I Beat Cancer

                                                               I beat Cancer

        Everyday I reminded how blessed I am.   

I am wealthy Spiritually

I have family I love

I have the most Amazing husband anyone could ask for.

       When my son passed away, God brought 3 beautiful Girls

Into my life.  I started Babysitting Latisha when she was a year old. 

I helped her momma ( she was divorced) potty train Latisha.  

Shane and Latisha were raised for the first 4.5 of their life like brother

And sister.     I am so happy she was placed back in my life.

     Tanya is the second Girl brought back into my life.    She was a young girl from the church we attended.   She became Shane's older Sister, he called her Tonna.  

He had a very hard time saying Tanya.  Shane was barely two, at the time.

When Tanya spent the night, Shane always slept in the guest room with Tonna. 

      When Shane's dad and I divorced,  everything went great for quite awhile. 

Then Shane wanted to live with his daddy, being a boy it broke my heart but I understood.

     I lost touch with those two young girls. Loved dearly.    

At Shane's Funeral I met his Best friend Brittany.  Immediately I felt a bond with her. 

Maybe because Shane spoke of her quite often and she was his best friend.   

All three of these Girls call me Momma Candy.   It is such an honor.  

       October 19th, 2013.... I married my best friend of 16 years.   I had been divorced 23 years. 

Everything was wonderful.  I was doing very well with my prosthetic, I was so happy to have 

Had the privilege of getting married to my best friend.   I love him so much.

       January 2014, I began to not feel well.   My food would not stay down, 

My throat closed, water would not go down my throat, I always had to have paper towels 

Or a thick hand towel, because many times it spit out.

   What was happening to me?  I could not control when I was suppose to swallow, 

I spit up at the most inconvenient times.   I don't run to the Dr. Unless I have no choice. 

In March I was at my wits end, it was getting much worse.   My family Dr. Began running every test 

He could think of and everything came back NEGATIVE! 

   How could this be, I know something is wrong.   In August he was out of ideas and sent me to 

My Gastric Dr.   He began to run the same test, just like before they came back Negative. 

   He ran a few other test, NEGATIVE... 

  Oh how I needed help, it is so much worse.  Vomiting uncontrollably, 

Choking on my foods, my water, even my saliva.  Finally  the first week in November 

He put the camera not my stomach.   He took photos, and he saw a black spot in my stomach

And something pushing my stomach in.

       The dreaded word.... (. CANCER ).  I had stomach cancer.   The reason for my 

Vomiting, choking, etc, is because the Csncer was connected to my Esophagas. 

The thing pushing my stomach in was a swollen Lymphnode.   Not only 

Did I have stomach cancer, I have now been diagnosed with lymphoma.

       

          After one year of being so Ill, I did not like the answer, however I was so thankful 

To have an answer.   Before I could start treatment,  I had to have a few more test and 

the  ( PET SCAN - Positron Emiision Tomography ).    This is an imaging test that allows the Dr to check for diseases in the body. 

    The scan, uses a special  dye that has radioactive tracers.   ( I joked I was glowing ) 

These tracers are injected into a vein in your arm.   Your organs and tissues then absorb the tracer 

When Highlited under a PET SCANNER,  the tracers help your Dr. To see how well your 

Organs, and tissues are working. It measures Blood Flow, oxygen use, Glucose Metabolism, and so much more.  

      God Blessed me abundantly, because in one year, that Lymphnode never went past stage one. 

Lymph nodes are Notorious for spreading like a planted potato.  It connects to other lymph nodes and poisons them,  it spreads like wildfire.   

     I had radiation for  three and half months, no chemo, and April 1st,  2015, I received 

My official Cancer free Ceryificate signed by all of those who took care of me. 

January 18th, 2016, I have an appointment for blood work, to make sure all is ok.  

   I love my Dr.'s.  I thank God my family Dr believed me when I told him how sick I was and

It was not getting better.   It was only the ENDOSCOPY,  that showed my Cancer.

      If you are ILL and the Dr cannot find anything wrong. DO NOT GIVE UP.

If my Dr gave up on me, I may not be here today.  I am so thankful for wonderful caring Dr.'s.

    Candis 

Wedding coming up :D

Today, I am excite.......
     I now drive all over town,  tonight I will drive to church. It feels great being back in church. 
Looking forward to tonight's service.    I realize I am not up to speed like most amputees, 
Since it is 1 1/2 years.   Instead of being discouraged I remind myself,  how far I have come. 
     My right leg has never been strong. It will not have that strength I need  in a short time. 
55 years of weakness does not change very quickly.     I cannot get discouraged when in truth 
I am much better off than others I know, others I have seen.     
      I rely on scriptures to remind me. God is my strength, my refuge.  
I have been healed physically, and spiritually by him.  I have been carried by God 
Spiritually,  many times over.     
      I didn't get much sleep last night.  I will absolutely have to nap before church tonight.  
I know my leg is getting stronger and yes I wish with all of my heart I was up to where I think I should be,  but Alas I am not. :D. Never give up never quit.....   I owe it to my my momma, my three favorite men ,  my daddy, my hubby, and my son,   My family and friends have been tremendous support.    I consider my former sister in Laws family   :D. Thank you so much.   
Love you all.  

