I had a seizure at work at my desk on March 27 so I was taken by ambulance to the downtown Hospital. I totally do not remember, I started chemo immediately and one drug and then another truck was at it and then that wasn’t working so we did another drug and then we added another drug that drug didn’t work so that after you had approved another drug so we did that drug then we had another drug we did numerous cocktails until we finally got to Taxotere- I completed two lines of treatment with this and it practically killed me. I was sick sick sick and I have decided if I was going to have to go through it again I was going to choose not to, however at that time immunotherapy was just becoming popular and the FDA approved Opdivo Which was my miracle drug

I had started attending college to get my bachelors had an online school in January 2013 and after I had the seizure in March I continued with school and I really believe that that helped my brain recover From gamma knife surgery in April 2013. As of today I continue to have MRIs every four months and they continue to show zero tumors and only one area with scar tissue. CT of my lungs continue to show scar tissue on my lung. My daughter had her second baby in July 2013 and she also went back to school to get a nursing degree so I watched her two children, my grandchildren, ages two and newborn. Being needed and loved and also exerting my brain helped me in my opinion.

EDITOR'S NOTE: As of May 2022, tlnaka remains healthy and thriving post-diagnosis. Her update:

"I continue to receive Opdivo every 4 weeks. Every once in a while all of my joints just scream out in pain so then I go on a very low dose of prednisone (2.5 mg, every other day) for a couple of months and then go off.

I was gaining weight like crazy so I started noom and have been eating more greens and veggies - I've been trying to stay active.

I have neuropathy and walk with a cane due to all the chemo I received so my most favorite thing is getting in my pool where I can lift my legs up and spin around like a ballerina and really enjoy myself.   I don't walk with a cane in the house because I'm confident of the placement of furniture, floor slopes, etc.  So, I'm starting to try and walk sometimes without my cane at various stores.

It's 7 years now and I feel great! I love life and I love being alive"

I was a big smoker, so not a big surprise