The Year I Missed Spring!

It was March 1997 and I was living the dream.   I had just been promoted to a sales position, in downtown Minneapolis for a local staffing company.  I drove a Ford Escort, owned Payless pumps in every color you could imagine and was given a high tech device called a pager. 

My home life was a crazy one, I was single mom with 3 teenagers: 2 that wouldn’t eat red meat and one that wouldn’t eat chicken (just try to come up with a quick meal, I dare you), we had a dog named Otis, he continuously chewed the couch cushions if left home alone for a long period of time.   My son Dan was coming to the end of a very long hockey season that required, being picked up from the arena usually by me in my pajamas at 10:00 PM.  It seemed, I would close my eyes and then the day would start all over again.  Boy I was tired and stressed.

I had noticed some bruising on my arms and legs for a few weeks.  Then one day at work I got my period, something seemed different, I was as white as a sheet and felt as though I had lost my entire blood supply.   I decided to head to the clinic on my way home from work.  Because, it was the end of the day, they couldn’t tell me exactly what the problem was, but I do remember they mentioned Leukemia.  My pager had been going off non- stop while I was at the clinic.  The kids wanted the car and/or dinner.   I was just too darn busy to be sick!

The next day I got a call from the clinic and that’s the day my life changed forever.  “Mrs. Lynum you have Leukemia”!  “Pack a small overnight bag and they are waiting to see you at Regions Hospital”.  This was before Mr. Gore had invented the Internet if you looked up Leukemia in a dictionary it said cancer/fatal.  After a bone marrow test, I was diagnosed with AML, a fast moving blood cancer, if left untreated gave me about 6 weeks to live.  They started chemotherapy the next day.  The first series of chemo did not put me into remission however, the 2^nd round did.  My family and friends were amazing.  I couldn’t have done it without them.  I do know the power of prayer was on my side.

 I was admitted into the hospital mid March, when there was still lots of snow on the ground and left the hospital the end of May the day before my daughter, Melissa’s high school graduation.  I remember thinking how odd it was, I had missed the entire spring season, really my favorite time of year!  It took another 6 months before the treatments were concluded.

15 years later here I am.  I have had the honor to watch all three of my kids graduate from high school then go on to college.  I met and married a wonderful man that has shown me how great married life can be.  Together, we now have 6 kids and 7 grandkids.  I travel whenever possible.  My health is amazingly good other than a few aches and pains.  I recently re-connected with my Oncologist just to thank him and re-enforce what an important job he has.  So, when you can, please give generously to the American Cancer Society.  Let’s see if we can end cancer in our lifetime!