Friends and Family,
Please find herein a brief note to update you on my summer's adventures:
First, the bad news: It started in the spring with a fairly nasty discharge, followed by various and sundry tests, etc., culminating in a hysterectomy (robotic) July 2....Then, the good news: (If you have to have a hysterectomy, I highly recommend ROBOTIC...I could have come home the same day but for my HELICOPTER child and her spouse who insisted I stay overnight...thinking, though, that I could have had a tummy tuck, too)...I was back walking my dogs within days, off pain meds before the week was out, and back on a horse in a little over 2-weeks' time)....Then the bad news: Although my ob-gyn assured me that only 1 or 2% of malfunctioning (my word, not hers) uteri (uteruses?) are malignancies, I fell into that 1 or 2%...endometrial cancer of the uterus, also involving the cervix (it's one of those estrogen related malignancies). And although she also assured me that such malignancies are among the "friendliest" (her word, not mine), usually requiring the simple removal of the offending parts, with maybe "just a little radiation", my surgical oncologist has prescribed about 6 months' worth of chemo and radiation. The good news: Even so, my prognosis seems to be good. CT scans and the lymph nodes that were sampled show no metastases, and I have a good chance of surviving (this threat, if I don't get hit by a truck or suffer some other ill-fortune or some negative side-effect)....Further bad news: My hair will fall out and I will be BALD! The sorta good news: I've chosen my wig already, and it's short and curly in a way my own hair would never be short and curly...I will also avail myself of a selection of caps and hats and scarves. Amanda is eager to go scarf shopping. I'll probably need to start wearing make-up....Less bad news: I've had the first chemo (one every 3 weeks, then radiation, then another 3 every 3 weeks), and so far, my dear, sweet body is taking it pretty well. To tell the truth, except for the multiple strands of hair that come out every time I run my hand through, I feel and look quite well. I continue to ride (as much as time and weather allow), and I'm back street-walking with the Scots....I'll spend the next months NOT hugging people, but otherwise, it seems that I can go and do pretty much whatever I feel like going and doing, as long as I wash my hands early and often and after!
So there you have it. I wanted to tell as many friends and family at one time as possible, because as you know if you know me well, I abhor gossip (the lasting effect of growing up in a rural, small town culture). In fact, I suggest that you print this out so that you can tell anyone who needs telling (can't be too many) in my own words. Do not send sad, syrup-y cards or messages, and if you are one of my friends in the Detroit area, DO NOT look at me like I'm sick the next time we meet! NOT allowed (because I don't feel sick and I do not want to be reminded)....My motto remains that life is a crap shoot, but while you are alive you should LIVE.
Thanks...you are the best.
Onward.
Ethlyn
