Previous Status Reports Here's the Latest... Hello everybody,
First of all, a heartfelt apology for letting so much time go by since my last update. The vast majority of folks on this list went with me on my year long journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment last year, and were kept updated on my progress through these emails and my web site. I've also added a few new names to the list, so if this is your first Health Update - welcome to the list! As the folks who have been here since the beginning can attest - I don't send these things out very often anymore so no need to worry about increased email traffic!
Anyway, as you can tell from this message, I am still alive and kicking!!! One of the reasons, besides sheer laziness, that I have not sent out an update in so long is that I felt a bit overwhelmed at the end of my treatment and for months afterwards. Once I started to recover from the immediate effects of six months of chemo and five weeks of radiation, I found that I really wanted to just not think about cancer for awhile. I wouldn't say I went into denial or anything - I just needed a break from having it in the forefront of my life every moment.
Well, weeks turned into months and by the time Fall rolled around, I had other crises to deal with, namely my partner Shari's own cancer diagnosis, which hit us quite unexpectedly about six months after my recovery from treatment. Over a very short period of several weeks, we discovered she had a tumor on o ne of her ovaries and while undergoing major surgery to remove it, they found it to be malignant. The good news is that they caught the disease very early - though the tumor was large it was self-contained and she was at Stage I, which mean it hadn't spread anywhere. She did have to have a hysterectomy and oopherectomy (removal of both ovaries) as a precaution, but required no further treatment. Recovery rates from Stage I ovarian cancer are even higher than the already high recovery rates for Stage II Hodgkins lymphoma, so once again we were extremely lucky.
I know most folks on this list who have regular contact with us have heard about this episode, and since it is really Shaz's story more than mine, I won't go into too much more detail about than that here. Suffice it to say that we feel as if we have both dodged a bullet, and count our blessings to both be in remission and healthy every single day. I had the unfortunate opportunity to experience cancer from the partner/caregiver's point of view, and can now honestly say I would prefer to be the patient. Our docs have basically decided we are some sort of freaks of nature, or that we must be living on a secret toxic waste dump (no, we're not - really). As our doc said to me "never in thirty years of practicing have I ever seen a couple go through something like you two have gone through" - two otherwise healthy women both diagnosed with cancer within 18 months of each other. Yep, that's what I always aspired to be remembered for! We are now the official cancer poster children. Well, enough with the cancer drama. We hate cancer and want nothing more to do with it, ever.
The good, fabulous, wonderful, great news is that we are both in remission and both feeling really well. We have each had our own share of ongoing health difficulties as a result of the disease and treatment, but by and large they have been minor and extremely manageable. I passed my one year mark of finishing treatment a bit over a month ago, and that was a wonderful milestone to pass! Even more happy were my recent scans, which showed everything looking clean as a whistle.
I finally really starting to believe that I may really have beat this thing. It's been a long, hard road and I have met some amazing people along the way (some of whom did not make it this far with me). I am a changed person and I think, a better person than I was two years ago. Life is good and I'm appreciating it more than ever.
On the non-health news front, I have a new job and a new email address. Those of you who have been using my UMass email, ltilsley@stuaf.umass.edu should discontinue that one because it won't work for much longer. The best email to use for me is my personal email, which is tilz@shaztilz.com. That one will stay the same regardless of my employment situation.
My new job is with an Internet startup company that builds web sites around various medical specialties for consumers and physicians. The company is called Healthcommunities.com, and I'm having a grand old time putting in long hours playing with cool technology. The best part is that it is within walking distance of my house in downtown Northampton.
Also, Shari and I have been down to New York several times to visit our new niece, Sara Frances Donahue, who was born in September to Shari's sister Felicia and her husband Mark. I've attached a pic of the three of us. In addition to being the cutest baby ever, she is a total joy and we adore her.
So that's it from here. We're still waiting for some warm weather, but all in all life is good and things are going great! We hope all is well with all of you and you have all been in our thoughts. All the love and support we have received from everyone over the past two years has been a lifesaver for us, and we are lucky to have you all in our lives.
Happy Spring to all, with lots of love,
Carpe Diem
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Laura Tilsley
April 27, 2000
Thursday, 10:30 PM
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