A Miracle in Disguise
by Jacquiline Archer
Atlanta, Georgia
On Tuesday, August 2, 2005, at the age of 40 years and in seemingly excellent health, an evening commuter came crashing into my SUV. I quickly phoned 911. Within moments there were lights and sirens coming from every direction. The paramedics gently placed me onto a straight board and took me to the local hospital where I underwent a variety of tests to verify the extent of my injuries. By the time the tests were completed my room was filled with my family and our family doctor.
After a few hours the ER doctor told me he had “…good news and bad news”. He went on to say with surprise, “The good news is that there are no injuries, no fractures, nothing whatsoever as a result of the car accident.” Everyone was relieved, for a moment. “The bad news is there is something in your lower right lobe the size of my fist; we need to do some tests…” I’m not sure what else he said to my family but I think it was something about keeping me overnight and doing a biopsy in the morning.
By Thursday and I was still a paying rent to the hospital for my luxury room when our family doctor came to my hospital room and said to me, “The biopsy results are in; there is a malignant tumor growing in the lower right lobe; it has to come out right away” I was told it was the fastest growing type of cancer, Adenocarcenoma. I had lung cancer. I never smoked, nor had my parents ever smoked.
Later that evening my three sons were brought to my hospital room. They were 12, 14 & 16 years old. I proceeded to remind them of the phrase they had heard throughout their life, “God works in mysterious ways”. As I reminded them of this phrase I repeated for them the sequence of events that had played out over the past two days. I wanted to protect them from any unknown fears that the word “cancer” is typically associated with. They understood that surgery would be required and that the accident was one of “God’s mysterious ways” of letting me know there was something wrong inside me.
Two weeks later, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dr. John Moore performed the 14-hour surgery that would save my life. Dr. Moore removed the grape-fruit sized tumor from the middle and lower lobe of my right lung and staged me as having Stage Ib (“b” for the size of the tumor) cancer.
After 8 weeks of recovering from surgery Dr. Moore installed a mediport which was the method of receiving 12 weekly treatments of chemotherapy (taxol & carboplatin). As of 12.30.05, my last chemo treatment I have had no other cancer related issues. I continue to be closely monitored and screened.
I am a miracle. If it had not been for the auto accident I would not have known about the tumor in my lung. The cancer would more than likely have spread to my brain within 60 days following my auto accident which would have been “too late” for treatment and I would have died in the spring of 2006.
I am so blessed!
[email protected]
www.JackiesHope.org
After a few hours the ER doctor told me he had “…good news and bad news”. He went on to say with surprise, “The good news is that there are no injuries, no fractures, nothing whatsoever as a result of the car accident.” Everyone was relieved, for a moment. “The bad news is there is something in your lower right lobe the size of my fist; we need to do some tests…” I’m not sure what else he said to my family but I think it was something about keeping me overnight and doing a biopsy in the morning.
By Thursday and I was still a paying rent to the hospital for my luxury room when our family doctor came to my hospital room and said to me, “The biopsy results are in; there is a malignant tumor growing in the lower right lobe; it has to come out right away” I was told it was the fastest growing type of cancer, Adenocarcenoma. I had lung cancer. I never smoked, nor had my parents ever smoked.
Later that evening my three sons were brought to my hospital room. They were 12, 14 & 16 years old. I proceeded to remind them of the phrase they had heard throughout their life, “God works in mysterious ways”. As I reminded them of this phrase I repeated for them the sequence of events that had played out over the past two days. I wanted to protect them from any unknown fears that the word “cancer” is typically associated with. They understood that surgery would be required and that the accident was one of “God’s mysterious ways” of letting me know there was something wrong inside me.
Two weeks later, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dr. John Moore performed the 14-hour surgery that would save my life. Dr. Moore removed the grape-fruit sized tumor from the middle and lower lobe of my right lung and staged me as having Stage Ib (“b” for the size of the tumor) cancer.
After 8 weeks of recovering from surgery Dr. Moore installed a mediport which was the method of receiving 12 weekly treatments of chemotherapy (taxol & carboplatin). As of 12.30.05, my last chemo treatment I have had no other cancer related issues. I continue to be closely monitored and screened.
I am a miracle. If it had not been for the auto accident I would not have known about the tumor in my lung. The cancer would more than likely have spread to my brain within 60 days following my auto accident which would have been “too late” for treatment and I would have died in the spring of 2006.
I am so blessed!
[email protected]
www.JackiesHope.org
