Linda Stokes' Battle Session

Linda Stokes

My name is Linda Stokes and my story begins in November 2013.  Around the first of November I ended up at the ER with severe stomach cramps.  They did an abdominal and pelvic CT.  My white cell count was in the 20's.  They saw fluid outside of my stomach cavity.  The admitted me and I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days.  After I was released we continued to run numerous test to try and figure out what was going on.  As we were doing that, a week or so before Christmas I started having a cough.  It continued to get worse and worse.  It was getting to the point that I couldn't keep anything down.  The only way that I was able to keep anything down was to lay down and not move after I ate.  My primary doctor sent me to see a lung specialist December 31, 2013.  I went thru all his breathing tests and numerous other test.  My diagnosis was acid reflux he said.  He prescribed several medications for me to take.  He said no follow up because as far as my lungs were concerned they were good, they were clear.  
The new year came and went and I was only getting worse.  My primary doctor is still running test and trying to figure out why I was coughing so much.  As we were going thru all this I was losing weight because I wasn't able to keep anything down.  Then one day sitting in the doctors office, we were going thru all the test that we had done.  He said chest Xray and I said no.  He thought we had already did a chest Xray.  Well,  he set me up that day to have one.  When he saw it he saw that the lymph nodes were enlarged around my lungs.  At this time, he was thinking that I may have sarcodosis, and there is no known cause and no know treatment for this.  The only thing they use to treat this is steroids.  He set me up to have a chest CT done.  Well, as we all know how insurance is, we had to wait to get it approved before it could be done.  It finally got approved and I got an appointment set up.  The results from the CT showed enlarged lymph nodes in my lungs.  He scheduled me to see the lung specialist again with these test in hand.  When the doctor walked in the room, he started talking about our last visit.  Was I still taking the medicine?  Was I still coughing??  Then he said he was going to change my medicine.  This went on until I said that the chest xray and CT scan seemed to show sarcodosis.  He was puzzled.  He never once looked at my file that my primary doctor had sent over.  I had made my mind up then that this doctor wasn't going to touch me.  I finished the visit, walked out and called my primary.  I told him that this visit didn't work out and to send me somewhere else.  Later that week he call to tell me that he had me scheduled to see a thoracic surgeon.  I saw this doctor on February 10, 2014.  I immediately liked him, he just put me as ease.  He talked to me on my level and even asked had I saw my CT scans and I told him no.  He asked me would I like to see them and I said yes if you have time.  He said I have plenty of time come on back.  It was scary what he was telling me and what I was seeing and not understanding.

This doctor set me up for a biopsy on February 13, 2014.  He told me that the local hospital would have the results that day but the results from the other lab would take a couple of days.  February 14, 2014 is the day that my life changed.  I got the phone call with my test results, I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma.   I can say that it wasn't what I wanted to hear but I was kind of relieved.  I now had a name for what I was going thru.  I knew that it could be treated. So began my second leg of my journey.  

I was referred to an oncologist that practiced in Mobile but also came to my home town hospital, Monroe County Hospital in Monroeville, Alabama.  I saw him on February 18, 2014.  He talked to me about my diagnosis and set up my appointments for a pet scan and to have my port put in.  Once we got all that done, he told me that I had stage 3 Hodgkin's  Lymphoma.  They set me up for my treatments.  On March 3, 2014 I had to go and get blood work done before treatment.  To say that I was scared to death is putting it lightly.  I didn't know what we were going to do exactly or what to expect.  They put me at ease the best that they could.  I found out that a girl I graduated with worked in there so that was a little comforting.  They drew my blood and went over all that was going to be done.  She went over all the chemo that I was going to have.  March 6, 2014 was the day of my first treatment.  Again, I was nervous!!!

By Friday night I could tell a difference in my cough.  Keep in mind that during all the testing and all that I ended up losing 50 pounds.  I never realized how far down that I had gotten during this time.  I was set up to have 12 treatments every 2 weeks and every other week I had to have that booster shot.  I guess because I was so far down to begin with that my treatments actually perked my up.  It was nothing but the hand of God.  I gained a little weight back and am still fighting this.  I just finished my 8th treatment on Monday June 16, 2014.  We are now in the process of scheduling the pet scan, breathing test, echo, and other test.  By the grace of God I'm going to beat this cancer.  My motto through all of this has been "God's Got This!!"

