If you are standing at a crosswalk and someone tells you, "If you cross this street, you have an 83% chance of getting hit AND if you do get hit, you only have a 4% chance of survival." would you still cross that street when there's a bridge just down a little ways that guarantees you won't get hit if you take that??
Those are the odds that were against me with this CDH-1 mutation and with my chances of getting hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. MOST cancers are NOT genetic.......this one is!! There's nothing special I could have done to avoid it. When and if the trigger hit it, I would have gotten this cancer...the same cancer that killed my mom and grandpa. The same cancer that left my sister and I orphans at age 19 years old and 14 years old. The same cancer that made my mom feel like she got hit by a bus...projectile vomiting, constantly feeling like bugs were crawling all over her from the chemo, always sleeping from the treatments, gained a drop foot which would make her trip over her own foot from the treatment if she didn't wear a special foot brace....a cancer that made us value quality of life vs quantity after she only lived about a year trying to fight this beast.
Those are the odds that were against me with this CDH-1 mutation and with my chances of getting hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. MOST cancers are NOT genetic.......this one is!! There's nothing special I could have done to avoid it. When and if the trigger hit it, I would have gotten this cancer...the same cancer that killed my mom and grandpa. The same cancer that left my sister and I orphans at age 19 years old and 14 years old. The same cancer that made my mom feel like she got hit by a bus...projectile vomiting, constantly feeling like bugs were crawling all over her from the chemo, always sleeping from the treatments, gained a drop foot which would make her trip over her own foot from the treatment if she didn't wear a special foot brace....a cancer that made us value quality of life vs quantity after she only lived about a year trying to fight this beast.
I feel this is one of the closest analogies I can come up with. Now, you tell me....what would you choose? Cross the street or take the bridge?
I'm glad I took the bridge and had this total gastrectomy!!! Some days are harder than others, but for the most part....I am doing fabulous!!! I never expected to be where I'm at today...feeling as great as I am, eating pretty much whatever I want just in smaller portions, and working out. It has been almost 6 months and not ONCE have I regretted my decision. This is one of the BEST decisions of my life.....to guarantee I will NOT get hereditary diffuse gastric cancer so I can be around for Sean and Paige.
Heather-1 Stomach Cancer- 0
I'm glad I took the bridge and had this total gastrectomy!!! Some days are harder than others, but for the most part....I am doing fabulous!!! I never expected to be where I'm at today...feeling as great as I am, eating pretty much whatever I want just in smaller portions, and working out. It has been almost 6 months and not ONCE have I regretted my decision. This is one of the BEST decisions of my life.....to guarantee I will NOT get hereditary diffuse gastric cancer so I can be around for Sean and Paige.
Heather-1 Stomach Cancer- 0
Sounds like a wise decision as difficult as it was. Crohn's Disease has taken 2/3s of my colon. No family history, feeling good.
ReplyDeleteIt can be until those odds are put in front of you. Then, to me it seems like a no brainer. WOW...2/3 of your colon? Glad you are doing so good!
DeleteI am still amazed at the look I get when I tell people that I had my stomach removed. I have no regrets about having mine removed either and I am so happy that you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteRoger-1 Stomach Cancer-0
(such a great way to put it)
Yes! The looks are priceless! HA! I'm glad you, TOO, are doing so well!! :)
DeleteI admire you for making the decision you did. It sure takes guts to do that and to know that you will be around for your family. A very happy future to you. I feel lucky that I did not have to make a choice, it was made for me when my stomach was just one big cancer mass and had broken through into my liver. And I had never felt sick or anything until the last moment.
ReplyDeleteI hear you there...I'm thankful that I didn't get the cancer and had the choice before it got to that point. AND for you, I'm so happy they were able to remove it and you are healthy and well! It's not too often that that's the case with stomach cancer!!! It BLOWS my mind when people have the cancer, but have no symptoms....how scary! So, by the time symptoms occur, it's too late??? EEEK!
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