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Maria - Alumni Hostess 2002

Maria - Alumni Hostess 2002

Date : 04-30-2003 - 09:51 AM - Readers : 539

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My name is Maria, and I live in Halifax Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada.

I am 43 years old, single and I am employed with the Government here in the administrative and accounting fields. I recently celebrated 25 years of service. I have a little kitty who has been with me for 10 years and who I love dearly. Her name is Kayla and she is an orange tabby. I have 8 brothers and sisters, and a ton of neices, nephews.

I first discovered this wonderful site while surfing the net for hysterectomy information. Oh of course I found the usual horror story sites, but then I hit the jackpot….. I found Hystersisters. What a wonderful day that was indeed!!

I had my hysterectomy on September 28, 2000, two weeks after a small melon size tumor was discovered on my left ovary. My only symptoms were one evening of extreme pain, followed by several days of diarreha. This I found out later was due to the tumor pressing on my bowel.

I was very frightened as to what this may be but I knew I had to have it checked. My sisters said that if I did not agree to see a doctor on my own they would come and physically drag me there, so I knew I had to have this seen to. My doctor felt something there, and scheduled me for an ultrasound the next day and my worst fears were confirmed. There was indeed a large mass on the left ovary, and I was scheduled for a CT scan the following day.

They checked all my major organs and everything else was fine thank the good Lord.

They did not know for sure if it was cancerous, but suspected it may be. An oncologist was to be in the OR during my surgery and as it turned out my tumor was indeed cancerous. I had a complete abdominal hysterectomy.

The cancer had spread to the surrounding tissue and therefore 10 days after my surgery I began the first of 4 ( 5 day sessions) rounds of chemotherapy. I finished my chemo on December 22nd, 2000, and although I was very ill throughout it, it did what it was suppose to do, and at this time I am in remission. Yay!!!! I am a very good girl now, going for my 3 month checkups faithfully!! I have a wonderful family doctor, gynocologist and oncologist.

I did not discover Hystersisters until January, and I so wish I had found it sooner, as the support and hope, and caring I have received from the wonderful women here was just over-whelming.

They made me realize that a cancer diagnosis was not a death sentence, and that often we can regain the lives we once had, however I believe we are forever changed after having a cancer diagnosis. I believe we become much stronger afterwards.

My wish as a hostess here is that perhaps I can pass on some of the wonderful support and genuine caring, and calming words that I have received here. You won’t receive specific medical advice here, that’s your health care professionals job. But you will however never feel that you are going through your illness alone, and that in itself can have a calming effect.

A cancer diagnosis is very scary, and it is a wonderful feeling for me to know that what I have been through, others have been through as well. Knowledge is power, and there are some mighty “powerful” women to be found on these very special message boards.

I truly wish every form of cancer had a wonderful support site like we have here at Hystersisters! It has been a Godsend to me!

So, if you unfortunately find yourself facing a cancer diagnosis, please visit us on the Cancer Concerns board. I am sure you will leave feeling much more hopeful, and a little less afraid than you were when you arrived. And we never run out of Hugs!!!

Sincerely,

Maria

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