What A Difference A Year Makes. (My Sister’s Cancer Journey)

Hello and Happy New Year!!! I have gotten complete permission from my sister Sandy to share this post with you. I know that this is an inspiring story to me. We never know what trials we might face. I have seen first hand how faith, prayer, family love, and determination can change so many things.

Since the day after Christmas my mind keeps wandering back to last year at this very time. My sister Sandy was sick. Very sick. We knew it. We knew things weren’t right and hadn’t been for a long time. For months she had barely been able to get off of the couch. A trip to the grocery store was out of the question. She was weak and just plain didn’t have the strength to do anything. It was scary. She had always been the energizer bunny and could do anything.

We tried to do a short shopping trip before Christmas last year and it turned into a huge challenge of finding somewhere for her to sit before she literally fell out. 

She had been to so many doctors because her blood work was off. One doctor would say this and another would order more bloodwork. Another doctor would ask if she had reported this to her regular doctor and the cycle continued day after day and nothing was being done. We were quite frantic as we watched her get weaker and weaker.

On the good advice, given by a retired doctor friend, the day after Christmas 2022 her husband and son took her to Knoxville to University of Tennessee hospital and took her through the Emergency Room. They started running a series of tests. Within a couple of hours they had discovered she had a mass in her spleen. They thought it was probably cancer. Why this couldn’t have been done before I don’t know.

She was admitted to the hospital for more tests. Her oncologist was a doctor that we had seen many years ago when my dad had cancer. At that time we were not very fond of him. But he came highly rated and several people that we knew praised him for the things he had done for their friends and family. We would put our faith in him.

My sister was in the hospital for several days. She was dehydrated so she was given fluids and protein. Her body was very run down. Because she was so susceptible to infection only two people could be with her during her stay. My brother in law and I took turns staying day and night with her at the hospital. 

On Friday, the day before she was released from the hospital, we sat in her hospital room and waited for the doctor, the oncologist, to come in. We heard him outside the door speaking with someone in the hallway. It was as if we were holding our breath waiting for the verdict. We knew it was cancer, but we had no idea how bad it was or how much it may have spread.

The doctor came into the room with his assistant. He told my sister that she had large b-cell lymphoma. He also said she had some small spots in her upper rib cage. He told us he thought, with treatment, she could make a full recovery. She would need 6 chemo treatments, three weeks apart.  Halfway through the treatments they would do more scans to see if the chemo was working. He seemed upset that she would lose her hair. She said “I’m not worried about my hair I’m more worried about getting rid of this” To us this was news that we could work with.  Cancer in our family is not new to us. We know the drill. We had a plan. We love planning no matter what it may be.

Her first appointment after getting out of the hospital was to get more blood work and set up the schedule for the chemo and the scans that would be done at the halfway point. The doctor and his assistant tried to prepare us. They said it would get worse before it got any better at all. We didn’t think it was possible. It was.

My sister is a 35 year cancer survivor to start with. She had colon cancer at the age of 35. She is a tough cookie. She had had radiation in the past but never chemo. 

The treatments were bad. We fought right along with her but let’s face it. We didn’t have cancer and she was the one going through hell. But this was a family commitment and we were all there to help.  We brought her anything she could and would eat. Her son shopped continuously to search for high protein food, shakes whatever she could keep down. The fact that she had already lost weight and was very weak when she started the chemo made things much worse. Some people do not go into chemo like this.  

In the picture below my sister was at one of her lowest points. She told me she could not eat, or sleep, or walk and she didn’t think she was going to make it. But she didn’t give up. I felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do but what I was doing.

She was already so far down it took a lot to get back. But she did. She started physical therapy to help her balance. She had been traveling everywhere by wheelchair and she was soon able to get rid of that. As the chemo shrunk the mass in her spleen, it allowed good blood to circulate through her body.  She was getting stronger every day. Her hair came out, and she got a wig and some scarves. She dealt with it.

Mid March and it was time for the first set of scans to see just how well the treatments were working. The scans showed that the cancer had pretty much shrunk to NOTHING!!!! What???? We were in shock. It was everything we had prayed for. Prayers were definitely answered. She still had 2 more treatments and her doctor wanted to finish those.

She finished all of the treatments and on May 5th she rang the bell that signaled the end of treatments and that she was cancer free

This picture was taken during the summer. What a difference those months have made. She is the energizer bunny again. I can barely keep up with her. I lost two of my sisters and she is my only sister I have left. I would do anything for her. She is the backbone of our family. We just can’t imagine life without her and we are so glad that she is here with us. We thank God every day for that. 

Again, I tell you this story because it gives me hope that if I, or another loved one, should go through something like this I will remember my sister. I will tell this story.  She fought such a battle because she wanted to be here. I asked her if she minded me sharing this on my blog. She said No!!! If this can give someone hope that means everything. She continues with check ups and blood work and scans and so far everything is great!!!! She is my hero.

So you never know just what a difference a year can make. 

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!