Baldies' Blog began originally in the UK by a 26 year old journalist with a blood cancer on a mission to inform the world about bone marrow donation.

He has since died, and I took on the cause of making cancer care more transparent for everybody.

Cancer is a disease that will touch everybody through diagnosis or affiliation: 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed and 1 in 3 woman will hear those words, "You Have Cancer."

I invite you to read how I feel along my journey and
how I am continuing to live a full life alongside my Hodgkin's lymphoma, with me controlling my cancer, not my cancer controlling me.

I hope that "Baldies' Blog" will prepare you to handle whatever life sends you, but especially if it's the message, "You Have Cancer."

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Little Miracles

I'm a lucky girl.
I know you all may not agree seeing as I was clinging to life last week with two embolisms and a sinking white cell count, but luck is all in the small miracles.
Here is my most recent one.
For some reason I didn't quiet understand, I received an EKG in the ER.
At the time I was so confused.
I figured I had been labeled a "dyer" and all the bases were getting covered.
I had been placed in the pediatric "code" room.
The staff at the ER knows me now.
I got another EKG later, and the doc came in asking me where my chest pain was, to which I pointed to the bases of both my lungs (on my back, not my chest), because I had no idea what he was talking about.
What I had forgotten, and remembered when the "chest pain" symptom showed up on my discharge paperwork, was that somewhere in my crazed, hazed illness on the way to the emergency room at dartmouth, I got it in my mind that I was not sick enough to get a room right away.
I decided that if there was any hesitancy in getting me treated, I was pulling the chest pain card.
When I showed up and the waiting room was full, "chest pain" came out right along with "shortness of breath," just in case they wanted to make me wait.
I never had any chest pain!
I was being delirious. I take tons of morphine daily. I feel, essentially, nothing.
Except, thankfully, my blurting out those two words lead the ER staff to find my embolisms, which probably would have remained undetected had that craziness not gotten into my head and eventually killed me.
Thank God for little miracles and try to remember how lucky you are today.
I know I am.
Thanks for all the love and prayers.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Miracles do happen!!

Valerie said...

OMG Hilary, I have to admit you had me scared. I am thanking God, so you've got your bases covered in the Jewish department!!

Cancer Support Community said...

That's truly an incredible story, Hillary. So glad to hear that you were able to overcome the situation, and continue fighting.

It's strong individuals such as yourself that make us happy to announce the launch of Framing Life With Lymphoma. A national, research-based educational program designed to enhance lymphoma patient and physician communication, made possible with support from Cephalon Inc.

Learn more at www.FramingLifeWithLymphoma.org.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree, you had me so worried! You are one remarkable woman and I am so happy for you and your family. Keep up the good work and hope you can go home soon.

Jennie said...

You are an amazing woman and you inspire many. That you can see miracles in all this should put many of us to shame. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

you continue to amaze...much love and continued prayers!

Anonymous said...

I agree w/ the comments about how inspiring you are. What do we have to worry about?..I really mean that. and will keep always that inspiration in my world to pass on to other people. I hope we hear from you soon!! await your next blog. Prayers and love to you! Deb W.