Life Changing News...

Luis and I on ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier

I had been working out and really starting to eat better and was so excited that my pants were all getting loose.  One day, late January-early February, I noticed I had a very small lump in my abdomen.  Honestly, I thought it was normal, I thought it was my ribs since I had lost weight.  

By the end of February, I had noticed that it had grown so I informed my boyfriend, Luis, about it.  He instantly told me I needed to go to the doctor.  I thought he was crazy and was overreacting.  I knew I was going to be seeing my mom in March and I wanted to wait and have her feel it and see what she thought.  Once my mom felt it she thought it was a hernia because of all of the lifting I do at work and told me I should go to the doctor.  

Because I have only lived in LA for such a short time, I did not have a primary doctor yet.  Therefore, I started by going to an urgent care to at least get a referral for a primary doctor.  The urgent care doctor told me he thought it was a hernia but scheduled an ultrasound to see.  I had an ultrasound April 2 and when I got the results the nurse tells me "It's negative!" with a big smile, as if he was giving me the results to a pregnancy test.  I flipped out on the nurse and didn't understand how he could tell me it was negative when there is a lump in my abdomen!  By this time it had gotten bigger.

I then got the info for a primary doctor and went and saw her.  As soon as I laid down on the table she could instantly see something protruding out of my abdomen.  This made me feel better because at least this way I wasn't going crazy and imagining that there was something in there.  She instantly requested that I had bloodwork and a CT scan done.  

Once I got the results from my CT scan is the beginning of when I realized it was getting more serious than I ever expected it to be.  My doctor called me and informed me there was a large mass in my abdomen and that a biopsy was going to have to be done and then would need to be removed.  By this time it had grown even more and began to be giving me lots of pain!

my "lump"

After many headaches, I finally had my biopsy on May 9.  It was the worst experience of my life.  I was awake for it and it hurt so bad! The recovery was so bad as well!  You don't realize how much you use your abdomen in everyday life: laugh, cough, sneeze, or even going to the bathroom.     

On May 14, I got the life changing call from my doctor telling me that I have a Benign Desmoid Tumor.  At first thought that was great news!  Just a tumor and would easily get it removed, fabulous!  ...Until I found out it was the worst type of tumor and was going to be treated like cancer.  

Surgery isn't always the best route because the reoccurrence rate is high; therefore, chemo and/or radiation are done as well.  I changed hospitals from the biopsy and will be going to Cedars Sinai Cancer Institute.  I have an appointment May 31 where I will be told what my treatment options are.  I'm so thankful that my mom has already booked a flight and will be attending this appointment, along with my stepsister and Luis.

Between now and the appointment, I am trying to stay positive, but at times it is rather difficult.  I continue to do research so that I am well informed for this appointment to be sure I am getting the BEST treatment possible.  I know it's going to be a long and hard time, but I'm going to FIGHT for it and not give up!

....In the meantime I should maybe start playing the lotto because I got lucky to be one of the 2-4 so maybe I'd have good luck with the lotto too ;)

*If you notice something abnormal, please go to the doctor! It's better to be safe than sorry!  I wish I would've said something sooner and went to doctor sooner, but I can't live on that guilt, it won't help anything.