I’m pretty sure everyone who has been diagnosed with cancer remembers the day if not the hour they heard the news that they had cancer.

Mine was June 15, 2005.

That spring I had gone to a sports doctor to find out about getting Kyphoplasty for my back which still was bothering me. He ordered an MRI and the rest was history. Although it took almost 3 months to get to that place since I needed to have a bone biopsy where the plasmacytoma was which was T -10.

It took quite a while to get the appointment since it was a neurosurgeon that had to do it. And it was truly horrible. He couldn’t get the needle in so he had to use some sort of hammer to pound it in. Not pleasant although it didn’t hurt it was just very weird. I was not under general anesthesia just sedated.  Then after that, it still took 10 days to get the results.

I was standing in the driveway when the phone call came in. I mean at that point I knew I had cancer just not exactly what. After that, I was referred to Sutter Oncology in Sacramento. Within 2 weeks ( actually 4th of July week, I started 17 rounds of radiation.  Then after that chemo for 6 months. Then in the spring of 2006, I had my SCT.

So it’s always kinda bittersweet.  I’m grateful to modern medicine for giving me a second chance. I’ve lived to see my son and daughter graduate college.

Now I’m facing another relapse. It’s okay, I’m still here and will continue to survive until it’s time.