One Year Ago Today...

Ok, so I'm happy to report that today is October 10th...which means that it has been exactly one whole year since I had my operation for my Melanoma cancer!

It is so weird to think that time has gone by so fast. Some days it seems like it all just happened yesterday, and at other times it feels so long ago. I remember when I got the phone call for the results of the test. It was my dads birthday (end of September) and we all were going out for dinner. Jason got off of work late so he met up with us. Jasons uncle had called me ealier that day to let me know that the tests had come bacl positive. I had level 4 melanoma cancer... anyway, so Jason gets there, and I forget to tell him my results. Then Cari says to me, "Kelli did you tell Jason what your test results were?" Jason was shocked to hear the news, and went quiet the rest of the night. The next day I went into my uncles office so he could explain in depth what everything meant and what was going to happen. I got home and told Jason everything. I talked to my friend Susie who cried with me. The Jason's parents came over and Jason and his dad gave me a blessing. Then his mom and I cried while we hugged each other.
The whole time while all of this was happening I knew that I was going to be ok, and that everything was going to work out... I was just scared. Jason and I didn't have health insurance, so that was scary too.

I got into see my doctor right away. My Uncle knew him and highly reccomended him. I started going to appointments to get ready for the surgery. All of which were up at the Huntsman Cancer Center. It was so weird to be up in the waiting rooms. I did not feel like I belonged there. When I looked around the room I saw people who had no hair, many in wheelchairs with very pale complexions. THEY all had cancer... I didn't... that is how I felt. My cancer was NOTHING compared to what these people were going through. It was so hard to be there. Very somber and sad.

I got radioactive material shot into me so they could follow where everything drained (the cancer was on my right side of my upper chest). It stung a little, but was so interesting to see how technology is used.
Finally October 10th came, the day of the surgery. That day seemed to pass sooooo slow! Jason, Nancy and I waited around for what felt like hours. I finally got in to get prepped for surgery. I got into that beautiful hospital gown, layed on the bed and started to get pricked for all the needles! My veins are really small so they had a hard time putting me down. Anyway, so obviously the surgery went well. During surgery they cut alot out of me. They also took 3 of my lymphnodes out to biopsy them and make sure the cancer didn't spread. When I came out of surgery I was soooo nauseous and they made me wait until I wasn't throwing up(sorry more info then you wanted to know). We drove home and it was so late. I was tired and onery. I felt bad for Jason.

The recovery wasn't too bad. I stayed home for a week from work, being pampered by my lovely husband and mother in law Nancy! Nancy fed me, watched me, washed my hair and was so great to me. It was hard to move my arm. Jason pretty much dressed me for about 5 days. It felt weird, and it felt like I would never be able to move my arm normal ever again. The tests came back clean. No cancer spread so that means I never needed treatment. Yay for that.

Anyways, sorry for the long post. So through out this past year I have check ups every 3 months to make sure that the cancer hasn't come back. SO yep, I am doing great and lovin the fact that I'm good!