Some people wake up thinking "this is the start of a
new day and the start of a new you".
When i woke up on Aug. 17th of this year, I was laying in
bed not thinking of me starting anything.
I woke up to a phone ringing, it was my man, Matt. I use his
number for important phone calls, cause I can't predict when or if my phone or
cell bill will be paid in a timely fashion, to allow me to have one working.
Matt called to tell me that the Dr. had called and she requested that I call
her soon. When I called, the Dr. picked up the phone quickly, something that
I'm not use to. Usually I can't get a hold of anyone, at the clinic I go to.
The second I heard her say "I’m sorry", I knew it wasn't going to be
good. See, I wasn't feeling good the month before and went into the emergency
room at Queens Hospital, after checking WebMD online. I thought I had a problem with my appendicitis,
but that wasn't the case. After a MRI, I was told the pain I was feeling (they
heavily drugged me to take the pain with morphine) was a tumor and to get a CT
scan right away. That was around July 4th, the same weekend that I got talk to
my Aunt Geneva for the last time before she died of stage 4 lung and cervix
cancer. That Friday before July 4th, I told her first, that I know I have a mass
and I need a CT. She said to make sure I follow up and take care of it quickly.
That was the last time I talked to her, while preparing to go to the hosp herself. She did not know of her own cancer til she was 72, because she never liked
going to the Doctor, though she had full coverage from a job she had worked at
Philip Morris for over 33yrs in Kentucky. She worked till the plant was forced
to close or she would still been there, if she was living. She worked many years after at
Walmart, but they didn't have the med plan she needed, so she depended on her
retirement. So, I set a appointment and talked to a surgeon, who told me that I
had a 3.8cm mass on my adrenal gland and it would be a outpatient surgery to
remove it. No big deal I thought. I even planned a benefit show at the Hard
Rock Cafe for the MLK Peace Poetry Award winners in Oct,. I thought from what
the Dr. said, that I could put it off and it will be taken care of. His name is
Fred Yost and he told me by time he orders and get insurance approval it would
be ok. I still had to take more test to see which type of cancer is was. It
would be either, metastatic, adrenal cortical carcinoma, or Pheochromocytoma.
So, I told my family to pray for the best. Then I talked to Dr. Janet, who said
the test results came back to be Pheochromocytoma. She also mentioned that I should come in soon to talk
about the risks and I would have a in-patient surgery instead. I was blown away.
It was like a surreal, unexplainable moment, where I saw my life flash and saw
that dreams of my youth come true, like deja vu. I didn't tell anyone right away.
I had to let it soak in for a while. I called my daughter, Anjelica first, and then told,
Matt and my Moma. I knew what Pheo could do to my body, after googling all the types of
cancer it could be. It causes uncontrollable
high blood pressure that can lead to heart attack stroke or death. I read the
best definition on; http://endocrinediseases.org/adrenal/pheochromocytoma.shtml
.
So, from what I read, there wasn't much out there for Pheo, like for breast
cancer or many others. There's a Pheo facebook page online with less than
700 likes. So, I added myself to the list that night I talked to Dr. Janet. I
feared not having the support I need from Matt. I feared people shunning me, if
tell them of my condition. After telling the people associated with the MLK
Peace Poetry awards. They wanted to go ahead with my plan, but put it off till
next year. So, I stopped telling people too much about my condition.
But, on Aug. 22nd, the night after I talked to Dr. Janet, I decided to let everyone know my pain. Because, I feel everyone should know what a person of color that moved to Hawaii
for a better life 10yrs ago, is going through with my Pheochromocytoma. Seeing
that less than 800 people per year get this condition, I want to create a Awareness. So, on that night I started to make a video Diary of each day of my life,
leading up to the surgery I must go through, a month from now. In all honesty,
I only have a 50/50 chance with my added heart condition (a bad case of
materiel valve prolapse-heart murmur) to make it out of the surgery alive. So
with each day I have been creating this, I have now decided to add it to the
net on Youtube and create a email; pheo.n.skye@gmail.com,
for those that would like to only talk about all things concerning
Pheochromocytoma. May you be male or female, and no matter your race, when you
have Pheo, we are in the same place. Check out my 1st Youtube link and each
days account of what a average creative, straving artist that goes by the name; Skye
The Soul Poet since 2003. I have traveled the US reciting my poetry and motivating others,
but never making money in the way I want or reach as many people as I would care to
touch, with my Poetry. But now, I must keep on trying to spread the word Pheochromocytoma.
Youtube link: http://youtu.be/Niy9L16yn2E
Mahalo for reading*
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