Survivor Story: Meryl

In 2007, I was 60 years old and looking forward moving house from Virginia Beach, VA to Glens Falls, NY anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild, Charlotte Emma.  On a routine visit to my primary care doctor he suggested I get all my tests and records up to date before I moved North. One of those was my regular annual Cervical Pap test.  Since being young I’d never missed a year.

The day we were packing the rental truck to move the phone call came, “Your test was abnormal and you will need to see a gynecologist, but don’t worry, readings often come back abnormal and are just misreadings.”  So I stored the information away and we moved North.  New house, new Granddaughter.  I opened Granny Day Care for Charlotte and life was busy, busy, busy.

Then around 3 months later I remembered I should look for a gynecologist.  From there life became crazy.  Doctor appointments, biopsy, diagnosis of aggressive cancer, appointment with surgeon.  “Too high risk!” was what he said, and then a new appointment with 2 oncologists at the CR Wood Center at Glens Falls Hospital.  MRI & PET scans and much, much more.

I was scheduled for daily Radiation internal and external and weekly chemotherapy.  I had a PICC line put in to receive chemotherapy treatment.

Life took on a new craziness.

It’s was not a fun journey, with lots of ups and downs.  Days of not feeling well, days of fatigue like nothing before but unable to sleep and that crazy thing called “Chemo Brain”, when you start forgetting everything, and wonder if you are losing your mind.

The things that got me though were my husband, my family, my friends, and my sweet baby granddaughter who brightened every day with her smiles and giggles.  And my faith in God and the prayers of many friends around the world.  But then the day comes, the day they say “your counts are good” and “your treatment is over” and “no evidence of cancer.”  For 5 more years of checkups, and everything looked great.

I am so grateful to be a survivor. Although I do have some on going issues from the radiation, I’m alive!

What I did not know was that soon I would be supporting my son and daughter-In-law as Charlotte, at 18 months old was diagnosed with a rare cancer.  Waking her journey with her was way harder than walking my own.  No child should go though anything this.  But if you have read her story you will know we give thanks every day that she is a survivor also.  As we do for my husband who is also a survivor.  God is Good.

Cancer Sucks. Fight Cancer. Today.