13 years ago today...

After emergency surgery with Carrie

I was told that there was an egg-sized tumor wrapped around T3 and T4 of my spinal cord.  It was causing numbness in my legs and chest and shutting my body and breathing down by the hour.  I was told I would go through various tests and have emergency surgery to remove as much of it as I could.  They hoped that I would regain feeling in my extremities and not be permanently paralyzed or worse-die.  My surgeon was kind enough to tell me (in his South African accent) that he was going to "talk to my like an adult" and told my 15 year old self what the outcomes could be.  While it was hard to hear, I appreciated his honesty.  That night we also met my amazing oncologist, who I cannot thank enough for everything he has done to help save my life.

It's always hard to believe how much time has passed and how much has happened in my life-for good and for bad.    That day I accepted the personal motto, "I will just do what I have to in order to get better".  I was so naive-who knew what was to come...I also somewhere along that path adopted optimism and hope.  I'm not sure where it came from exactly, but I do know that God, amazing doctors, family and friends helped a lot in my journey.

Today, I am thankful for so much it's hard to describe it all...keep taking it one day at a time!  Thank you to God, my doctors and medical team, family, friends, etc.

Love,
Rachel

8 Years

Monday marked 8 years that it's been since I learned I had weeks to live. I am truly grateful each day. I pinch myself when I think of where I've been and the people and experiences that have happened in my life. I truly feel blessed...

I stumbled upon this video below today and it definitely brought back a lot of memories-especially during the year and a half I lived with that tumor and never knew if it was my last day...I'm thinking of and praying for all the families who are going through these experiences these holidays...

Today, I am so grateful for so much.

Love,
Rachel

6 Years! Woohoo!

Crazy...it doesn't seem like 5 years was that long ago. Today marks 6 years since the cardiovascular thoracic surgeon cut through 3 major back muscles, stretched and cut ribs and moved other vital organs out of the way. All done to remove Spanky, the small Nerf football-sized tumor, that was nestled between my heart, lung, spine and pulmonary artery! And the biopsy days later showed the tumor had died miraculously with little treatment and my organs survived with manageable side effects.

Still hard to believe it all happened...but I am incredibly thankful to God and my medical team. They continue to get me through every day.

Rachel

Happy 1st Anniversary!

Happy 1st Anniversary Gabe!

It's been an awesome year together. It flew by!

Love,
Rachel

I am grateful for so much!

The day every cancer survivor hopes to see...

From my journal one month before the surgery in 2004

Is TODAY for me. The day that is especially sacred to people who have had cancer more than once.

Hard to believe, I know, because I cannot believe it, but there has been no significant sign of cancer in my body for 5 YEARS as of today! In other words, I have been in remission for 5 years! It doesn't necessarily mean that the cancer won't come back or that I won't get other cancers, but the chances are less and 5 years is a very long time-way longer than any other period of reprieve that I've had in the past.

5 years ago today I had an extensive surgery that removed a small Nerf football sized Askins Tumor that had grown between my heart, lung, pulmonary artery and spine. The surgical team separated and removed small pieces of rib, sliced and put back together 3 major muscles in my back, moved organs out of the way and successfully took out the cancerous tumor...the tumor that had somehow died inside of me with very minimal treatment. Still crazy, still hard to believe to this day.

YAY FOR LIFE! I feel so blessed and thankful for so much :).

Lots of love,
Rachel

6 Months

Today marks 6 months of marriage for us! In some ways it seems longer, in some ways-shorter but it's been great so far. We easily shifted into living together and taking up our respective "duties/roles" and being respectful of the other person's habits like him being quiet if he gets up before me to let me sleep :).

Happy 6 months of marriage (and many more years to come)! Cheers!

Today, I am grateful for my wonderful marriage, for family, friends and God and a week of break til school begins again!

Rach

YES!

Today marks 4 years, 6 months of no sign of cancer!...which means-only 6 months until the 5 year mark comes! That is a big number in the cancer world. While I will not be considered cured if I hit that point, like some think, it still is quite an accomplishment for my formerly persistent cancer to have stayed away that long.

Yay!

Today, I'm feeling grateful for 1 more class to go, friends, family, art, God, anniversaries!

Rach

Happy Birthday, Immune System!

June 13th marks 7 years since my autologous stem cell transplant! I will spare you all the gruesome details of transplant but let's just say it wasn't pretty and I was scarily close to dying...

What a journey...it's also my Grandma's 85th birthday-Happy Birthday Grandma!!

I also got an amazing gift on today of all days-I was chosen, by an electoral process, (and accepted) to be part of an advisory committee for a national organization that is not necessarily just for cancer patients but definitely helps them! I'm pretty excited for this opportunity-it has been in the works for the past 6-9 months.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Today, I am so grateful for life, opportunities, family, friends and God that allows it all!

Rachel