Longevity logo

My Cancer Journey

Never fight alone...

By Jennifer MartinPublished 3 years ago 9 min read
1
My Cancer Journey
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

As of September 2020, I have been a cancer survivor for 6 years. The day I rang the bell after my final radiation treatment (the picture is not me) felt good. I want to share my journey with you.

October 2013, I was heading home from my U.S. History I class from college that evening. I was waiting for the light near the college campuses to change green. When the person behind me fell asleep and hit me from behind. I say that was the night that woke up the tumor that had was hiding in my neck. I did not go to get it checked out at the hospital. I had just assumed that the pain was related to the accident, unknowingly at the time of what was in my neck. I followed up with the Chiropractor I was seeing at the time for treatment related to the accident. I was progressively getting better with Physical Therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and massages in which the responsible parties insurance paid for. The week after I was done with Physical Therapy, was finals week for the college semester, by then I was in pain again and getting worse. It hurt to look down at my final exams. Due to the pain I did not do so well on my finals. However, the grades I got on my papers saved me grade. Next, I heard something that I never imagined I'd hear.

December 17, 2013, by this time I was weak and had poor mobility and coordination. So therefore, my mother took me to my chiropractic appointment. I collapsed in the patient room I was in and the doctor caught me before I hit the floor. He told her to get me to the Emergency Room. So this is when the journey began. I was wheeled back to an ER room and the doctor ordered an MRI and a CAT scan. That's when my life changed. I was diagnosed with a cancerous football shaped tumor in my neck crushing my spinal cord. My parents and I were in shock and were crying. I originally refused treatment but with both of my parents crying and one semester away from graduation (yeah that devastated me), I decided to battle cancer and take off what was supposed to be my last semester prior to graduating. This however did not stop me from graduating, but I'll get to that later in my story.

Winter 2013, I was admitted to Mercy Medical Center in my hometown for 2 days and then transferred to University Hospital in Cleveland an hour away from home because the tumor was more than what I small town hospital could handle. I had more MRIs, CTs, and blood drawn (I didn't have a port yet, so my arms were all messed up from blood work. I recommend a port/dual power port a.k.a. meta port). I had never been away from home without my parents. Especially, in a hospital because up to this point I had at least I was in good health. So this was a struggle to me. Fortunately, I brought my long time best friend with me, my teddy bear, for comfort. I got teased because my teddy bear had a Steelers jersey on and I was in enemy territory but we survived. My bear is still in one piece. LOL! Me I have a more parts than I'd imagine coming out of cancer treatments and still battling. The neurosurgeon at University Hospital decided he didn't feel comfortable handling the tumor because of it's size and type. Then, I was given options as to where I wanted to go and Ohio State was one of them, my response was "Go Buckeyes!" So Ohio State it was. Christmas Day 2013, I was discharged to go home.

Winter/Spring 2014, I was admitted to Ohio State Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital in Columbus. This is when my journey really began. I was NPO (starved in my own words) for scans that same night I was admitted because my neurosurgeon (whom is the best in the Nation, that's factual) wanted to know what type of tumor I had. The doctor's finally diagnosed my tumor as a sarcoma (which is considered a childhood cancer). I spent 3 weeks in Columbus. The third week I was given a Dual Power Port, which is a blessing, I still have it to this day. I was also given a Halo brace (the picture at the beginning shows how it is placed.) Yes, I had all 4 pins in my skull. Ouch is right! Imagine feeling that without any numbing or pain relieving shots. I cried and cussed through the whole time. That felt like torture. Reason for the Halo was if the chemo shrunk the tumor and that my neck was already broken that well my head would fall off my shoulder. I know gross but it was true. I hated having that thing. I started my first round of chemotherapy that week. Praying that it shrinks the tumor, as I tear up writing this, because it never did. Reason why I don't have faith in chemo. To me it's poison that the oncologists get paid to push and radiation causes more cancer and still have side effects from later in life. Hence the trach I now have (will get to later). Chemotherapy is hard on the body and can make you really sick or worse. I'm still here though so I beat chemo. I had 3 rounds of chemo. The third round was rough on me. My heart went into atrial fibrillation due to the chemo drug, Adriamycin. I didn't even realize what was going on cause I had just finished throwing up for God knows how many times. My dad was right there with me through it all. Poor dad even had to hold the barf bucket a few times. If it were him, I'd do the same, family sticks together. After, this round of chemo I was convinced and too scared to go with any more chemo. I said I want this Halo gone and I want surgery (wish it was that simple with the trach). So April 2014 I had 2 rounds of surgery. I was scared and nervous about if things went wrong. God must've been in the Operating Room that day, because I went from being almost paralyzed to still being able to walk. He guided my doctor's hands those days of my surgeries. Both surgeries were 9 hours apart. I still say, "that's the best sleep I ever had." LOL! Unfortunately, this wasn't the end. I still had more to go through. I had Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy to get through. So I was discharged from Ohio State to come back to my hometown and I had to stay 2 weeks in a Rehabilitation Facility. Both PT and OT worked with me to be able to have full function of my limbs and body again. Basically, I had to learn how to walk again. I pushed myself to get through it. I was still determined to finish college. I was scheduled for Fall 2014 to finish my last semester. I had radiation to get through yet. Which, took my dad and I out of state. I would've happy doc if it was Pittsburgh. But Philadelphia!

