Share. Connect. Love.

Shannon Butler - Journal

Read Entries & Updates

 

Posted 2016-12-25T18:53:00Z

Merry Christmas! Wishing you all a better 2017!

Merry Christmas! May the New Year be filled with, health and happiness, love and light.

I thought today would be a fitting day for an update, not only because it is Christmas, it is another milestone. 10 months ago today we sat down with my oncologist and let him know that I wasn't going to accept my diagnosis of Stage IV cancer as a death sentence. I wasn't ready to accept "one year, maybe two" and there would be no more talk of working towards "quality of life" rather than "cure". We let him know that if there was anyone on my care team that didn't think I could make it, they needed to get off of my team asap. My doctor said, "that's what I want to hear, I can work with this".
They threw to works at me, and despite some pretty unpleasant side effects I have come through. An allergic reaction to one of my chemo meeds caused a full anaphylactic episode in November. My most recent surgery, (and hopefully last surgery) was this past Tuesday, thankfully I was released in time to be home for Christmas Eve. The doctors said everything "looks good".
In addition to today's milestone, I want to share the good news, the doctors say I am in "complete remission" This is the best Christmas gift I could ever receive, and the goal of that conversation with by doctor 10 months ago. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.[...]