It's hard to forget where you were on September 11, 01 when terrorists declared war on America, crush two commercial jet in New York City World trade Center and one into the Pentagon in Washington, DC, by radically changing the course of our nation.
It is even more difficult for Trina C., who felt so alone that day in Flint, Michigan.
He was the morning ?? almost exactly the same time the first jet hit ?? Trina was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma cancer and told that the disease could kill in less than a year.
"I could tell by the look on the face of my doctor, when he came into the office, what he was telling me was not good," said Trina. "I will never forget that look. Then he told me to go home and get my affairs in order.
"In my opinion, it really is like this Alan Jackson song about 9/11: Where were you when the world stopped turning 'I' ll always remember where I was this morning.. 9/11 has a little different meaning for me. "
Trina, 47, has exceeded all expectations since then, demonstrating how the eight grueling hours, tumor reduction surgery and the combination of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy can be effective for mesothelioma. She survives and thrives for over a decade now, inspirational living for others. His last name is withheld on privacy.
"I have my down days. There is the pain of all the scar tissue. And fear [of it returning] is never far away, "she said. "But I've lived to see that my two children have become. And that's all I prayed for. If I live to 48, which is a wonderful thing. Every day is a blessing. I now feel as I'm living the dream "
Traveling in a 18-Wheeler
Trina recently supported by his latest adventure. Traveling the country with a longtime friend who works as a car transporter. They ride in his 18-wheeler with a luxury cabin that also serves as a small home away from home.
Over the past three months, they drove through 44 states, see the Florida beaches, the mountains of Colorado, the southern California sun, and lobster traps in Maine. And most everything in between.
"My children are all grown and on their own, so I'm seeing the country," she said happily on her mobile phone inside the truck traveling through California. "I lived the life, and saw more than most people ever get to see. I'm feeling lucky. If it had ended there 11 years ago, I would have felt cheated. But not now, if it ends today, I have no regrets. I have done so over the past 11 years. "
mesothelioma surgery, recovery was difficult
Trina was not always cheerful. His initial diagnosis was hard to accept. She said she believes her mesothelioma is the exposure to secondary asbestos during his childhood. both his parents worked on a General Motors assembly line installation of brake parts that contained asbestos.
She began treatment shortly after 9 / 11 diagnosis. She underwent two months later of surgery at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, leaving her mentally and physically exhausted. chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been difficult. and there were several setbacks after surgery.
"I had the surgery on November 15, which I remember because it is the day of the hunting season for deer in Michigan opening. I tell people, the surgeon m 'emptied the same day my hunting friends were gutting their deer, "she joked.
"I remember how unhappy I was. I looked in the mirror and seen death, and just cried. I knew then that I was dying. I tell my children that I wanted my funeral of be. It was hard on them. It was a terrible terrible thing to happen. When I left for the surgery, I'm not sure I'd ever make it back. the fear was overwhelming. "
his medical history of the family made its test even more emotionally difficult. His older brother had died nine months earlier. Her mother was already gone. His stepfather had died earlier from lung disease linked to asbestos. Cancer has sisters and children closer than they had ever been, any rally around it.
Her children became his inspiration
His 15 year old son, a sports fan, lovingly called her "Spalding" after losing her hair during chemotherapy, often putting his hand over his bald head as he was palming a basketball. His 19 year old daughter has become a leader in the home, paying bills, buying groceries, embracing his mother's illness. It would make the exercise of the mother in the home.
She spoke with other survivors, joined a support group and become Facebook friends with other mesothelioma patients. She reached out for help. And she got.
"They positives me, and once I got back on my feet, I tried to do everything, thinking I did not have much time," she said. "I'm went on a cruise. I went in the Rocky mountains, went rafting in the meeting of a NASCAR driver. "
Stay connected with Community mesothelioma
Trina soon returned to work for the same large retailer where it was before. She recently retired with a nice pension and total disability after 25 years with the company. She sold her house and moved to a smaller place on a beautiful Lake Michigan, where she now often watches the world go by.
"I tell people all the time,` Life is a gift. And I love it more than anything, "she said. "As with cancer is the attitude you take. You have to stay positive. You have to believe you can beat it. Just do not let him win. Do not sit there and dwell on what you can not control . Learn from it. "
his postoperative analysis increased from every three months to every six months for each year. His daughter married and had her first child, turning Trina in a grandmother. His son graduated from high school and college, started his career and was recently engaged.
The friends she met throughout the mesothelioma community are friends for life. During his recent trip through California, she had dinner one night with husband and daughter of another patient peritoneal who had befriended her years ago at NIH. His friend passed away three years ago, but it remained in contact with the family.
"People who have gone through this with me, saw me at my worst, and now they see me at my best. This was a miracle, "she said. "Something horrible has turned into something so good."
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