About six months ago, I was told that my white blood cell count was high. My doctor sent me to a blood doctor so that he could figure out why this was. This doctor ran about five tests per week (radiology, blood tests, etc.) and finally determined that I had a cyst or something on my left kidney. I then went to see the kidney doctor, who wasted no time in telling me that it was cancer and surgery was required. The longer I waited for the surgery, the worse my chances were for getting all of the cancer. So my husband and I decided to do the surgery right away.

I contacted my family and was informed that there were several of those in my family that had cancer and perished, their cancer had started the same way, when they had the surgery they did not survive. I almost changed my mind after talking to my family, but then I realized that the ones that did not survive had waited years to have their surgeries. I was still scared to death.

I went into the hospital and the doctor did the surgery, during the recovery I knew something was wrong when I could hear everyone around me and I could feel them pushing on my chest, but I could not talk and my eyes would not open. I could hear something beeping; I did not realize that it was for me. Apparently, the anesthesia had not wore off enough for me to respond and the machine that was monitoring me was malfunctioning. They thought I was fixing to be dead. Quite frankly, so did I, but in the end everything worked out alright and here I am.

That is when I decided no more smoking, and it was time for me to do all the things that I had been putting off for later in my life. You never know what might come along and change your life. When that right thing does come along you will know recognize it, and the changes will begin.

Learn more about this author, Michele Harper.
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