My family and friends have supported me thru out all of this.  Without them I don't know where I would be.  I just want to take the opportunity to tell them THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU!!!  

For more information on the Bald Is Beautiful Campaign please contact Lyn Taylor of Lyn Taylor Photography of Mobile Alabama

Stephanie Cobb's Battle Session

Stephanie Cobb

Stage 1 grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma with multifocal lymphovascular invasion (Breast cancer)
Age 36 at diagnosis

My name is Stephanie Cobb and I am blessed with an amazing husband Tommy and 4 wonderful kids; two boys Carson 13, Connor 12 and two girls Addi 10 and Brantley 2.  We are like any other family. We stay busy with homework, multiple sports, and taking care of a toddler. We were always on the go. Until one night in December of 2013 while lying in bed watching TV, I went to scratch my chest and noticed a hard knot in my breast. I had lumpy breast any way so I decided to just wait a few weeks to see if it would go away.  A few weeks went by and it was still there.  I would say that it felt like a hard marble. Deep down I knew something was not right.  I finally listened to my husband, mother, and friend and called the doctor.  I had an appointment the next day, and the doctor said he thought it was a cyst but sent me for a mammogram just to be sure. I had to wait to make sure the pictures came out fine, and they came in to tell me that I needed to have an ultrasound to check the area better. Since my family history was a strong one with my great aunt, aunt, and mother all having breast cancer, they sent me to have a needle biopsy on January 8, 2014.  After along week, I met with my surgeon January 15, 2014. I was told I had Stage 1 grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma with multifocal lymphovascular invasion (Breast cancer).  

From that moment on, I do not really remember anything else he said. I was in total shock. I just kept looking at my husband thinking this has to be a dream. I then had to go meet with my oncologist.  Since my cancer growth cell was very high at 93% and having to have the BRCA test done, they wanted me to start chemo before any surgeries.  I was scheduled to have a contrast MRI Nuclear test for them to see my lymph nodes and to have some removed and my port put in on January 23, 2014. I got the results that 2 out of 3 nodes were positive but had not spread out of the sentinel breast area. That was good news. The next week January 31,2014 I started chemotherapy. My chemo was a total of 8 treatments every 2 weeks. The first 4 treatments were Adraimycin/ Cytoxan.  The last 4 treatments were Taxol. Chemo was not fun with all the crazy side effects. Losing my hair was one of the hardest things for me. I worried about how my kids would feel about seeing me without any hair. My 2 year old was the one who had the most trouble with it. I got my friend who is my hair stylist to cut my hair short.  I thought it would help with the transition for when my hair fell out. When I got home my daughter (2 year old) would just cry and would not come to me.  Of course, I cried later when I was by myself thinking oh wow this is going to be so hard. A few days later she got better, and when it fell out, I do not think she even noticed. My older kids would keep telling me how beautiful I was, and my husband always made me feel beautiful.  The other nasty side effect I experienced with chemo would be the really bad nausea.When I say nausea, it was like one I had never experienced,not even with pregnancy or a virus.  I was very tired with watery eyes, runny nose; sores in my throat and mouth,nails were in very bad shape, very dry skin, heartburn, and very bad headaches with blurry vision. Those are just to name a few. There were a lot more. I had to go the day after chemo to get the neulasta shot to improve my white blood cell count. I did not like to get that shot. The shot would always make me feel very bad like I had the flu. My body would ache really badly and I was pretty much in the bed all day the day after I had it.  The weeks that I would have chemo would be very long. Monday blood work, Tues my oncologist appointment, Wednesday chemo, Thursday neulasta shot. Fridays were always my worst day. I would always feel my best the week I would have chemo.  It was always so hard to go back, but God gave me such strength that I never knew I had. It is such a wonderful comfort knowing how awesome our God is and is always there for you to get you through the toughest times.  I had such wonderful “ Chemo Chicks” taking care of me.  I consider each one of them dear friends of mine.  My last treatment was May 7, 2014. That was such a wonderful day. My family and friends came up there to be with me and watch me ring that bell. That was the best sound and feeling in the world. I had done it. No more chemo!!

