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Miracles Can Happen
Topics: relay for life, cancer, survivor, American Cancer Society
Posted by citizenjournalist Sat May 3, 2008 16:23:04 PDT
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I want to start out saying, life has had its ups and downs for me, but because of that I have learned to appreciate life along the way. Keep a smile on my face and take life one day at a time and sometimes it was just an hour or a minute at a time.

I got "The Phone Call" "You Have Cancer" on my deceased mother's birthday, July 8, 2005 while I was packing to move to my first house with my only child, Nicole. I just couldn't believe it. NO, they had to be wrong. I called for a second opinion but they said the same thing. The lab had to be wrong. I had this lump for several years, the doctor said it was just a cyst. It didn't grow, move or hurt.

I finally conceded to surgery Aug 2005. They did a mastectomy on my left breast plus took out lymph nodes. Apparently that's how they diagnose the stage, so I was stage 3. They gave me until October to recuperate from surgery to start chemo. What I didn't know was that the surgery was the easy part. I took chemo until May 2007. My doctor wouldn't even tell me the side effects because he thought I might get them just from knowing. Well, I got them anyway. I was sick so much I couldn't work.

OK, I thought — think of the bright side, now I will lose those unwanted pounds. No, they didn't want me to lose weight, I even had to take pills to keep weight on. Bummer! I thought maybe I could find a few beneifts. Hmmmm. I lost my hair for about a year but you know a girl couldn't get a break, I still had to shave my legs for half of that. I went to Links for Life an awsome place and got me 5 wigs all different colors and styles so my boyfriend would have a variety but only me! I had to use a walker for a while because my legs were like spaghetti and my hands and feet went numb.

This is my first time to walk as a survivor. Yahoo! I have been doing Relay for Life since my stepmother passed in 1997 from cancer. I missed the last 2 years because last year I was in the hospital with double pnemonia and white blood count of 1 and the year before I was too weak. Usually I would wear a mask in big public places so I wouldn't get sick. I went to Disneyland last summer and got Streph throat that lasted 2 months. I had to stop in LA along the way back home to get a hotel cause I kept passing out on the freeway on the way home. Side Affects!

I had some wonderful people, family and friends to surround me and keep up my spirits. Arti Dunham is like a mom to me and I believe an Angel on earth. She came to help clean my house, fix meals, help me bathe and whatever it took. I had so many people say call if you need something. With her I didn't have to call - she was there! Also my father, Lorenz Johnso, and my niece Stephanie Johnson were by my side throughout. My daughter Nicole mentally crashed to a point, quitting her 2 jobs, dropping school to be home schooled. It was so hard on her to not know if her Mom was going to die or not. She survived and so did I. I'm so proud of her. She is graduating Nuke school in 1 week from the Navy. And now she is being stationed on the same ocean as me in San Diego. Yeah!!!

I never thought  that I would really die. Sometimes I was so sick I wished it but I never believed it. I think the power of positive thinking will get you through so much. I'm now back to work as a Realtor. I lost everything financially and filed bankruptcy but hey that's only money. I have started over before and I can do it again. Life is great and even though I am 52 right now, I plan on at least another 50 years of traveling, talking to people and just appreciating each day. I have a prayer that I say that at the end I say my blessings. Being out here was very emotional, I didn't believe how much until I cried happy tears for at least an hour. Tears ran down my face as I walked the first lap seeing sooo many people high-fiving, shaking hands and just smiling and clapping the whole way around. I hope that we won't need to have this next year but if we do I will be here. Thanks for listening. Carrie

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Comment From: eurcynia

Carrie, thank you for all you've done for Relay! This is my second year with Relay and that opening lap is what makes the entire year so worth it. Thank you so much for sharing your story here. You are our WARRIORS!