03/08/2024
Kidding update:
We will not be kidding this Spring except for my grandaughters 2 4-H goats, "Miss Pickles Too" and "Sweet Pickles". This will be their first time having babies. Stay tuned for updated photos and videos of our new arrivals!
What's been going on:
Back in September 2020, just 3 weeks after the wild fire at our ranch, my husband and I were unloading hay into our hay barn. As I was rolling off the bales from the top, to my husband down below, the bales underneath of me gave away. I ended up under a pile of hay bales as they came cascading down onto me. My husband pulled the bales off of me and I thought I was ok, until I wasn't. My husband drove me to the hospital. I had internal bleeding and needed more care than they could provide so the hospital had me transported by ambulance to the OHSU trauma unit in Portland.
I then had emergency surgery to repair a torn artery. As the surgeons were looking for any other damage to my organs, they just so happened to find a tumor on my left lung. It was unrelated to my fall.
After healing from my fall, a few weeks later I was officially diagnosed with non-small cell andenocarcinoma, Cancer. I was soon back in the hospital to have the tumor removed which was 1/2 of my left lung. While in surgery, they also found that the cancer had spread to some surrounding lymphnodes so they removed those too.
A short time after that, I started chemotherapy. When that was over, I was put on a daily target therapy chemo pill.
This June will be the 3 year mark with no sign of cancer returning. At that time, I will be taken off the chemo pill.
Throughout the last 3 years, I was determined to get back to my oldself but last Fall, I finally realized it was time for me to slow down the farm. I sold off all but 18 of my goats. My herd now is mostly full of old goats living out their lives on the farm.
As for me, it was a struggle to accept my new normal and it has taken me a long time to be able to open up about it as I was determined to get back to my old self.
I'm doing well now with my slower pace of life. This June it will be 3 years with no sign of cancer returning. My next milestone will be the 5 year benchmark where its considered unlikely that the cancer will return.
This has been my journey and I respect those that may have chosen a different path. For me, I have put up a good fight to not let my cancer diagnosis take over my body and most of all, my mind. Keeping positive and moving forward even when I was so fatigued, has helped me to be where I'm at today. I'm looking forward to helping my grandaughter with her tiny herd of 2 4-H goats with babies to come!
Sincerely,
Lisa,wgw
