In August of 2007, Lindsay had a complete physical for the start of the new school year. Everything was fine.
In December of 2007 she started complaining about her ribcage hurting. We took her to the doctor and he sent her for an x-ray, they didn't see anything. They said for her to take a break from cheerleading it is probably a pulled muscle. The pain went away.
In January of 2008 the pain came back, I took her in and they did another x-ray and saw nothing and treated her for pulled muscle again.
In February of 2008 she had a stiff neck.
In March of 2008 I took her to the chiropractor for a stiff neck and rib pain that would come and go. He did an x-ray and didn't see anything. He treated her twice a week until she was feeling better.
In April of 2008 Lindsay threw up and was having a hard time breathing so we took her to her doctor and they did an x-ray of her chest, again they didn't see anything, they said she probably has the flu. Two days later, she was not getting better and now her back was hurting. We rushed her to the hospital. They took another x-ray of her chest and he called an ambulance and had her directly admitted into Childrens' hospital of Detroit. She had many test and scans and two days later she had surgery to put a tube in her lung for pneumonia. Two days after that she was diagnosed with stage 4 Ewings Sarcoma. She had another surgery to put a port into her chest and she had a bone marrow biopsy.
Her doctor said that if we did nothing she would die in about two weeks. Her cancer had spread from the original site, a tumor on her rib, a couple of spots were on her skull and cancer cells were in her bone marrow.
Chemo started the very next day, she also needed a blood transfusion.
She will have nine months of chemo every two weeks, she would have to be admitted into the hospital to be monitored while she received chemo.
In July of 2008 she had surgery to remove what was left of the tumor and remove some of her ribs and reconstruct her ribcage. The surgery was a success!
Things were looking good for Lindsay, the tumor was gone, the chemo was working.
In August of 2008, we met with doctors at Karmanos for radiation. No radiation needed, there was nothing to radiate.
In September of 2008, Lindsay started her senior year of high school. She had a tutor for the times when she was in the hospital.
In October of 2008, the chemo had caused Lindsay to go into menopause, we had some test to see if we could save some of her eggs, but it was not God's will. Lindsay knew that her little pug was her only baby, he meant the world to her and now he does to us!
In November of 2008, Lindsay had lost a lot of weight but was still fighting for her life.
In December of 2008, Lindsay finished her last round of chemo and was home before Christmas. Little did we know that it would be her last Christmas.
In January of 2009, scans showed Lindsay was in remission, NED! She was so happy.
In February of 2009, her hair was coming back in and she had eyebrows and eyelashes. She was starting to feel pretty again and so hopeful about the future.
In March of 2009, chest x-ray, another tumor, cancer is back. When I told her she screamed and cried. At this time she just wanted to die, she didn't want to fight it anymore but she did it for us. We all cried!
In April of 2009, they knew how bad Lindsay hated coming into the hospital for chemo, so they let her take it in the clinic. They were different chemos than what she was taking. She was sick and weak and the side effects were not pleasant.
In May of 2009, she went to her prom just as beautiful as could be. If you didn't know she had cancer you wouldn't believe it. We can tell that Lindsay was getting depressed and pulling away from life and some of the things that she used to love. It was hard to watch. I prayed for strength for my little girl.
In June of 2009, she graduated from high school! She had bad side effects from this new chemo.
In July of 2009, she started radiation at Karmanos to try to shrink the new tumor that was in her chest. Everyday Monday through Friday for the next two months she received radiation. We met so many wonderful women at Karmanos who were fighting cancer, I will always remember them.
In August of 2009, radiation continued everyday for the month. On Aug. 31 Lindsay had her last radiation treatment.
On September 3, 2009, Lindsay turned 18 and she also found out that she was terminal. The radiation and chemo wasn't working.
On September 4 we met with the hospice doctor who couldn't believe how open and courageous Lindsay was about dying. Lindsay didn't want to fight anymore and she had accepted the fact that she was dying.
Lindsay had never gotten her Make a Wish trip, so everyone was scrambling around to try to make it happen. Honestly Lindsay didn't want to go, she was dying and she didn't feel good. But she went so that she could take her boyfriend to Hawaii, he had never been and she wanted him to go. Always thinking of others first.
On September 11, we left for Hawaii. The flight was hard on Lindsay, she was throwing up and so weak. She lost so much weight. It was hard being in such a beautiful place and not really enjoying it because of what we knew was to come.
On September 19, we came home from Hawaii. Lindsay's abdomen was starting to bloat with fluids.
On September 22, we went to Childrens hospital and met her doctors and this is the day she decided no more, she was ready for Heaven that was her last ride in her white mustang. She came home and got into her mamas bed to die.
It was a month filled with much sadness, pain and suffering watching her starve to death. It was difficult to endure. But God is still in control!
Lindsay had a few moments where she was still her goofy self. Her dad and I was picking her up to do something and she pretended to die to see our reaction and then she just giggled a little and said she was kidding. She still had her funny sense of humor right to the end.
On October 23, her high school presented an award for Lindsay to a family member, it is called the cougar courage award. When Lindsay's cousin came over to give it to her she said why, I'm not dead yet. My silly girl.
On October 25 2009, her breathing was getting worse, we prayed with her and told her how much we loved her and she looked up and took her last breath. We chose to have a closed casket at her funeral due to how the cancer ravaged her body, she wouldn't have wanted anyone to remember her like that.
Our lives have been forever changed. God has all control, power and authority over our lives, give everything to him. Nothing holds value anymore. If you have your family and they are healthy that is all you will ever need in this life.
We were blessed to have her in our lives for eighteen years. I cant tell you how many babies, toddlers, young kids and teens are up at Childrens hospital with cancer. Many died while Lindsay was receiving treatment. I could never forget what I saw up there and will be affected by it forever.
When we have done all the work we were sent to do,
we are allowed to shed our bodies which imprisons our soul like a cocoon encloses the butterfly and when the time is right we can let go of it.
Then we will be free of pain, free of fears and free of worries – free as a beautiful butterfly returning home to God...
i miss u linds u are the best cousin
