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Connect with Karinski:     |
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Handle: |
Karinski |
| Status: | Cancer Survivor |
| Cancer Type: | Brain Tumor, Adult |
| Gender: | Female | |
| Age: | 47 |
| Country: | CANADA |
| Last On: | Jul 19, 2008 |
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| Officially Diagnosed with Cancer by a Doctor:
January 2003 |
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| Stage of Cancer at Diagnosis:
IV |
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| Date I Began/Begin Treatment:
January 2003 |
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| My Cancer Story:
I'm 45 and was diagnosed with a GBM brain tumour in Jan 2003. I "presented" with seizures. Had 2 seizures before knowing I had brain cancer. Dec 31, 2002, I had a craniotomy. The average life expectancy of this is 18 months. I'm still here after 3 years and 8 months. I had 30 radiation treatments and 14 rounds of chemo (1 week a month, pill chemo). I have an MRI every 6 months now, used to be monthly, then every 2 months, then 3, then 4.
Each one has shown no growth of the tumour (which was removed during the craniotomy).
I have an "exam" shortly after each MRI, at the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Calgary.
I'm always nervous after each MRI, not knowing what the results will be. So far, so good.
This cancer is terminal and I'm in limbo, not knowing when I will die. So knowing that death is inevitable, I'm just trying to live normally now and "forget" that I have cancer.
At my last exam, the nurse (Sylvia) was surprised to see me. She had been my nurse at the beginning, in a different "department". She told me that most brain cancer patients die within the first 2 years and called me the poster child for GBMs.
I took the steroid Decadron for 2 years, which has bad side effects (like crippling and the loss of your leg movement)for most brain patients, but I'm lucky and it didn't affect me badly.
I'm currently taking just 1 drug, Dilantin, an anti-seizure medication.
Karen
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