A Brief Update

It does not seem like it has been nearly two years since I last posted. Yet, in just a few days it will be 2019, which means this post will be published almost 2 years to the day of my last post. I believe my last post was about resolutions. So what has happened in the last couple of years?

Two days after my last post, on January 13th of 2017, my dad was diagnosed with Guillain Barret Syndrome, also known as GBS. GBS is an autoimmune disorder that occurs after exposure to a virus that either signals the autoimmune response or tricks the body into the autoimmune response. The autoimmune response? Essentially your immune system starts attacking your nervous system and as a result paralysis happens. GBS tends to start in your limbs, specially your legs, and the paralysis then spreads up your body. In my dad’s case, he started to lose feeling in his legs and arms, which led to complete paralysis from the neck down. Fortunately, GBS is treatable and the symptoms are usually reversible. Most of 2017 was spent taking care of my dad in the hospital, in rehab, and at home. Shortly after my dad’s symptoms had disappeared and he was relatively healed, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She never acted terribly worried, but her prognosis was in question, especially when her lymph nodes showed cancer too. 2017 ended with our family not sure what 2018 would look like.

That brings us to this year, which will end in a few short days. My aunt made enough progress on chemo that she was able to have surgery to remove the cancer. Her surgery went well and she was prescribed light doses of chemo throughout the year to take care of any remaining cancer cells. Then in July my grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which had spread throughout her entire body in her lymph nodes. Her prognosis was not good. Yet, just like with my aunt, her chemo was successful enough for surgery. Last month she had extensive surgery, which hopefully removed the cancer. She will still undergo chemo, but we are hopeful this is the end of it. 2018 is ending with my aunt officially cancer free and hopefully 2019 will start with my grandma cancer free.

The last two years have not been without progress and joy. At the end of 2017 I received a promotion at work and I started grad school. I have been blessed with success in my grad school classes and look forward to obtaining my master’s degree in spring of 2019.