I am looking forward to seeing what kind of difference i can make, as well. I just recently finished my last round of chemo, as well. I recently lost my 14 yo son to suicide (last August....My god has it been almost a year, already??).
I had been having symptoms but I ignored them, because I was working...surely that wouldn't be happening to me, right?? Anyway, after he died it took me a while to even want to live so there was even more reason to ignore those symptoms. I went so far as to make bargains with the universe to let me get hit by a car, or die in my sleep just so I wouldn't have to live, but would no longer have to carry the pain or continue on for my other 2 kids....so I wouldn't have to feel guilty for taking the easy way out....but I was declined that option.
I finally went in to the ER one night after feeling a lump in my abdomen....When the NP came in after the ct and sat down on the end of the bed with a big sigh, I got really scared. She informed me I had a "pretty good sized mass, about the size of a soccer ball (ended up being 17cm)," on my left ovary.
After getting into the thick of things, it was first thought to be stage 3 ovarian cancer, because of the tumor on my ovary, but after the surgery it was found that I had a 2nd mass in my uterus. They were unsure if I had uterine cancer that had spread to my ovary, or vice versa....Turns out I had stage 3 uterine cancer, which is much better than ovarian...
Anyway...instead of turning this into a book, I did chemo and my last treatment was in May. I'm still not 100%, but I'm ready to continue living...and living with a purpose...Part of that leads me to want to be of service to others. True, caring, compassionate service.....Yeah, I'm actually hoping to be one of "those" kind of nurses....
Really appreciate hearing your story.
