friend.

When I wrote that blog, I thought... oh he will read it and say how much it means to him and he'll share it on his page to show support - which he did. However, I didn't expect it to have such a profound impact a year later. I do not know what he has been going through, I do not need to. What I do know is that my words have carried him through something he has been going through and I cannot express how much that means to me. I often feel like I write just because it is what I love to do and I do it well. Today, I learned that I do not just write because it is something I love to do. I write because whether I know it or not.. someone reads it and gets something out of it. Maybe, like JoJo my words carry them through a trying time, or what I read just lets them know they're not alone.

I can't express how I feel knowing my words mean so much. Knowing they are not just words threw out into cyberspace makes me want to keep writing even more. I have always enjoyed it and it is the best way I can express myself. I am so thankful to everyone who encourages me to keep writing. Aside from my family and friends here at home, JoJo is one of my biggest supporters and he always has been. He believes in my writing like I believe in his music and we'll never stop. I've got you buddy. Circles.Never.End.

Thank you, JoJo!