Summer 2014, was fun, I had radiation which was easy to go through. We stayed at an Astra Zenca American Cancer Society Hope Lodge outside of Philadelphia, in a town called, Cheltenham, at no charge for 2 months. That was a blessing. Imagine the hotel bills for that time period. Let alone everything in Philadelphia is expensive because it's a big city. Full of lots of history though. Which, dad and I toured while we there. We went to Edgar Allan Poe's only Philadelphia house and had a tour guide (he's my favorite Poet). I enjoyed that quite well. Dad and I went to Independence Hall and saw the Liberty Bell. I enjoyed a refresher course if I might say on my U.S. History. Which correlated with the U.S. History I course I had taken the prior semester. I was able to see with my eyes what my Professor and classmates discussed that semester. My favorite thing my dad and I did while we were out there was tour the U.S.S. New Jersey, which is a decommissioned battleship from Vietnam. I enjoyed climbing through and ducking until passageways that the Sailors had gone through. I'm a Navy Brat! I am claustrophobic but still toured a Submarine, the U.S.S. Becuna, which is a decommissioned Submarine from World War II. I shook the claustrophobic feeling when I climbed down into the Sub and said "oh hey there's more room in an a submarine than there is an MRI machine." LOL!That sits adjacent to the U.S.S. Olympia (c-6), which is a decommissioned Cruiser from the Battle of Manila during the Spanish-American War of 1898. This was towards our end of our stay in Philly.

September 2014, I had started my last semester online (fortunately I had one course left) while out in Pennsylvania. I had taken my laptop and printer with us knowing that I am going to be doing my last semester. I worked around sight seeing and radiation to attend my last semester course. The second week of September 2014, I was able to ring the bell because my radiation treatments were done. Radiation was to hopefully get the tumor fragments that were left on my spinal cord without paralyzing me.

That's the bell I rung and that's me with my Dad.

January 2015, I graduated from college with an Associate Degree in Applied Business Science Management Information Systems Help Desk/Computer Support Specialist. I said to my parents, "that even if you have to push me across the stage I'm going to graduate." I did it on my own 2 feet thanks to Ohio State and God and all of those who prayed for me. Prayers are what got me through. The college I attended was very proud of me and I even had an article in the college newspaper and the local newspaper. Goes to show no matter how hard things get don't give up. This I thought was the end of my worst cancer battle. Hence they could not get all of the tumor fragments without risking paralyzing me. It came back later.

Winter 2016/2017, My life wasn't too bad up to this point. I was working a full time job for Comcast as a Tier 1 Technical Support Agent. I enjoyed it and then my health went downhill again. Now I am having problems with breathing. I was on this antibiotic and that antibiotic. The doctor's at Mercy Medical Center couldn't find what was wrong with me or in my opinion was to afraid to touch me. So I progressively got worse and was in and out of the hospital numerous times and still no answer. Until, I was so bad that they had to trach me. So now I live with a trach to help me breathe. I'm still here though. Somehow I just don't give up. No matter what life brings your way don't give up. Suicide is not the answer! Prayer is!

health
1

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.