If you know me, you know that everything I do comes with a joke. This can get me into trouble sometimes, as I’m always cracking jokes and messing with people. So of course when I realized I was going to have to tell people that I have cancer, it was going to be hard. Hard, because nobody wants to hear that someone they care about has cancer, but also as someone who jokes and always wants people to be laughing. This wasn’t going to make people laugh, this wasn’t going to make people smile, and that killed me.
So there it is, I have cancer. It sucks, but you better believe I’m still going to laugh with you and make you smile, because that’s what I do. Sometimes it’s a little awkward and uncomfortable, but laughing and smiling through this is the only way I know how to do it.
I am going to be sharing my journey through this blog. A lot has happened that has led me to this point, and I want to share my story with all of you. For now, I’m going to leave you with some questions you might have for me at the moment. I’ll most likely be digging into these topics a little bit more as time goes on in future blog posts.
What type of cancer do I have?
I like to joke that instead of Adam and I making a baby, we made a tumor. It’s a joke but it’s also true. For those of you who would prefer a more scientific explanation, the type of cancer I have is a form of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) that formed from a Molar Pregnancy. Molar pregnancies are very rare, and getting cancer from one is even more rare. I always knew I was rare because I’m so special, but man – this is a little much.
The good news is that the tumor is currently confined to my uterine muscle and hasn’t spread. It isn’t really growing much either, it’s just hanging out and being super stubborn. If you were wondering, it’s name is Tommy Tumor and we are very excited to evict his ass from the premises. He’s gotten a little too comfortable, isn’t paying rent and has been disrupting the neighborhood.
What does treatment look like?
Like my fun little image I shared above has stated, I will be kicking Tommy out with chemotherapy. We will be fighting this thing with a combination of drugs called EMA-CO. It’s one of the more aggressive options for treatment that will be sure to boot him to the curb. Each round will be 8 days at a time with 3-4 weeks off. We will repeat this until the tumor is gone, and then do one more round to make sure he won’t come back. We don’t quite know how my body is going to react to the chemo yet, so we don’t know how many rounds I will have to complete.
Will I crush this cancer?
Duh. The success rate for this type of cancer is nearly 100% – it doesn’t get much better than that. It’ll be a bit of a rough road ahead, but I look forward to the day I get to look back on all of this.
Will I lose my lovely long locks?
Yes. As someone with really long–ass hair, this was a tough one for me. It’s been slowly sinking in; I have been thinking about all the fun wigs and hats I can wear, and how I’ll finally get to see what I look like with a buzzed head (something all girls think about, right?). It’s a little ironic that I have been growing out my hair and donating it for about 12 years, I think. I was able to donate 3 different times and this will make a 4th. I’m scared to see what I’m going to look like with no hair, but super lucky that I have a beautiful face (at least that’s what my mom tells me). 🙂
Will we be able to have kids in the future?
To be completely honest, I cringe when I hear this question or hear any comments around my future in this department. This all started from trying to make a baby and it has definitely taken a toll on my mind and body. My focus right now is to get better. We were excited to start a family at the beginning of this journey, but life threw us a curveball. This is something that Adam and I will decide as we get through this hurdle that has been placed in front of us.
How can you help?
The amount of support and love that is already coming at us from all directions has left me floating. Even though I am facing one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to go through, I can’t help but smile knowing how loved I am. So far, this journey has opened my eyes to all of the amazing people that Adam and I have in our lives and how much each and every one of them cares for us. I would ask that you all keep laughing and smiling, always. Think about us and support us in whatever way you wish – pray for us, send us positive vibes, or cheers each other with a beer in our honor. If we need something as time goes on, we will ask.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and stay tuned for updates as I have time to write more posts!
<3 Shannon
