It happened on Tuesday, Feb. 15. The clock flashed 9:32 p.m. as I grabbed a bite to eat. As I returned to my room, I noticed I had a missed call on my phone. It was from my doctor.
Wondering what he could have been calling for this late at night, I didn’t feel too positive. The last time he called this late, it was to tell me my treatments had to be tripled. A voice message was left, so hesitantly I dialed and listened, hoping for the best.
“Hey Tineisha. Good news on your pet scan, it’s normal. So that means you can finish up your last four treatments, which is four more months. Then we can quit. Good for you,” said Dr. Broseker.
Remission is a word I’ve greatly anticipated since the first day of chemotherapy.
Standing there with my snack in my hand, I dropped it, dropped to my knees and began to thank God for seeing me through this. When I finished praying I quickly grabbed my phone again, eyes filled with tears of joy, and called my family and friends to tell them the astounding news. I was free.
This past year has been the hardest so far. Too many times, letting go felt like an option to consider, but this experience has made me a stronger person.
The time spent fighting this cancer let me evaluate my life and encouraged me to wake up each day with a purpose. Sitting here at 6:20 a.m. on April 2, the very day after my final chemotherapy treatment, the days I’ve spent sitting in that hospital chair repeatedly play in my mind.
I would try to relax while the IV in my arm pumped poison into my veins, but it was the most difficult thing to look forward to. Feeling poison seeping into the lining of my stomach and murdering every cell, good or bad, in my body, made it hard to remember that it was all to save my life. Then I realized some of the patients who shared my room only have months to live, when I was fortunate enough to be told that the prognoses for my cancer was very good.
I walked out of the hospital April 1 at 5:39 p.m., head held high and a smile proudly on my face. A tear rolled down my face as I thought of all the people who helped me through this year, and how grateful I am for them. I will make sure to personally thank every one of them as soon as I am strong enough and back on my feet.
I feel so much joy and satisfaction when someone comes up to me and says they read and loved my articles and they are praying for me. Thank you all because your prayers worked. Please continue to pray for me and I love you. Time to get my life back.
Life should never be taken for granted and my promise is to live. Live for today, live for tomorrow and live for all the days ahead. I am thankful, I am grateful, and I am loved.