It was 2002, my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in Halifax Nova Scotia, where I felt a lump on the left underside of my jaw.
I still had a week left in my vacation, so I held out on any major care, thinking it would eventually shrink. It didn’t, so upon arriving back in Alberta, I immediately went to the doctor, who sent me for testing. An aspiration was done, which led to a surgery where it was found that the lymph node had wrapped around a salivary gland, so both were removed. On the second day of my stay in the hospital, I remember a nurse coming into the room and standing at the foot of my bed and sharing with me that my mom just called from Halifax to tell me that my dad had died that day from a massive heart attack while driving over the bridge. He had hit the side of the bridge, and she and my aunt were in the car. She and Auntie were okay. I don’t remember the rest of my stay, except that it was long with bleeding from my neck, not subsiding as quickly as it should.
An appointment was made with an oncologist who informed me that I have Non-Hodgkins Follicular Lymphoma Grade 1, stage B. He then went on to say that it is incurable, but it is slow-growing, and I should live a long life. He then suggested that I come back in a year for a scan and blood work. My curiosity then took me on a path of “what can I do to keep this at bay forever!” I found a man who was writing monthly newsletters online, so I began to follow him. He is now known as my guru, and for the last 24 years, he has provided me with verified research for this form of cancer.
In 2022, I had a scan which indicated that progression was happening to a point of concern, so I decided to try an alternative treatment, and thanks to the kindness of my son and his wife, I am holding and feeling reasonably well. During this time, I got married, and Rick became my daily caregiver, for whom I am truly grateful. For the last 10 years, he has been by my side ready to do whatever needs to be done to keep me comfortable and engaged in a healthy, fun lifestyle. We attend Wellspring together and have just registered for the new season in January. We absolutely love attending the monthly sessions in Lethbridge. We loved learning about boundaries … what that means and how to set them.
Wellspring is the one place where Rick and I both feel welcome and connected. We have made new friends and have met the most interesting and diverse groups of people. It feels like community. Everyone is there for a common purpose, and that is to share and care for each other. We also attended a Cancer Connect meeting, where we got to contribute our ideas for further sessions that we are excited to attend. We are so very grateful to Wellspring for guiding us to all the resources we could ever ask for and for the kindness and compassion that most of us have been lacking as we courageously fight this disease. Wellspring’s vision – “No one has to face cancer alone” is exactly what they do.
One Response
Christine, thank you so much for sharing your story. 💚 The way you and Rick support each other and continue to choose connection, learning, and community is a beautiful reminder of what really matters. Your story is a beautiful reflection of what Wellspring stands for: care, connection, and never facing cancer alone. Thank you for being part of the Wellspring Alberta community!