   Have a wonderful and Blessed day.
Candis. :D 

I Did Not Walk Alone

Friday September 7th 2012
  Eric and I ran errands,  our first stop Applebee's,  I asked him not to get the wheelchair
out of  the trunk , I held his hand walked into Applebee's without my walker
without my wheelchair. :D yeeeaaaahhhh :D  First time walking in Public. 
I am still shaky, my leg and body get tired,  he held my hand when I went to the 
ladies room, waited on me, walked me back to our booth.  
  Our next appt was the chiropractor :D  for the first time I walked in holding erics
hand and no wheelchair, no walker.  It felt so good.  After that I had to use the 
wheelchair, I did not have the stamina to walk around Sears or HHGREGG.

   When I walk around the house it takes me a few days to get  my strength back.
I am soooooo looking forward to being able to walk and have the strength to keep 
going.  I cannot wait ( although ) I must :D to be able to walk around Sears,  walk
in and out of grocery stores, Most of all I cannot wait to start, driving..... oh my gosh 
that will be a big thrill for me...   I have not driven since February 5th 2012.

  wow almost one year.  I do not and will not drive until I can get control over my right 
leg and foot. As of now it gets caught on the wheels, it gets stuck under the sinks when I 
am washing my hands or washing dishes, we have that little gap underneath. 
when I am standing there,  I dont even realize it has moved under the gap. 
 Once I gain controlthen I will feel safe to drive.  :D  

 Never give up.....   :D  always be determined,  
have ambition, determination, tenaciousness,  :D  always do your best.  No one 
can do these things for you. It is not easy,  It will be hard but it is a challenge and every 
day we face a challenge, every day we conquer them,  most of the time we don't even 
realize we are facing these challenges.
   YOU CAN DO IT  :D  

Walking In My Time

    Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  :D
I was able to walk all over the house last Sunday.  The rest of the Week my leg would not 
hold me up,  I was not able to walk  : -(   how frustrating.  I did not give up, I kept 
working on it and I am so grateful that I have so many people who support me.  My husband
and my mother kept asking me .......  You walked Sunday whey can't you walk again?  ......
My response was ... I don't know, I only know my knew wants to buckle.   I did not give up.
Today Brandon ( my Prosethist )  came.  I walked for him, he tightened the prosthetic around my 
knee. It feels better.  He also told me I was doing great and whatever I was doing to keep on
doing it.   This is so encouraging.  
    I will not give up and I will always encourage anyone who needs it. It is not just someone who 
cannot walk, cannot see,   This encouragement is and will be for anyone who needs to be lifted up.
Everyone has bad days, everyone needs encouragement sometime in their lives, everyone needs
support.   It is the support of friends and family that get people through their rough days, weeks,
months.  Alchoholics.  anyone with an additcion, or is in pain,  or just having a bad day .....
they / we need support.   
    Just knowing you are there is the most important thing. Truth is sometimes there is 
nothing you can say that will change things or even make them feel better at that time but
deep inside, knowing you are there is very very important......
  Hang in there if you are having difficulties or if you are the one who is giving the support.
Have a wonderful day,  someone is always watching over you and praying for you.
You are never alone.  

Candy

Walking My Way

Finally  : D  
Sunday July 22nd 2012,  I took off walking.   I have been parking my wheel chair or walker
and walking safely to a counter top, the couch or something safe if I should fall.  :D    Sunday
I decided to forget my fears and wobbly legs and walk. I walked from the couch in the living room
to the cabinet in the kitchen, got a bowl out, walked to the stove ... placed dinner in the bowl, walked to the fridge and repeated this process for the veggies.  I could not wait for Eric to get home.
   When he did, I didnt say anything special, I waited.  When He was in the room in the back of the 
house,  I walked back to him.  :D  His back was too me, he commented on how he heard me coming,  
when he turned around I was standing right there in front of him.   He grabbed me, hugged and  we both came very close to crying.  He kept repeating........ I knew you could do it,  I knew you could do it...........  see I told you .... you could do it.  I knew I could and would.  It is scary when your leg is wobbly as I describe....... it feels like Bambi legs or Pinocchios legs when they first stood up.  :D
      Yesterday ( Monday ) I didn't walk as much I was pretty worn out from Sunday.  
NEVER EVER GIVE UP..............  
A WINNER NEVER QUITS AND QUITTER NEVER WINS............  NEVER GIVE UP. 
Praying everyone has a blessed day, be safe and always do your very best.  
Sending gentle hugs to all of those who are in pain....... Mentally, Physically or Spiritually
Candy

