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Title: Surgery is Booked for Monday Morning
From: kito40 - (Kim)
Sent: 1/9/2003 8:44 PM

I saw the neurosurgeon today and he has booked the brain tumour removal for Monday morning at 11 am. The tumour is 2 cm in size and is just under the skin on the right side of the brain. I will be sedated but awake during the procedure as they need to monitor my motor skills as they are removing it. He said there is no guarantee that they can get it all but they will keep removing as long as all my functions keep working.

There will be radiation sometime afterwards. It needs time to heal first and to let the swelling go down as radiation causes swelling also.

Kelly will keep you all up to date.

Kim...................10 months +..... and wishing I was going through withdrawal instead of this!

Title: Surgery is Booked for Monday Morning
Message 58 of 112 in Discussion
From: kito40 (Kim)
Gold Sent: 1/12/2003 8:08 PM

"WOW!"
My Freedom family is wonderful! I feel all that positive energy coming my way and it feels great!

I want all of you to know that I am not afraid of tomorrow, I feel confident I am in great hands and everything is going to go well.

The surgery is scheduled for noon Canadian EST, so send all you vibes then..........thanks and I love you all!

Title: Surgery is Booked for Monday Morning
Message 104 of 112 in Discussion
From: kito40 (Kim)
Gold Sent: 1/16/2003 1:11 PM

Hello All!

I am at my Mom and Dad's again, they look after me after surgery cause no one is at home at my house during the day. My Mom is a retired nurse which is an added bonus.

As you all know the surgery went well and I was awake during the 2 hr 20 min procedure. They gave me a squeeky toy in my left hand and made me squeek it every time they asked so they knew my left side was still working. It was quite the weird feeling when they sawed my skull open. The only thing that hurt was when they put the freezing in my head and when they stapled it up after. Apparantly your brain has no feeling. The side of my head is shaved with a small circle of staples. I'll need to get a hat soon...............lol. My husband took pictures, so I'll get them scanned and sent to John to update my webpage. One is of Kelly and I in my hospital bed, hope it turns out.
I want to thank everybody for you hugs, prayers and all that positive energy sent my way, I could really feel it and I know it helped in making the surgery successful.

I will be getting radiation in a couple of weeks as a precaution cause there is a chance that smaller than microscopic cells could still be there.

Thank-you all and I have no gifs here

Kim

Title: One Year Ago, I Started 2 Journeys.....
From: kito40 - Gold
Sent: 3/7/2003 10:33 AM

March 7, 2002 is the day I started two journeys, a day I will never forget.

Journey #1 - Quitting smoking............ I knew my smoking days were over. There was no choice in the matter, nicodemon had already started his death wish. My sister found Whyquit, we educated ourselves and now there is no looking back. I would have done anything for nicotine, but not anymore. I do feel so much better, no more coughing up phlgem or going into coughing fits when I laughed. When I would walk outside in winter and breathe in that first cold breath, it was an instant coughing fit too. The days at first seemed so long, but then I turned green, then silver and now GOLD......One whole year! I am so happy to be nicotine free.

Journey #2 - March 7 was also the beginning of my battle with cancer. I was a person who believed that it would never happen to me, it only happens to other people. Being told I had lung cancer was not only a total shock to me but for my family as well. How could I possibly continue to smoke? The thought of "Oh well why quit now I already have cancer" never crossed my mind. Smoking was definately not an option for me anymore, it was starting to kill me. My health was too important now, I couldn't keep doing this to myself.

As most of you know, I had my lung removed April 23, 2002. I recovered quickly from that surgery and was feeling great. My 6 month checkup came back clean. Then on December 18, 2002 I suffered a seizure, was rushed to hospital and a brain tumor was discovered.

I saw the neurosurgeon on January 9, 2003. He made me do all these coordination tests to make sure the seizure had not affected my motor skills. He then asked me if I had a cough, I told him I used to but not since I quit smoking. After his examination he said I was a good candidate for the surgery. I didn't realize there were good and bad candidates. On the morning of the surgery (January 13), he asked me again if I had coughed. I finally figured out why he was asking. He couldn't risk me coughing and moving during the delicate surgery he was going to perform. So I have to wonder....if I hadn't quit smoking and still had that smoker's cough would he have said "sorry I can't do the surgery on you, you are too much of a risk." A scary thought! He said he removed all of the tumor but I still had to endure two weeks of radiation. Thanks to the radiation, I have no hair and I had a bad burn on my forehead, eyelids and parts of my head, it's now peeling.

So newbies and lurkers I have to say withdrawal is nothing compared to what I have been through this year and who knows what the future will bring. Anybody can quit as long as they can accept the fact they are nicotine addicts and educate themselves. Believe me when I, and the others say it gets easier, because it really does. I can honestly say I can't remember the last time I had a crave.

I want to thank John for asking me to put my story on this site, I know it has helped many. I continue to share it in hopes that it will reinforce all of your quits and inspire others to take control of their lives by "NEVER TAKING ANOTHER PUFF"...........Now let the Party Begin!!!!!

MSN will not let me post any gifs : ( ..................Kim.....Golden!!!!