May 21,2014 I had to go have another MRI done. May 30,2014 I went to meet with my plastic surgeon, and June 2nd I met with my surgeon.  With a lot of thought and with talking with my doctors, I decided to have a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I did not want to take any chance of the cancer returning. June 12th I went in for surgery and stayed in the hospital for 2 days.  The following week I started my weekly visits to have my expanders filled. Having the expanders filled was very uncomfortable. To me, it felt like my chest was about to cave in. It hurt all the way to my back sometimes. My chest would feel very tight, and coughing and sneezing was a bit uncomfortable. I am now at my waiting time for my next surgery. I will have my expanders removed and implants put in. I am going to have a hysterectomy next. This year’s journey for me has been one of the worst but best times in my life. Having cancer has made me realize that we are not promised tomorrow. Live each day like it is your last one.  I am cancer free right now and my mass had 100% response to the chemo. The chemo was terrible, but it saved my life.I am so thankful for that. I could not have got through this without God, my husband, my parents, family, friends, and community. I could not have been able to get through this extremely hard time with out my mother. She took time out of her life to move in with us during my weeks of chemo to help with my children and all the things that come along with it. My mother is such an amazing woman, and I thank God she is my mother everyday. Also, I must thank my mentor and friend Dr. Angela Powell who went above and beyond for my family and me.  I am a Breast Cancer Survivor, and I am so blessed for that.

For more information on the Bald Is Beautiful Campaign please contact Lyn Taylor of Lyn Taylor Photography of Mobile, Alabama

Deszeray's Battle Session

Deszeray Summers-Kyles

Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Diagnosed at age 22

My name is Deszeray Summers-Kyles, I am twenty-two years old and in January of 2014 I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. I was told it had spread to my lymph nodes, liver, and pelvic bone.

In the beginning of 2012, I noticed my right breast was significantly bigger then 

my left breast and that concerned me so I told my grandparents and they began 

to worry and took me to the hospital to get it checked. We went to several 

doctors, they all told me it was nothing or fibrocystic. Even after telling them that

breast cancer ran in my family on my fathers side they still decided not to do a 

mammogram because of my age at the time. They also told me you can not get

breast cancer from your father.

A few months later a lump appeared and I told my grandparents again but during 

this time my insurance had kicked me off because we forgot to send them a paper

in, so I went a whole year without going to the doctor and the pain became 

worse. My grandpa said once I got back on the insurance he wanted to take me 

to an oncologist because he was tired of my mis-diagnose that I had been 

receiving prior years before.

Once January came around I made an appointment with my general doctor and he

referred me to a surgeon because he thought it was just a cyst. The surgeon

checked me out and said "You are a very unique individual, out of 40 years I have

never seen someone like you with this problem." He then wanted me to have a

ultrasound done, I had that done the next day and the doctor that looked at it

said it wasn't a cyst and they wanted to do a mammogram. The mammogram

came back as it not being a cyst so he then decided he wanted a biopsy done,

after I did my biopsy I got my results and it came back as cancer. I told myself I

wasn't going to freak out, in the back of my mind I had already figured out that it

was cancer because I do a lot of research and it runs in my family. 

After telling me I had cancer the doctor referred me to a oncologist and I went to

see him the next day. He filled me in on everything that was going to happen

such as telling me that no surgery would be necessary but I would have to go

through chemotherapy and I may want to freeze my eggs because the chemo

might destroy my ovaries but I told everyone that I wanted to wait and decided

until after I know what stage I was in. We then did a PET scan and I found out I

was in stage 4 so I said I'm not going to let it spread anymore let's go with the

chemo.

My chemo, the first four treatments, was aggressive on me. I threw up for days

and was weak and exhausted but by the 5th treatment I only threw up once and

that would be a few days after my chemo.. I have really bad shortness of breath

and I am in pre-menopause still and the chemo stopped my monthly. Also the

chemo burned me a little on my back and my sides and side of the breast. And I

do not have to do any radiation.

I was pretty much on "house arrest" during the 103 days of my journey because

my family was afraid that I would catch something, so in order to occupy my time

when I was feeling good I decided that I wanted to do something that inspired

young people or people in general who are going through something and don't

think they can make it. My family and friends kept me strong and my spirits up. I

did six chemotherapy treatments, as of today I am cancer free but I do have to

go back every three weeks to get my Herceptin drug to keep my cancer cells

contained.