December 31, 2008, a
date I’ll never forget. My mom, Lillian,
my husband John and myself, spent our usual quiet evening watching the ball
drop in Times Square – where it’s 2 hours earlier than it is here in Calgary,
Alberta. Then off to bed. I took a quick
shower and when I ran the sponge along my left side, I felt something strange
on the side of my breast.
Mom had breast cancer
when she was in her early 50’s, so I’d always been aware of the risks, but at
65 I wasn’t really thinking about it too much – or I hadn’t been until I felt
that lump. It was the size of a golf
ball, and when John felt the same sized lump, we both knew life was about to
change. Boy did it ever. By the end of February I was recovering from
the surgery that removed my left breast, and in May I started a rigorous round
of very aggressive chemo-therapy.
(Chemo is not glamorous)
Biopsy results had
revealed that my cancer was what they call “triple negative” a virulent, fast
growing cancer that was very difficult to treat. In fact, if chemo didn’t work
there weren’t likely to be any other options.
The good news was that we’d caught it so fast there was no lymph node
involvement – a fact that probably saved my life.
I’ve now passed the five year survivor mark, and I’m four years out from having a breast reconstruction – using my own body fat. I’m one of those who rejects almost anything put onto or into my body that isn’t self-propagated, so an artificial implant was not even to be considered. We’ll just skip right over that pain and all the nasty little side roads, like stitches that wouldn’t heal and reopening wounds. The really important thing was I survived and I felt great. Oh, and I still kept working at my full‑time job as a legal assistant right through it all. Thanks to the awesome lawyers that I worked for and a husband who took care of anything and everything I needed in order to keep me well.
Fast forward to 2014.
Not only am I feeling great, but last month in company with three other awesome
women, I’m a proud representative of the Province of Alberta as team provincial
ten pin bowling champions. Considering
that five years ago I didn’t expect to ever lift a bowling ball again, this is
an amazing experience for me. I haven’t
checked, but at 70 I’m probably one of the oldest 10 pin provincial champions
they’ve had, but didn’t want to inquire and draw too much attention to that
fact. I don’t know what the rules are,
but wouldn’t want Bowl Canada to decide I was “too old” for the team.
2014 Alberta men’s and women’s
provincial ten pin champions.Jude on
the far right.
So, as this blog is
posted (thanks Jamie) I will be in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan bowling against the
other nine provinces for the Canadian National ten pin bowling
championship. Wish me luck, and I’ll be
sending Jamie an update. As long as I
play well and don’t let my team down I’ll be smiling like a Cheshire cat just
to think what I’ve been able to do in these extra years the Creator saw fit to
grant.
Publisher and author
Jude Pittman is part of the publishing team
behind the very popular Canadian publisher, Books We Love Ltd.
Publisher Jude and Marketing Manager Jamie longed to see authors treated
like the professionals they were, and after years of acting as promotion agents
for a large number of well-known authors, they decided it was time to take
Books We Love to the next level.
Both Jude and Jamie are romantic suspense and mystery authors, and they
believe in treating authors the way they like to be treated.
Jude's mystery series, Deadly Secrets, Deadly Betrayal and Deadly
Consequences (featuring P.I. Kelly McWinter) as well as a special edition, Jude
Pittman Triple Threat, have all been published by Books We Love and are
currently available at Amazon in electronic or print formats. Jude’s latest
work, a novella entitled, Bad Medicine is also available at Amazon.
Jude Pittman Amazon Author Page ~
http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Pittman/e/B004XJ6850/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Pittman/e/B004XJ6850/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Hi Jude,
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspirational story. You are truly a great survivor.
Best wishes
Margaret
I loved this, Jude. Thank you uplifting me and everyone else who reads it. My sister is a breast cancer survivor. Her cancer was hormone driven and not a triple negative as yours was. When she heard she had breast cancer, she told me. "The bad news is I have cancer. But the good news is it's hormone driven, and I found this great wig site on the Internet. I'll never have another bad hair day." No question you are a survivor, Jude, a winner and bowling athlete. Amazing story. Love and hugs. Sandy
ReplyDeleteVery inspiration story, Jude! You are not only a survivor, you are a winner!
ReplyDeleteHas it been five years? Jude, you are not just a survivor, but an inspiration...as one survivor to another. Go Alberta!
ReplyDeleteI can relate Jude. I'm also a survivor. I joined a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team three weeks after my surgery but couldn't paddle wit them until after my chemo and radiation. Great bunch of ladies as all breast cancer survivors are!
ReplyDeleteJude, I admire you so. It takes real grit to weather the storm as you did.
ReplyDeleteJude, what a great story. So happy for your achievements before and after the surgery. As you know I really enjoy your books and am looking forward to reading more,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this story with us. You're an amazing woman, not only do you continue working, you've started an amazing publishing house. I wish I had a third of your energy, stamina, ambition, whatever you want to call it.
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration, Jude. And what you do for your fellow authors is amazing. My sister is recovering from uterus cancer surgery and my dearest friend is half-way through her second round of chemotherapy after bowel cancer surgery so I have the greatest admiration and respect for the courage and tenacity of you all.
ReplyDeleteAnother cancer survivor--who would have been lost to the disease as recently as 30 years ago. (And we're so glad that survivor is Jude!) People can talk about the "good old days" all they want, but from a medical/quality of life perspective, I'll take NOW.
ReplyDeleteJude, you are living proof that cancer CAN be beaten. Thank you for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is totally off topic but I am of Dutch heritage and I love the wallpaper picture! It made my day. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous story, and a fantastic outcome. As a ten pin bowler myself, and playing on two league teams (both social), I do know what you mean about not letting the team down.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with your team!!