So Long Farewell Chemo

This is almost two weeks late, but on August 23rd 2010 I had my last round of chemotherapy. I did not do this on purpose but it was seven years to the day that I had my last round of chemotherapy from the first time that I battled cancer.

Well it was a glorious day because my body tolerated my last round of chemotherapy very well. Usually I would go 24 to 36 hours without eating afterwards due to nausea and other unpleasant stomach feelings, but on the day of my last round I was feeling good enough to have so of the best lasagna ever. It is a Paula Dean recipe and although I do not enjoy watching her on TV and most certainly cannot stand her voice and laugh she does know how to make so good food. Anyways, overall the day was a great day.

So the last two years have been quite the ride and I go in for my first post treatment scans on September 17th. That will be the true judge to determine that I am in 100 percent in remission.

After nearly two years of chemotherapy, a month of lung radiation, and two lung surgeries later I am headed to another chapter of my life. I just started my senior year of college and will take the GRE next month which will hopefully result in the admission into graduate school so that I can continue on the path of becoming a college professor.

I stopped keeping the running totally but it is easy to estimate without any exaggeration that I have taken more than 500 pills and have been poked by needles over 125 times during the two years I have doing treatment. I also had parts of both of my lungs removed and more than likely have a paralyzed left side of a diaphragm. So it will be interesting to see how that effects my ability at long term endurance once I have the ability to be active again which should only take a few more weeks after my body recovers from the last round of chemo.

Lastly, I just wanted to thank everyone who has helped me in anyway shape of form during the last two year that I was fight cancer. Whether it was sending me a card, buying me food, driving me around, calling and seeing how I was doing, sending me a pick-me up text message, it has all been very important to me to know that I am surrounded by should awesome people. So I thank everyone who has done anything for me during the last two years.

I would also like to thank my family for everything they have done to help me. Whether it was my mother who attended every doctor’s appointment, chemotherapy and radiation treatment while I was receiving treatment in San Diego or my father who would take me to a movie and lunch on his day off it has all be part of the physical, emotional, and mental battle that takes place while fighting cancer.

I would also like to thank my sister Emily who has to put up with an older brother who is always sick. She would help me out a lot during my recovery from the two surgeries with getting me a drink, grabbing me a blanket, and helping me out when I needed it.

I would like to thank my oldest sister Melissa for helping and checking up on me while I was receiving treatment in Provo. She takes me out to lunch and gives me grocery after she goes on her crazy coupon fix and realizes that she does not need 30 bottles of mustard or 90 bags of chips. I gladly help “get rid” of food when she has too much.

I can’t forget about my other sister Natalie who stayed with me in the hospital one night after my surgery and talked with me while she watched the entire first season of Veronica Mars to keep herself occupied while I was sleeping.

Overall the last two years have not been terrible. My family has grown closer together and I have learned a lot about myself and those around around me. I know who the people are who care about me because they were always calling, texting, emailing, and facebooking me to see how I was doing.

Onto the next chapter of my life while adjusting to post treatment life and finding my “new” normal