Why I Walk...RELAY FOR LIFE

Jordan walking in the Survivor Lap our first year

 I'm sure everyone has been affected by cancer in some way or another. Whether it be a friend a relative or yourself that was unfortunate enough to get this horrible disease.  Back in the Spring of 2009 my 10 year old son (at the time) Jordan was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. WHAT??  Thyroid Cancer , in a 10 year old? That's what I was thinking anyway. It was all so surreal. How can this be?

You may be wondering how something like this is discovered . Well during a routine exam, our family Dr. was feeling around Jordan's neck. ( I always wondered why they did this, I always thought it was more for show than anything else),  anyway she felt this lump. We went for blood work and an ultrasound and it was diagnosed as a goiter on his thyroid. We monitored it through ultrasound, and noticed the next year that it was getting bigger so off to Nemours Childrens Hospital  A I Dupont, in Wilmington DE we went .  They Biopsied it and then we got the news. The good news out of all this, is that this is one of the most treatable forms of cancer there is. So for that, we were thankful.

Jordan had a surgery that took at least 6 hours to totally remove his thyroid and the tumor. It was wrapped around the nerves and vocal cords pretty badly. We were in the hospital for 8 days because his parathyroid glands were damaged a little during surgery and so until they recovered, his calcium levels got dangerously low, putting him in the ICU part of his stay. He wasn't even home 2 weeks when he had to go in for another surgery to remove a lymph node that had started to enlarge, containing the thyroid hormone.

Today Jordan is doing well. He continues to see his Ear Nose and Throat Dr.and Endocrinologist regularly to monitor his Thyroid levels. He takes thyroid medication every day to replace those hormones.
He has been through so much more than some and yet not nearly as much as others. Everyday we are thankful he has come through what he has and continue to look to the Lord for the strength for whatever lies ahead.

With all this We decided to walk in the relay for life. We made it a family thing . Myself, My Husband Ken, My son Tanner and Jordan. It was like nothing I have ever done before..  You can read more about that here.

Jordan however is just one reason I walk. There unfortunately have been others that I love that have lost their battle here on this earth with this horrible disease. For them my family and I walk to help find a cure and to remember those we've loved and lost.
Won't you please support us in helping to fight this disease? click here     http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11SA?px=13526034&pg=personal&fr_id=33570   Thanks for your support.