One year ago, I was preparing to meet another photographer to talk about her second shooting a wedding with me. My wife woke up with a the same nagging cough and shoulder pain that had plagued her for a couple months and decided to stay home from work. Almost on a whim, she went with me to McKinney that day.. and on another last minute decision, we got in to see a new doctor, one who would sit down and listen to the complaints and come up with different suggestions and solutions.
By the end of that day, our lives would change.
A routine x-ray revealed a mass in my wife’s chest. The new doctor (we’ll call him Dr. Wonderful) immediately was thinking it was Lymphoma. More tests and a biopsy the following week would confirm that initial diagnosis. The week after that, she started the first chemotherapy treatment.
I kept much of this out of the blog for the very reason that it was so painful, emotionally and physically. Even still, I’m not going to share details here. But now, one year later, she is cancer free and once again, I find myself Hugging the Heavens.
She came home from a work trip to California yesterday, tired, but still full of life and energy. It was hard not to cry seeing her so vital again. We credit Dr. Wonderful with saving her life, even more so than her oncologist (who we try not to refer to at all.. while competent, he was a major jerk.. we have another name for him that isn’t appropriate for this blog).
We’re happy and healthy again. Dr. Wonderful will continue to monitor both of our states of health and I couldn’t be happier with that.
To anyone touched by cancer, Love to you. Keep up Hope. Those are your best weapons.
Me, this is the last time I plan to talk about cancer on this blog.
Brad Barton Photography