Title: One Year Ago, I Started 2 Journeys.....
Message 43 of 64 in Discussion
From: kito40 - Gold
Sent: 3/9/2003 11:50 AM

I want to thank you all for the congratulations and well wishes on my Golden Anniversary. Smoking is an expensive way to kill yourself. I've spend thousands only to end up with lung cancer, a brain tumor and who knows what the future will bring. So all of you in your early stages of your quit............please believe me, "Withdrawal is so much easier than what I have been through this past year." Quitting is really not that hard with education and support .........and you have found the place to do it!

1 Year 1 Day 23 Hours 3 Minutes 38 Seconds. And way to educated to ever take another puff!

Title: SOLID GOLD
Message 10 of 31 in Discussion
From: kito40 - Gold
Sent: 3/7/2003 11:00 PM

You truly are Solid Gold!

Thanks for being there and walking side by side with me as we continue this journey that is not over yet. Your real quit sister Kim who is golden today too!

Title: Health Update of the Last 6 Months
From: kito40 - Gold
Sent: 6/6/2003 8:41 PM

This is an update as to what's been happening since my tumor removal in January. There have been new pictures added to my webpage and this thread will be added there too. Visit it at www.whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Kim.html and see me bald!

London, Ontario, Canada is the home of one of the largest cancer clinics around. It also houses some of the top Doctors in the field. People come from miles to receive radiation and chemo treatment. Fortunately I only live a 1 hour drive from London and my home town has its own chemo treatment facility.

Jan 28/03-London- First day of my 10 treatments of radiation to my head. I stay in London at a Lodge sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Feb 10/03-London- The last treatment, and my ears are feeling plugged. I'm told radiation causes the wax to go hard, thus impair hearing.

Feb 11/03-Home- My hair starts to fall out and I finally shave it off 3 days later.

Feb 12/03-Home- I have a bone scan and an ultrasound. I'm told I have three spots on my adrenal gland and my family Dr. contacts London. They decide chemo is the next step and set me up with the chemo Dr. at home.

March 6/03-London- I see the Neurosugeon who removed the tumor and he says I have done exceptionally well and I won't need to see him again.

Mar 11/03- I receive a notice from the Ministry of Transportation that my driver's license has been suspended until I have been one full year seizure free which will be December, 2003.

Mar 19/03-Home- I start chemo which consists of once a week for two weeks and one week off, times 6 sessions.

Mar 26/03-Home- I see an Ear Specialist who says I have fluid in the middle ear which is quite common with radiation. The only thing he can do is put tubes in, but he can't give me an anesthetic while I'm taking chemo.

Mar 27/03-Home- I have a Cat Scan and the results say I have one spot on my adrenal gland. My family Dr. says that ultrasounds are not that accurate and I only have the one spot.

April 14/03-Home- I have an MRI to the head done, results say the spot behind my left eye has not grown any since January. What spot behind my eye? this is the first I've heard about it.

April28/03-London- My Oncologist explains to Kelly and I that the spot on the original scan done in December after the seizure was mistaken for a blood vessel, but on the MRI in January it had shown growth. The spot was zapped during radiation and has not grown any since. I was told that chemo should take care of it too. I was also informed that it can come alive again and needs to be monitored. It is operable if need be.

May 7/03-London- I have a follow up appt with my radiation Dr. He says I am doing and looking good. He explains that once the head is radiated they really don't like to do it again, but they can radiate the one spot.

June 5/03-Home- My chemo Dr. has just returned home from a conference in Chicago and the top chemo specialist there said that 4 treatment sessions are just as effective as 6 when it comes to lung cancer (which was my primary cancer). So June 12 will be my last treatment ....... yahoo!

I have an MRI for my head booked for July16 and I will need to book an abdominal cat scan. I will also have to get my ears done too. And with fingers crossed I'm hoping to hear the words "You are Cancer Free"

So my last year and a half has been a full plate for both me and my family and its not over yet. Do you know how many times I've been poked with needles during all this time, Kim the biggest whuss when it comes to needles. I feel like a human pin cushion. Do you know what its like to feel so run down, tired and exhausted for 6 months? I have a hard time wondering what feeling normal is, I have slept nearly half of it away. The feeling of not wanting to do anything and I mean nothing.

This is one of the things that smoking will do to you. Doesn't withdrawal for 3 days sound a whole lot better? Fighting a few craves or triggers is a whole lot easier that what I have been through this past year and a half. If I had only known years ago. Think about it, quitting is so much easier! Believe me, I know!

One year, two months, four weeks, two days, 7 hours, 49 minutes and 57 seconds.
And way too educated about my addiction to ever take another puff!

Title: So I asked the Dr...
From: kito40 - Gold
Sent: 9/8/2003 9:45 PM

Quit for 1 Year 6 Months 1 Day 8 Hours 55 Minutes 18 Seconds and way to educated about my addiction to ever take another puff.

Title: My Health
Message 18 of 32 in Discussion
From: headbo (gold) Sent: 1/26/2004 9:46 AM

Kim--

Don't worry about your MRI today. I'm positive the scan will show that your head is "empty". Just keep on fighting and never give up.

Freedom Friends --

I know I don't post much, but I do lurk an awful lot. Welcome newcomers and congratulations to everyone celebrating their milestones.

It's hard to believe it has been almost 2 years that I've been smoke free. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Kelly

I have chosen not to smoke for 1 Year 10 Months 2 Weeks 4 Days 12 Hours 38 Minutes 3 Seconds. Cigarettes not smoked: 13790. Money saved: C$3,792.40.