Hello to all who have stopped to read this and Thank You in advance for your support.
Also, check out Heidi’s video as well: http://cloud.muvee.com/album/heidis_pilgrimsgeThe following is a letter from my daughter written after she had received word that she was in remission.
That remission was however short lived. A few weeks later a biopsy revealed the cancer was still there. Tragically, on April 29, 2014 it was revealed that Heidi is now terminal. Prognosis, 9 Months to live life to it’s fullest.
“Kind of ironic… it takes 9 months to make life….. I’m going to go ahead and take that as a sign to live it to the fullest and truest while I have it. Thanks for all the love and support. Much love” Heidi Wakeley
As you might imagine her family is heartbroken at knowing we will soon be without this vibrant young woman. Yet there is a 5 year old child she will leave behind that will not have his mother as he goes through this world. This is the true tragedy here.
Please help us fulfill Heidi’s last wishes, whatever those might be. She is numb right now from this devastating news. However, I know she will rise above as she always has and will leave all of us standing in awe of her incredible strength and her overwhelming zest for life.
Linda Wakeley
Hello there!
My name is Heidi Wakeley and I am 26 years old, the mother of a beautiful little boy, I have stage 3 cervical cancer.
It all began at the beginning of July of 2013 I left a GYN office with the knowledge that I most likely had cancer.
I had visited the ER twice during the previous months to be told that I had pelvic inflammatory disease and not cancer and given antibiotics that never seemed to work. There were physical changes that I had noticed occurring as well. At this time I was certain I had had cancer. Yet I was told that was not the case.
I neglected going to the doctor because I am without insurance and wasn’t making a whole lot of money at my job. My boyfriend insisted I see a GYN and offered to pay so I finally went to get properly checked. After the biopsy was taken during the exam the doctor did something no doctor does unless they are quite certain and told me he was very sorry but he was pretty sure that it was indeed cancer and immediately referred me to UNC GYN Oncology. WOW, I was numb that day. The reality of what I was being told and what I felt to be true just didn’t seem real.
I was told by my new doctor that the biopsy results had come back positive and upon completion of my exam I was informed that I had a very large tumor, about the size of a large orange, and it was so large you couldn’t feel around it. At that time I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cervical cancer.
That began my treatment. After scans were done it was determined that my tumor measured 10cm and so I did what any positive, silly person does and named it Valencia. They started with 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy that caused me intense pain and exhaustion. During that time I also had chemotherapy, Cisplatin, once a week on top of radiation which caused me nausea. Life at times seemed unbearable.
At the end of these treatments they did a scan and discovered that Valencia (my tumor) was still pretty big so I was admitted to the hospital for HDR, high dose radiation, where I was confined to bed, unable to move for 3 days, with radioactive rods inside me. Nurses only came if absolutely needed because the levels in the room are so high. After this the scan revealed that my tumor was still there but now small and dense enough to remove surgically.
I had a few weeks off and tried to live life as best as I could and as normal as possible. They then had a complete hysterectomy, removing my uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, cervix, tumor and 2 lymph nodes that tested positive. I was sure this had to be all, right? Surely I was done. Not quite.
The biopsy of everything tested positive on the edges and on my left lymph node for cancer.
That diagnosis started a new plan. Three rounds of chemo. Carbo/Taxol, every 3 weeks.
This is when I began to think that this could be very serious. I might not win. I became very depressed at times. I could not give up though. I had much to live for. A beautiful son, a wonderful soul mate, a sister who’s love and support meant everything to me and a mother, who’s heart I could not break.
My scan after this revealed that I am clear of cancer now, but that does not mean I’m out of the woods. I have had a blood infection and sever pain from lymphedema. There is also a 3 cm pocket of fluid that may be an infection or lymph fluid My Cancer being gone doesn’t mean the struggle is done. I still have 6 rounds of chemo ahead of me as well as months and years of recovery until I’m back to where I was before. . I will for the next several years face scan after scan to monitor my progress and make sure that my cancer is still in remission. I will, with no insurance, still incur medical expenses that are beyond my ability to pay at this time. Your donations will help to provide me assistance with my pharmaceuticals, medical expenses and living expenses while I recovery from this financially devastating life event.
I refuse to give up and I refuse to let me bring this down. I will smile through this. I will laugh and love, joke and play, flirt and feel pretty, and feel more compassion and understanding because of this. Thank you all for your help and live life without regrets. Life is far too short to be anything but happy. That’s what I wish for all of you! Have a wonderful, magical life and keep smiling!!!
*Heidi Wakeley