Why I Haven’t Been Blogging – But Hoping I Can – Even if Just a Little!

scan0044After blogging for over a year now, I found that there is a wonderful community of family history bloggers. Many of you began to feel like friends through the comments we leave for one another and the help we give one another.

It’s hard to know what and how much to share with people I’ve never actually met, but I feel like I owe you an explanation for my absence – especially those who read my blog regularly.

I started not feeling well back in April. High liver enzymes along with other weird symptoms led us down a path to try to find what was causing those high liver numbers and so we tested for about every virus and autoimmune disease there is. Always negative. And then my liver enzymes returned to normal and we thought I’d feel better.

But, more rashes and swelling and ….

Finally, I had a week when I felt that there were tender lymph nodes in my neck. Now we were headed in the direction of a diagnosis. Turns out I have a Non-Hodgkins lymphoma of the T cells – a kind that has a really long name. At first we thought it was the “easy” lymphoma, but this one is a little trickier. In addition to chemo, I’ll be having a stem cell transplant (my own stem cells) sometime in the process.

I had my first infusion of chemo a few days ago and I’m feeling pretty good. I have no idea what lies ahead. I’m just taking one day at a time.

I’m hoping I can find something easy to post to keep things going here – maybe a family recipe a week, or a family “treasure” – but I’ll have to see how it goes. I may sleeping for the next 6 months, for all I know!

Anyway – that is why I haven’t been here. And I haven’t been reading what you write either. And I miss it! And I miss you!

Kathy

 

8 thoughts on “Why I Haven’t Been Blogging – But Hoping I Can – Even if Just a Little!

  1. Oh, Kathy, I’m so sorry to hear this! I can understand your hesitancy to share personal information online, but you are right: the family history blogging community is certainly a caring one. I know many of us would want to know what became of you, so thanks for taking the plunge and making this post. You have a beloved little blog here. Its readers would want to know.

    Here’s hoping you experience the best possible outcome. Chemo can be challenging, but from my friends who’ve had to endure it, I sense a victorious coming-out on the other end of the process. I’ll be wishing that same scenario for that part of your story, too.

    • Thank you, Jacqi. I have been missing this little (or big!) community. I hope to get back to reading along with all of you and participating.
      A “victorious coming-out on the other end of the process” – I like that image!

  2. Hi Kathy,

    I’m so sorry you are going through this. You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted when you can.

    Best wishes for a healthy recovery very soon!

  3. Kathy, Mariann S. Regan wanted to post a comment here, but for some reason the blog wouldn’t accept her ID information to let her log in. She asked me to transmit her message to you, below:

    “Dear Kathy, I’m so sorry to hear what you are going through, and please count me as an enthusiastic member of your support system! I know all of your readers will be pulling for you as you fight through this disease. As a reader, I feel honored that you are sharing this experience with us, and I’m sure we are all in your corner! We love your blog, and our affection for you will stay the same even if you are not blogging at the moment! A number of my friends and relatives have been through chemo and stem cell transplants, and those experiences are difficult but also full of hope for remission and cure. I’m hoping and praying for the very best results for you!! I’ll read anything you want to post.” ~from Mariann

    • Gee – I wonder why Mariann couldn’t post her comment? Thank you Jacqui, for relaying her message.
      Mariann, thank you so much for your support and kind comments. I appreciate the words of support and the prayers and positive thoughts! I am doing well so far – although I am just at the beginning of the journey.

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