50 Mile Walking Challenge for St Jude’s
The “C” word that no one wants to hear. The word I thought I would never hear attached to my husband or children’s names.
Early in 1997 I received a phone call that my cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 30 at the time (we are the same age) and I was in shock. Disbelief and fear ruled my thoughts. But I’ll let you know right now that she is a survivor! Her journey is her story to tell, but she is doing well and we thank God!
Two months after her diagnosis my husband made an appointment with his doctor over concerns of an enlarged testicle. The next two days were THE LONGEST TWO DAYS OF MY LIFE. At this time we were living in Idaho, stationed at Mt. Home AFB. My Air Force husband was quickly flown out to Travis AFB and was prepped for surgery as soon as he arrived. This was before cellphones and after hugging him goodbye I didn’t hear from him until the next evening… after surgery and after pacing the floor all day. His affected testicle was removed and he returned home after a week in the hospital. Six weeks later he flew back to Travis AFB for 6 weeks of radiation. That was 24 years ago. My husband always says he had cancer it doesn’t have him now. While he has been healthy, the lasting effects of surgery and treatment still linger today. He takes a lot of meds, but he IS a survivor and he just keeps going one day at a time. We are so thankful for the doctors at Mt Home AFB that recognized something was not right, and for all the doctors and nurses at Travis AFB that took care of him during surgery and treatment. His diagnosis was Germ Cell Seminoma. 
2012. Our daughter keeps complaining about a sore throat and having troubles swallowing. She makes a few appointments and she is prescribed medication for allergies. I didn’t feel like that was the cause of her discomfort and made her an appointment with our doctor. He immediately knew that something was wrong with her thyroid. He ordered a CT scan and it showed tumors on both sides of her thyroid gland. She is 24 years old, has a 1 year old son and has a thyroidectomy. Diagnosis is Papillary Thyroid Cancer. A rare cancer. Soon after she is given a radiation treatment to eradicate some lingering cancer cells found in other areas of her body.
Our beautiful daughter is nearly 34 now, married and has 3 wonderful children. It has been a struggle to keep her T3 & 4 levels where they should be, but she is the strongest person I know! She takes it in stride and makes the adjustments she needs to keep going each day.
