So spunky, feisty, outspoken Mrs Baggins, she who never gets sick, has always (right or wrong) bragged about her robust health at age 59, is planning to backpack the Smokies in May, and walk the Camino de Santiago in September.....
I found out this past Friday that I have a "pelvic mass", most likely malignant, and probably ovarian. The ocologist thinks it's been there about 6 months. HEADS UP LADIES!!! My ONLY sign was that my belly button had suddenly gone rock hard. That was it. No weight loss, no bleeding, no swollen glands, nothing. I hadn't had a "well woman" check up in a few years but I've been told that even though I did schedule one for mid-February, odds are excellent that without the hardened belly button the mass would have gone undetected by a simple pap smear. While cervical cancer can be found that way, ovarian apparently can't be. The oncologist told me that it's "not the worst kind to happen" (really - because right now it seems like it is) and once it's removed I'll be in chemo 3 - 8 months. I told him about my plans to walk the Camino and he told me not to cancel them. Maybe he just wants to give me hope...even false hope. I don't know.
What I want from all of you is the power of prayer. And if you're not a prayer person you can still push all of the positive thoughts and vibes that you can muster my way. I'm not going to hide this nor hide behind it.