Good Morning :D  
   Today is monday July 9th 2012.  Outside it is beautiful,  with 50% chance of rain.
Five years ago I was told by my Dr that the reason my bones hurt especially bad that day
was due to the barometric pressure. When It is down it squishes our bones together..when it 
is high it stretches us almost like traction.  I decided to do my own study.  I got a small Journal
and every day I woke up I would write down how I felt then I would look up the baremetric 
pressure. I found that when it was 30.0 good, higher I felt better. When it would hit 
28.0 i was hurting and the lower it went the more I hurt.  
   In doing my research,  I found that even those who have no problems also would ache slightly
their mind would say.... hmmm wonder what I did to hurt ...... the ache was not bad .... just
annoying.  For those of us who have bone problems, arthritis, Osteo Arthritis,  deteriation of bones,
anything to do with the bones, we hurt so much more.  I did this for 6 months every single day.  
   I am a person who may believe what I am being told but I want to find out for myself. 
How does this work? why? what can I do? what can expect?  what should I do? 
what can I learn?   I have a few friends that call me the 
...TFKG......... THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE GIRL..........  I really do. with all of my surgeries 
I do not retain as much as I use to or would like to.  I find this frutstrating.  It does not mean 
I am going to quit. :D  AW CONTRARE'  my friend,  I will continue to read, study, reread,
restudy,  and keep on keeping on :D .  I learned early in life .......


A WINNER NEVER QUITS AND QUITTER NEVER WINS............   how true this simple
quote is.   I always told my son to be the best he be, what ever he did, give his 100% it may not 
be as good as someone else's but it is his best and that is what is important.   


   When you wake up........ wake up with the attitude ..Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
It is a new day. Being honest will take care of all of the rest.  Your friends will find you trustworthy.
This is something that has to be earned, it does not come easy.  
    Have a wonderful day....... :D  I use to tell the kids in church....... as well as my son
when they were going through rough times....... PULL YOUR BOOT STRAPS UP AND 
KEEP ON GOING..........  NEVER GIVE UP :D.   they knew then and still know 20 yrs later
later I still love them.  Some call me momma Candy. This made me feel good since I moved from 
there in 1991.  Back then, no internet,  it costs too much to make long distance phone calls.  
I lost touch. I have to say Facebook brought us back together.  They are now grown up,
married, have children,  and some are grandparents.  
   I do not always wake up with a good day.  I am trying to strengthen my right leg so I can walk.
It was very weak throughout my life,  my left leg took the pounding, the brunt of all I did.
Now I need the strength to walk with my prosthetic.   As I have shown earlier in photos the 
deformity of my right leg and foot. It was not something I had decided to not use it. 
I broke it trying to land on it from jumping,  I am not complaining.  :D  I am just saying one 
last time........... I WILL NOT GIVE UP :D and neither should you.  
Have a wonderful day My friend
Candy

here are photos from my surgery,  my amputation, my new leg,  these photos are my leg when it was good and when I thought it was bad. The Dr's and the Nurses, all said even though it looked like 
it was opening up,  I was told this is normal and there was no infection,  :D  so dont panic when 
things just dont look quite right.  Dont get me wrong, notify your doctor or nurse, whoever is coming
to the house to help you.  They absolutely need to know. You need to take care of it, clean it and do 
what the Dr says. So many people do not listen to the DR then wonder why it isnt healing or why 
things arent going as they should.   


                                                     This photo has a sock on called a stump 
                                                     shrinker. it will help the stump to go from 
                                                    what you see below when it is larger to much
                                                     smaller.

these next few photos are before the stump

shrinker. they will not place the stump shrinker

on until your staples are out and your leg is 

healed. No bleeding, no open wounds.

the next three are the times when I thought everything

was going bad on me. The DRs were not worried and 

told me all was ok. To me I thought my leg looked 

like it was getting infected. Thankfully the DRs said

no infection and it was healing nicely.  :D 

yeahhhhhhhh

this is my arm, I have had enough surgeries and needles 

takeing blood that I know, when it bruises it is not 

because the nurse or drs did anything wrong

the bruising comes from blood leaking from the vein

under the skin.  In this case they had to take out the 

needle because the fluid was filling up under my arm. 

It became really puffy and that looked bad. :D  dont be

afraid to show the drs, the nurses and let them know

any thing you are not sure of,  it is much better to be 

safe than sorry.