I was going through some of my favorite blogs the other night when I came across this post on Cancer, Baby that totally cracked me up. It is so difficult to put into words how I feel sometimes dealing with my cancer but this cheer she wrote says it all. It is called Aegrescit Medendo and I fell in LOVE with it! You have to check it out and afterwards you have to read through the rest of the site.

Real Cancer, Real Lives is a Carnival for people living with cancer. The goal is to show a real slice of what it’s like to live with cancer, good and bad. The media likes to paint a perfect picture of people who are fighting cancer but cancer isn’t always pretty. Two Hands is hosting this week so take a look at real people living and fighting with cancer. There is even one of my stories posted in this issue!

Well, I’m going to try to keep this short since it’s late and I am a very sleepy girl. :37: I got the results of my CT Scan and everything looks great. I’M IN REMISSION! How awesome is that!?!? :36: Chrispian takes me out to dinner to celebrate and everything is GREAT! Especially since I am leaving on the 19th, seven days and counting, to go on my very first cruise. It’s just my mother and I, no boys allowed, so it should be fun!

Next I had a check-up appointment with Dr. E, my radiation doctor, that would just be a quick look-see and ask some questions to make sure I’m still doing OK. Not FUN, but there would be no needles so not THAT bad. :21: BOY WAS I WRONG. So, I get in my stirrups and he pops the hood and notices some “weird cell/tissue growth” on my cervix. He ended up doing a full pelvic exam and took a sample of this “weird cell/tissue growth” so he could send it off to a lab. Can you say BUZZ KILL? I got to have 5 days of happiness and now I am back to not being able to sleep, ulcer troubles, and diarrhea. Plus, my results won’t be back before I leave for my cruise, and my cell phone won’t work out there, so they are going to call my husband. I’m going to try to not think about it while I’m “relaxing” and see if I can’t call home somehow to get my results. :42:

I am hopeful that it’s just some scar tissue that is no big deal, or at least something they can whack off with a laser. Make some guaca-MOLE-e with it. (Sorry, that’s a bad joke.) Anyways, the whole appointment was interesting but I don’t have the time to go into detail about it right now. I’ll leave it for tomorrow! :1:

Please cross your fingers and say a little prayer that my results come back NORMAL. :63: Every little bit helps!

Hello everyone! My name is Aeryn and I will be your host for this issue. Let me tell you a little about myself… I was diagnosed with stage 2b Cervical Cancer on March 4th of this year at the age of 24. I have gone through 4 surgeries, chemotherapy, external radiation and internal radiation treatments and am now on the mend. I don’t believe I would have made it to this point without the wonderful support of my loving husband, family and the wonderful friends I have made online. Especially Cary and Lori! They are such an inspiration to us all.

Blogs By Cancer Patients

Jenny’s Belly is having to meet with a substitute oncologist since her regualr one is out of town on vacation. Her post Paging Doctor Jerk shows you just how it feels to get a doctor you don’t really like.

Positive Perspectives submitted a post about how an amazing woman used her cancer experience and knitting to come up with something amazing! It is titled Just When You Thought You’ve Seen It All…. Tit-Bits, so check it out a maybe make a little purchase of your own!

Minerva has written yet another amazing letter to her Cancer telling it just what is going on and exactly where it can go. The post is titled Hey you….yes, you…. so please go check out the wonderful progress she has made!

Blogs By Caregivers

Amanda over at cancer. it’s not just an astrological sign anymore. has written a truthful post that shows us all what it’s like to spend on germ patrol for someone you love. Please check out her post titled mind fuck to see how cancer effects not only the patient, but everyone around them.

Medical Blogs

It looks like Cary has finally found some news about a possible new treatment that could really help his wife Lori! Promising New Treatment For Metastatic Liver Tumors is about how scientists have managed to treat metastatic liver tumors for the first time with shaped-beam radiation without doing too much damage to the healthy cells.

The Genetics and Public Health Blog has found that eating more cruciferous vegetables can help protect you from lung cancer! Please check out the whole article titled Inactive GSTM1 and GSTT Genes? Eat Your Veggies.

Real Cancer, Real Lives Needs You!

If you would like to submit a post for inclusion in Real Cancer, Real Lives, please do so via the Carnival Submit Form. When submitting your blog entry, be sure that Real Cancer, Real Lives is selected in the menu space provided. If you are interested in hosting the carnival, you can check available dates at the Real Cancer, Real Lives main page…just drop Cary at Cancer NewsWatch an email to let him know which date you’d like.

I hope you enjoyed this fifth edition of Real Cancer, Real Lives. Next week’s edition will be held at Two Hands on November 13th, so don’t forget to drop in!

OK. So, I went and had my CT Scan Tuesday and what a *fun* time that was. :29: First off I was supposed to drink this nasty chalk-like contrast starting at 6:30am and then ANOTHER one at 7:30am. I’ll be a big girl and admit that I am an absolute sissy when it comes to drinking or eating anything remotely gross. I just can’t do it! I’ll gag or puke and I KNOW that most of it is just in my head but that still doesn’t matter. My stomach still wants to hurl out whatever vile thing I just put into it. So, I really didn’t “drink” all that I should have. I say that a little is better than none, right? Don’t you agree? Better to drink a little than drink and then puke up all that you just had.

Anyways…

I get there and they call me back to put the IV in. If you know me then you KNOW how absolutely petrified of needles I am. I mean, I bawl and bawl like a little baby! It’s so embarrassing. :9: Well, I have TINY veins that roll and blow out a lot so I always try to warn the nurse and show her/him where to poke so that I don’t have to get poked again. Of course they never listen, blow a vein, and have to poke me AGAIN while telling me how I was right. Why can’t they just listen to me the first time? I mean, it’s my body and I believe I know it a little better than they do. I have been with it all my life. :29: Just LISTEN TO ME FROM NOW ON…..PLEASE!

Next i’m taken into the room with the big donut test, that’s what I call it, and hop up on the table. The technician guy was so great. He hooked up my IV and helped me get all comfortable and he didn’t make me feel like I was just another body to be scanned. I was a person. :1: I think I might mail him a Christmas card for that! About 1/2 way through he comes in and gets on to me for not drinking ALL of the nasty chalk-like contrast and I told him I could try to chug one if he wanted. He said no and we continued on. When it was over I was told that I would also have to have a chest x-ray. Well, THAT is the easy one! Let’s just say that I got an F on my contrast drinking abilities and an A+ on my x-ray exam. :3:

Now comes the awful part, the WORST part. I have to wait to get my results. I called my doctor yesterday afternoon and my nurse told me that the doctor hadn’t looked at my results yet but she will make sure he does and then she will call me tomorrow, now today, and let me know. So, what do I do in the meantime?? Sleep like any normal person would do?? I don;t know if I can! I mean, when she calls me she will basically be telling me if I am cancer free or NOT. This phone call will change my life…. AGAIN, and I think it’s already been changed enough. Being told that I have cancer was, well, there is no way to describe it. Now there is a possibility that I have beaten it and I can’t even really understand that. To me I will ALWAYS have cancer. If these test results say it’s gone I don’t think I can accept that. I know that I will always feel like it is right there around the corner and it’s just waiting for another chance to strike me down. Will that feeling ever go away? Will I ever be able to REALLY enjoy something without looking over my shoulder?? God, I hope so.

Well, i’ll let you know the minute I hear from the doctor. Keep your fingers and toes crossed, and anything else you can cross as well. A prayer or two might not hurt either. :63: