Searching for the second chance, meaning "NEVER EVER give up!

First day of Chemo session 1

Hooked up and wired for sound wear her Dr. Feelgood t-shirt

Chilling

It's a great day to do some garden shopping

Mother's Day and my birthday, a perfect day with my 2 favorite ladies

A feeling' Willie good moment

My niece Sally was diagnosed at the age of 35 with stage IV colon cancer, meaning that it has spread. Not just to both lobes of her liver, but to her lungs and some lymph nodes as well. She had been traveling for work, she had been feeling fatigued from the travel only this time she was experiencing some abdominal pains and thought she had been constipated. She had a long flight home in excruciating pain and spent part of the time in the airport on the floor holding her stomach she was in so much pain. She finally made it home, went to Urgent Care the next morning only to be told they were out of enemas. So they sent her to the ER and from that moment on, that's when all hell broke loose. Needless to say, this will be a Good Friday that our family will never forget. We were shocked beyond words could ever imagine. I just remember my sister sobbing uncontrollably on the phone not knowing what to do or to say. We didn't have the "final" reports or biopsies yet, but the surgeons and Dr.'s that came in, were definitely sure of it. So, hence the beginning of her new normal. I don't even know how one can comprehend this. She and her husband had just recently bought a home a year before, spent the whole year fixing it up and then this. 

So, Easter Sunday, Sally had her colostomy and had to learn how to live and lead a whole new life. I would text her as I knew she was tired. She seemed to be in good spirits. Sally is not one to sit on the pitty pot for too long. So yes, she cried a bit, felt a whole gamut of emotions and then decided to put on her big girl panties. There was a lot to learn with caring, changing and living with a colostomy bag. 

So fast forward to now. Sally has almost completed her chemo in St. Paul. The last 2 were cancelled due to chemo #10 wasn't ordered. Hmmmm...not going to even go there. As we were ALL extremely upset over this mistake. So my sister Polly, Sally's mom, and I put our heads together to find a way to help out. I did some research on different places for Sally to check out for getting a second opinion. I contacted the City of Hope in LA, Moore's Cancer Center here in San Diego, MD Anderson in Texas and Sloan in NYC. At the same time, she had also contacted Mayo Clinic and University of Minneapolis. So she sent them all her medical records so they could review them to see if they could help her. SO, next week Wed she will come to me in San Diego and I will be taking her to Moore's. The surgeon she will be seeing is Chief of Surgery and has "mad skills" and top notch. She will see him on Thur and then fly home on Friday. The following 2 weeks will have a lot more travel to more clinics. As she has a tentative date for her colostomy bag to be reversed on the 26th of Oct.

So, yes, we grieved the fact that this once again has changed and altered what out plan A was. So now, it's on to plan B. I'm so excited to see Sally and give her a BIG hug. I haven't seen her since my brother Bill passed away. We're doing all we can as a family to keep it all together and we're fighting for each other. My sister and I call each other the "puddy buddies." We're really bonding over this and we're not letting go. NOTHING will get in our way. 

So my advise to all of you, when one door closes, find that other door. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise? Maybe this new path to treatment with be the "one?" We don't know what in store for us, but we do know we are ready to take this head on again.

Seize the day and make the most out of every moment.