Martina McBride, "I'm Gonna Love You Through It"
On January 26, 2011 I was in a room at Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland Texas. Dr. Viney had just performed a double mastectomy, when I woke up Brian had to share the news that the cancer had spread into the lymph nodes. I remember crying but also feeling a sense of peace with the decision of the surgery and knowing that I now had to be strong for my family. Wow, it's been a year!
We all made it through 18 rounds of "yucky" chemo, and 33 treatments of radiation! The Herceptin continues every three weeks and reconstructive surgery will be this summer, that will be a 12 hour surgery! Back to the gym I go, have to be fit and healthy for that. Best news...I won!
I hope you have listened to the chorus of the song, because if I could change some of the words I would say "you have loved me through it" because so many of you have loved me through this past year and not only me, my family as well. Brian, you have "TRULY Loved me through this". Thank you ALL.
A special Thank you to
our Parents, Sisters, Brothers, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Friends- old, new and in-between!, all the WONDERFUL Doctors, NP's, PA's, Nurses and office staff, Co-workers, to the many church families that have blessed us beyond words and to "I Am Second"link for teaching us, especially our children, what it truly means to come second.
I sat down with the kids' this afternoon and asked them what this last year meant to them, in order of replies this is what they said:
Lincoln: "Free Cancer!"
Brooke: "If you have God in your life, you can get through anything"
Blayr: "What Brooke said :)"
Bianca: "Mommy is Cancer Free!"
Along the road I have met many women who have also been diagnosed with this horrible disease, some have won the fight, while others have not. Everything always happens for a reason, I believe one reason this may have happened to me is so that now, I can love others through this battle and guide them where and when I can. 6 weeks ago I met someone who was 24 and just yesterday, I met someone who is 21 who is also battling this beast, not fair.
This last year has been the toughest year of my life, as it has been for Brian as well but it has also been the most blessed year of my life, because I have all of you in it ~ Thank you!
~A Survivor, Leticia
