Team Julia

I met another amazing woman at the cancer center.  The nurses really wanted us to meet and attempted to connect us without giving away patient information.  We are similar age, similar family size, shared faith, similar cancers, and very similar sassy, "What? You mean I am bald?" kinda attitudes.  We missed each other a few times, but on one of my appointments I thought I would go back and see if she was around or at least find out when she would be in.  Of course the nurses couldn't tell me if she would be in on Monday when I would, but they suggested I look for a younger patient, usually with long brown hair, and an attitude.  I left the center and was in my car ready to pull out when I see two people from the center running around the parking lot.  I paused for a moment and sure enough they came running up to me.  "She's here!  Julia is here!"  We were going to get to meet after all.  

I parked my car and followed the nurse in.  They weren't sure where she was, but they knew she had recently come in.  We searched all of the chemo nooks, but came up empty handed.  I felt like I had seen someone in the lab area that kinda matched her description so we rushed back that direction hoping not to miss her.  Low and behold, there she was... waiting for a shot. 

I introduced myself and we began to chat.  An hour and a half later... I realized we did have a lot in common, but it was more than that.  I felt encouraged and inspired after talking with her.  I want to be like her when I grow up... NO, I want to be like her now.  I sat talking to this young woman who has been in chemo for 4 years.  No, that is not a typo.  Four years of toxic drugs being pumped into her body.  She has grown and lost her hair multiple times.  She has had to have a pace maker put in and she can't have radiation because it will fry her bones and that's not good.  And she was smiling and joyful.  She wasn't fearful or angry.  She isn't dying from cancer, she is living with it, her words.  And when I say living with it, I mean just that.  Her chemo infusions are a part of her routine, but they don't dictate her attitude.  They may affect how much she can do, but don't prevent her from living her life. 

I was so excited to visit with her and had no idea how much it would affect me.   I feel stronger having met her.  She fights for herself and for her family.  She oozes life from her very being.  You aren't even tempted to feel sorry for her because she isn't feeling sorry for herself.  She also fights for women around her in need of help.  Her family has put together a team.  "Team Julia".  And they fight and fund raise to help other women going through breast cancer.  It is an expensive undertaking to say the least and her family and extended family race, run, bike, triathlon, and Ragner to raise awareness of the disease and to financially help others in our community who are struggling to afford life with breast cancer.   Click on this link to read more about Julia and her journey. 

 

  http://www.teamjulia.org/

 

 

Add Julia and her family to your prayers.  I know from experience that there are days...  The mental game is a tough one and even the strongest of warriors need support and encouragement. 

 

 

Thanks everyone.  I really wanted to share a little of her story with you.     Don't worry.... the CFP explanation is coming soon.

ECHO, Echo, echo....

I used to think this term, echo, was just the cool sound that came bouncing back and blew past your face after yelling into a deep ravine.  I have learned in the past 6 months that it is more than just that cool scientific bouncing of sound in air.  It is in fact, a special test used to measure the function of your heart and all its' valves and ventricles.  This brilliant test is also probably something that escaped my knowledge due to the fact that I am a young (hey don't knock it, in cancer terms I am young), active, healthy person who doesn't have heart issues.   Well.... fast forward to now.  I am so grateful that they are so cautious about everything cancer related.  Not that they have a huge choice when they are pumping my body full of chemicals that are completely TOXIC!  

As many of you know, I had an echo a few weeks back.  Yesterday, I met with my oncologist to have some blood work done and to go over the echo results.  It's not that it was horrible scary news, but it wasn't normal good news.  I have mildly impaired left ventricle systolic function.  A lot of words to say that the blood going in works fine, it's the pumping out that is not working as efficiently.  It is a side effect of the drug, Herceptin, that I will be on for the next year.  With this knowledge, they have postponed my Monday infusion and scheduled another echo.  What my oncologist is hoping to see is that the function level is not decreasing.  Stabilized is okay, increasing is even better, and pumping like a seasoned marathon runner is what I am voting for.  I am not limited in what I can do, in fact the opposite is true.  Exercise is helpful to strengthen the muscle.  I had been hesitant to do any running cause I could feel my heart was pounding differently when I ran, but I have been walking a ton.  Boy do I hate starting over, but I am a highly motivated individual!

While I am not overly concerned about this set back, I would ask for your specific prayer for this.  It will be an ongoing issue that they pay close attention to for the next year while I am receiving the infusions.  You can bet I won't be waiting around to hear what they say.  I'll be proactively moving and working towards a stronger healthier me.