Hello Everyone,
The power of the internet is amazing. What an obvious statement I know but through this blog I realize that not only do the ones I know and love - friends and family - visit and check up on me but that this medium also allows people far and wide also going through this experience to learn or feel or get a new perspective on the process of chemo, SCT and blessedly; remission.
The power of blogger let me see not the 'who' but the 'where' and the 'how' of those strangers searching for answers or a viewpoint on these subjects.
I know that this month alone I have had around 250 hits on my blog via google or the lymphoma forums or BING check out my blog. This past month I have had 85 blog views from the US ofA, 46 from Canada (yeah!), 28 from Ireland (auwchen-en-ee), 20 from the UK, 19 from France and a myriad more from other corners of the world such as Germany, Israel, the Ukraine, Australia, and Russia -- a fond hello and Be Well to you all!.
So, I am in awe of the gift that this blog has been to me; it is very cathartic but also the gift of maybe easing some one else's fears that I may bring..kind of a "look at me; I've done this, I've made it through so far (knock some serious wood here) and through the grace of...something...I am still going strong".
Where am I going with all of this? Well, Blogger also clues me in on how people "searching" have found my blog. For example, again I do not know your IP address or name but I do know that people end up here when they google my name, or the words "SCT & journey" together or, getting to my point - when they google "medianoscopy scars"...This last search has come up several times so I know there are more than a few people out there wondering about the lasting signs of this procedure.
I think somewhere close to the beginning of this blog I go through the whole medianoscopy process so I will not repeat it here suffice to say for those who are reading this entry along and do not want to page back that a medianoscopy is the surgical biopsy procedure where the surgeons enter at your collarbone and scope down under your chest wall to biopsy a mass in the upper lung section (not IN your lungs but in that area) in order to come up with clear results to determine Lymphoma and it's type (Hodgkins or Non).
We go through a lot that scars us invisibly when we have cancer. I carry scars that no one will ever see, they are inside me and have more to do with my emotional being than with my physical being; but this post is not about that - it is about the real permanent scar that we wear after this procedure.
Have Hope! Those who are just now going through this procedure - look at my photo..do you see it? The fine line across my neck? It is not that bad, huh? This is 2 and a 1/2 years out so it is as faded as it probably ever will be. Yes, it's there but seriously, not that bad at all...I am almost proud of it! Please do not worry - some of us carry these scars - I also still have my PICC line and pherisis scars but they too are subtle. Others have larger port scars and still others the small distinctive tattoo's from radiation markings. And so? We have been branded, yes but branded as SURVIVORS and, hallelujah to that!
Take care everyone,
Carey
