Wendy Maureen Holmes is described as having "a kind of very unique personality.""I live life with a permanent pair of" rose colored glasses "," Wendy said recently mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center.
"I openly speak my mind, and I'll go to the ends of the earth to help someone in need."
As a cancer survivor who has spent much of his life working as a volunteer ambulance driver in a close-knit community, Wendy is perhaps in a unique position to talk about his experiences with mesothelioma - a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
A Shocking diagnosisAny diagnosis of cancer comes as a shock.
For Wendy, it was even more of a shock than usual as she showed no symptoms.
"I was not sick. I was a healthy, active young woman working in the health field with two little girls keep me very busy.
"However, one day, she found that her left arm was swollen, caused by what turned out to be a big blood clot in the vein left subclavian - a blood vessel that goes below the collarbone (clavicle) .
"I spent a total of 30 days at the Cleveland clinic between January and February 1998," recalled Wendy.
"During this period of time, blood work showed I tested positive for cancer.
The levels were off the charts."
The most amazing part was how far the cancer has progressed.
It is rare for tumors at an advanced stage to develop without any symptoms at all, but as it appeared, Wendy had stage 4 mesothelioma.
"A CT scan was ordered to better show what on earth was going on," Wendy describes the diagnostic tests that have been used.
"My body was loaded full of tumors, which were my lymph nodes in my neck to my groin.
I had a pleural thickening and my abdomen was filled with fluid in my abdominal cavity.
All cancers".
Doctors removed a Wendy's neck lymph node for testing.
It has been tested for a variety of different cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer and others.
"I was tested for all this," she said, but is negative.
In March 1998, Wendy returned to the Cleveland Clinic to learn his fate.
"After the Cleveland Clinic obtained the results, it does not connect with a person of my age and sex," she said, saying that most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are men in sixty or more.
"My blades and blocks were sent to Boston for a second opinion, which were sent to Europe for a third opinion."
These views all lead to the same conclusion, however, and the prognosis was extremely urgent.
"Because of my presentation and severity, a terminal stage was diagnosed (step 4) mesothelioma and given 12-18 months to live if I used chemotherapy to save me time and make my process death less painful. "
"Imagine hearing this load news when you're sitting there, not bad, not tired, not prepared for such a declaration."
At the request of his mother, Wendy got a second opinion through the James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State University.
They also confirmed the diagnosis and prognosis.
"I met an oncologist who was a little surprised I chose The James during the Cleveland Clinic.
My choice has nothing to do with statistics and merit.
I choose the person who gave me hope, even if it has been measured at a chance of survival than 1 percent. "
Hope in a time FrightIn fact, Wendy was able to find hope in a number of places, and she attributes this to its long-term survival.
"There were many people in my life who was my rock in their own unique ways."
Wendy's mother, Darlene Phillips, offered hope through his constant and unwavering support.
"His only way out of being a fighter was his own education and persistence," recalls Wendy.
"She was the one behind the scenes phone calls, listening to experts, keep a diary, arrange and lead me in every way she felt was important for my life .... It is the only woman I know who can suck and remain in charge for the good of the task at hand. "
Not that it has always been easy, Wendy admitted.
"I know she cried as much as I did.
Maybe more.
There were times I wanted her to just quit and let me spend my last months trying to agree with death.
It is these times that I needed most and it just never knew it. "
When his mother helped with Wendy support physically and organizationally, his father helped Wendy providing spiritual and emotional guidance.
"He was many things, but he was also an ordained minister who helped me better understand my relationship with my God.
I'm not a person 'churchy' and he accepted and respected that.
He never Castigate with religion, but helped me understand that love conquers all, "Wendy said of his relationship with his father.
" Love heals hearts, bodies, and souls fears."
"My particular God is not in a temple, but inside of me as my best friend.
I am surrounded with others on the other side also love and protect me and prepare me for life situations.
I embrace every day. "
Another person who offered Wendy hope for his fight with mesothelioma was Calvin, his best friend and the one who encouraged him to become a first paramedic. "He was my confidant, my rock, and nobody could sit next to you in the silence that does not even need to ask how you were that day," said Wendy of their relationship.
"He knew me thoroughly.
He accepted, however, for this weird person I really was.
"Things Calvin did for her did not stop their jobs ,." He talked to me every day.
He took my kids for ice cream so I could sleep.
He sang for me.
It made me laugh on the worst days.
He was in constant contact with my mother, his support in all his endeavors.
Calvin and Wendy were married in 2002, and unfortunately he died five weeks later.
"He asked God to take so I can live," Wendy spoke of that time in his life.
