From: Rosalie Peipert <RPeipert@webtv.net>
> To: vianet@i-2000.com
> Subject: A story of surviving
> Date: Wednesday, September 24, 1997 11:07 PM
>
> Sixteen years ago, I had a fibroid as big
> as a five mo. pregnancy. I had a hyster-
> ectomy and discovered I had leiomyo=
> sarcoma. (Spindle cell leio consistent
> with mixoid features) I went on my merry
> way thinking I was cured. At that time,
> very little was known . 11 years later
> I had to have breast surgery and had to
> take pre=op tests. My x-ray showed 5
> nodes, 3 in one lung 2 in the other. No
> one knew what to do with me. I had the
> breast surgery and found out I had lobular
> cancer in situ, which has returned 3x.
> Six weeks later I found myself in Memorial
> Sloan Kettering having bilateral lung
> surgery. Little did I know what I was in
> for. The experience was brutal. But I
> decided I was the one who was going to
> make it and I did. Three months later I
> was back to exercising and walking my
> mile and a half a day. 2 yrs and 10 mos.
> later more nodes were seen on a ct-scan.
> Another bilateral lung surgery. For all
> who don't know how they do this, they
> do a clamshell thorotomy, which is that
> they cut you from under the armpit across
> the chest to the other side. To get to both
> lungs, they have to break the sternum and
> it feels like open heart surgery and more.
> I opted for the Pain Clinic to come and
> help me the second time. They gave me
> a patient controlled pump with pain
> killer, which helped tremendously. I had
> an epidural in my back which kept me
> comfortable during the 5 day stay. It
> seems to last longer than most anesthesia. Again I came home with hope
> in my heart that I would survive. I pray
> every day to thank God for another day
> on this earth and thank him for all the
> good things in my life and how greatful
> I am for everything I have. I have had 9
> operations but I'm sticking around. We
> are watching another node that popped
> up. It has been 2 years since my last
> lung surgery and 1 year since another
> breast surgery. No new tumors have
> grown this past year and the one remains
> stable. I put one foot in front of the other
> and plod ahead. It isn't easy but I do it.
> You do whatever you have to -to survive.
> If I would wake up one day and not have
> pain in my upper body, I wouldn't know
> it's me. I drink essiac tea and a multi-
> tude of vitamins and minerals. It can't
> hurt. I am 62 years old now and in
> very good shape from doing exercise
> with weights and stretching. I intend
> to do the best I can and be ready for
> whatever the future holds. I have lived
> to see my sons finish college, get married
> have great careers, and best of all, some-
> thing I thought I'd never live to see. Five
> grandchildren. I am very lucky to have
> a LH to walk with me every step of the
> way. I can't believe I wrote this story for
> all to read as it is very painful to remember all this. I hope it
> inspires all
> of you out there with this disease that
> MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! Someone is
> sure watching over me. Hang in there
> the world needs people like you who are
> putting up such a brave fight.
> Compassionately yours, Rosalie
>