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Lynn Grissom
Edina, Minnesota
United States
Amazon Heart Thunder
United States 2006
Rider
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First and foremost I want to thank Megan and Meredith for starting this. God bless them both! You are doing something wonderful for survivors and women fighting the disease.
As I sit down to write this I am overwhelmed by the new challenge I’m taking on. This is what happens when you get that nasty word “CANCER”. You want to do anything you can to live your life and possibly help someone who is newly diagnosed get on living.
Around the middle of August my husband and I decided to separate. I moved out around my birthday which is 8/29, what a way to turn 32. Our 5 y.o. daughter was starting her new adventure “kindergarten” and I was starting my 2nd year of nursing. Shortly after moving out I found a lump in my left breast. I was working at the U of M at the time and had recently moved to the Masonic Cancer Center; 2 of the MD’s I worked for moved over to that clinic, so I had to do some training. It just so happened that the new Breast Center had just opened and that’s when everything fell into place.
I was diagnosed on 9/12/2002, initial diagnosis is stage 1. After surgery on 9/26, I proceeded with a lumpectomy and an axillary node dissection. I got bumped up to a stage IIB, because of having lymph nodes involved (fortunately only 3 out of 17). THANK GOD, although that bought me six grueling rounds of chemo followed by many weeks of radiation. The journey through hell and back again will now begin!!
God gives us many blessings, I see these blessings and I cherish and grow from them. My 1st blessing is that I worked with cancer patients for 5yrs prior to my diagnosis (bone and soft tissue tumor). They gave me the strength. My 2nd is the love and support of my friends, family and church, without them I’d be lost. My 3rd was the staff that I got to know, unfortunately because of my cancer. I couldn’t have asked for a better medical team of Nurses and Doctor’s! My 4th blessing came very unexpectedly and with much sadness. My Grandma had fallen ill right after my last round of chemo in April of 03’ as it turned out, “yes; cancer”. She had stage 1 ovarian. As being her caregiver and medical directive, I over saw all of her care until her passing on 8/23/03 at the age of 88. The biggest blow was my mom, after the funeral she mentioned a lump she found in the clavicular area. As it turned out she had stage IV ovarian. Her and I had a very strained relationship most of my life. I decided to have her move in with me so I could help her get through the crap. My mom lost her battle on 1/2/06. It was a long hard fought battle and she truly is an inspiration. She is one of the reasons why I’m riding. I’m doing this in her memory. “Look at me now mom”, please watch over and protect me! The 5th blessing is that I have found myself and have a deeper understanding and appreciation of life.
This has been a very stressful few years. But has been a growing experience and my favorite saying is that, “God doesn’t give you more then you can handle”.
Recently at work this nice young gentleman came into my work to promote some business and someone introduced us, the rest is history. He is a kind, loving, compassionate, motorcycle riding person. I can’t say enough kind words about him. Again God works in mysterious ways.
I want to thank all the people that have come into my life, my new friends from the breast cancer support group which I help found for young survivors, and all my other friends who helped me get through this. My oncologist- Dr. Doug Yee, his RN Julie. My breast surgeon- Dr. Todd Tuttle. The nursing staff at the Breast Center- Susan, Lou, Ann and all those I did not mention. Most of all the cancer patient’s that help keep me strong (most have gone onto their next journey).
Stay strong and peace to all!!!
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