"I did not know you could be loved like that.
We all know that God does not award such as this one, but the compassion and the desire to see me survive was in every breath. "
With each such person, Wendy found the strength to handle the shock of his diagnosis and struggle against mesothelioma tumors that had invaded his entire body.
Learning About an unknown illnessWendy had never heard of mesothelioma before his diagnosis.
"Very few ads were on TV at the time," she explained.
"We bought a computer for the sole purpose to find something that we could learn more about asbestos."
Worse, all she discovered the rare form of cancer was full of pessimism.
"All health professionals around me who have heard of this disease would give me the same look when I filled out my diagnosis.
This look was aloud afraid, because nobody survives."Wendy underwent three cycles of chemotherapy to try to fight against the disease.
However, in December 1998, about nine months after his diagnosis, things had not progressed well.
"I met with my oncologist knowing that I stop all chemotherapy and choose hospice care," she said.
"I had done three tours of treatment with improved scratch based on each result of the CT scan.
I was afraid to have this discussion with him, but I had to face reality. "
When she sat face-to-face with his doctor, Wendy knew something was different this time.
"He was sitting next to me, holding my hand and said he needed to talk to me.
I mentally prepared myself for the word" and took a deep breath. He told me that my CT last was different."
Wendy expecting the worst. But she was yet even more unexpected news.
"All tumors have disappeared," she learned from her doctor. "My laboratories have shown zero signs of cancer. My body was 100% clean, apart from a small scar in my pleural cavity.
I was CANCER FREE!"
In the shock of the moment, Wendy was unable to speak.
"I do not remember much after that.
I was in complete shock.
He had his nurse to come and hear the news.
Everyone had tears of happiness and confusion .... I am always in awe ".
Wendy attributes her unexpected healing with the use of holistic remedies that had taken alongside his chemotherapy treatments.
"The green light was given to plunge into holistic ways by my oncologist," she said MAA Center.
"It was not going to hurt anything because there was no way living out of as far as science was concerned.
His only request was that I backed doses that might interfere with chemotherapy a few days before and after my treatments. "
The green light to look for ways to help his body heal gave Wendy a purpose, and she plunged into the head of the first project.
"I have studied and designed a new My daily diet chart.
I learned guided imagery and practiced every day."
She also used meditation and training the brain to eliminate the fear and focus on positive energy.
"The dark days still managed to slip, but they do not last long.
I allowed myself to embrace all the emotions and learn from them."
The effect of its holistic approach to the treatment of cancer has helped Wendy immeasurably.
"I was sick of this disease.
I felt bad, never had shortness of breath.
I had a glowing skin and my nurses were shocked by the way I was with they types of chemotherapy was given.
I attribute this to my holistic approach. "
Wendy's experience with holistic remedies continued to help others also "(My oncologist) knew my holistic remedies were proved a bonus as my diet he was referring to some of his other patients.
To load full of cancer one day and none the next day is just hard to wrap your head around.
a second analysis was performed to prove that there was no error on the equipment.
Zero cancer! "
Help others and ban asbestosWendy is one of the longest mesothelioma survivors still alive, and she intends to help others through this and other forms of cancer.
At the end of this summer, it will have a certification in holistic healing, and she wants to find other ways to help those in need as well.
"My hope is to work with cancer patients, people need to find that one person (me) who can be their leader in this rat race and teach them what I learned," she insisted."life is terminal.
Life is a beautiful journey of the unknown, and find our own way, learning to embrace the good with the bad in harmony.
I know how blessed I am to be here today and I try hard not to take for granted. "
Part of this assistance is to ensure that people are aware of the dangers posed by asbestos.
As for her own situation, it is not clear how it was exposed - because it was exposed in so many different ways.
"My mother and I conducted many interviews of the family," Wendy described her research to find out how she came into contact with asbestos.
"Come and see, I have been exposed to asbestos wherever I passed time.
Clothing My father was the main source.
He was a permanent mechanic.
The black spot on his shirts was asbestos brake pads and clutches.
Gaskets contained asbestos as well. The floor tiles in our kitchen, dryer, hair dryer, schools, outdoor house shingles, roof shingles ... all the asbestos content. "
Now she wants to ensure that others are aware of the harm that asbestos can do.
"Regarding asbestos is concerned, please ask! This stuff is always around us.
Flipping a home? Have it tested before tearing anything.
Working in a factory? Ask and to require the knowledge that asbestos is in this place.
Bring awareness to others around you about it.
Shove on their faces if necessary Vote only for those who are all for the prohibition of asbestos in the United States.
Use your voice! This disease has no conscience. It feeds our souls. "
