The picture of my beautiful mother, Lynne Reingold-Hoo, happily posing in the middle of a vast organic lavender field, was taken by my father on my parent’s wedding anniversary on June 26th, 2010.  It is one of last photos that I have of my mother before we found out that she had Colon Cancer.  She was so carefree, happy, and in good spirits that day and I remember that she was excited for all of the adventures that she had planned for the remainder of her summer vacation.  Below, is the first blog entry that she wrote on Care Pages to let all of her friends and family know her diagnosis and the events that led up to it.

BACKGROUND STORY

By Lynne Reingold-Hoo

The summer of 2010 was wonderful. I read seven books while working on my tan. Billy and I went on a week vacation to Charleston, SC where we indulged in fantastic food, explored the city where you can walk everywhere, hiked through the gardens at Magnolia Plantation, boated our way through Cypress Gardens, spent time on Sullivan’s Island where you can walk out into the ocean for what seems like miles because of the sand bars, and even fit in a day trip to Savannah, Georgia! Billy captured this trip with gorgeous photographs that we hope will be seen in art galleries. They are that beautiful. As if this were not enough, we spent ten days in Kansas City with our daughter, Jadian and her husband Matt, being the first overnight guests in their beautiful new home!The joy that we experienced in sharing time with them, helping them add finishing touches to their house helped me feel so much closer to them since I can now visualize where they are when we have our phone visits. We spent two days on Lake Ozark with Donna and Mike, Matt’s parents, and were spoiled with great meals, a boat trip and just having family fun, playing games and talking for hours.

Anyone who is a teacher can relate to the fact that the other piece of summer is spent going to doctors. It is so difficult just making appointments and getting to them during the school year. I have always been diligent about this…my annual physical, GYN, mammo, eye exam, etc. My story of why I have started this blog really begins here! Upon returning from Kansas, I received a phone call about the blood work taken during my physical showing that I was acutely anemic. Of course, I am thinking, this is not uncommon for woman; I can take some iron supplements, but instead was referred to a GI specialist. Apparently, when there is a significant drop from earlier baseline tests within a year, it is a huge red flag for possible internal bleeding. Thus, the battery of tests begin…endoscopy, colonoscopy, CT scan, MRI…all within the week before Labor Day. Dr. Rho, my GI specialist was so accommodating, knowing my panic about the new school year beginning and I wanted to start on time. I don’t think either of us expected the outcome since I had a normal colonoscopy five years earlier. The shock: colon cancer. I was able to start the school year so that I could connect with my class and help Jen, my lead partner get the classroom set up, procedures in place, and do as much as I could to feel OK about needing to take leave so early in the year.

Finding a surgeon that my family and I could feel comfortable with seemed like an endless search, but we finally chose Pennsylvania Hospital. The care that I received was wonderful, and it is a great comfort to know that it is one of the best medical centers in the country. On September 29th, I had about a foot of my ascending colon removed (where the tumor was on the verge of obstruction) as well at the lymph nodes and the colon was then reattached. I was so fortunate to be so fit prior to the surgery so I bounced back quickly and actually returned to work during the third week.I would have hoped that this was the end of my story, which it often is, but unfortunately, the cancer metastasized to my liver.

I promise that future entries will not be as long, but felt the need to inform those of you who are unaware of the details. I should have started this blog from the beginning!!!!! If I sound devoid of emotion, it is only because I have been living this for weeks, and I have tried to focus on the positive. I am amazed at how much love, concern and support that has been bestowed upon me and it has helped me to keep moving forward. I know that I still have a battle to fight, but I am determined to beat this!

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Although my mother originally started this blog as a way keep everybody updated with her situation and progress, the act of writing down her thoughts, struggles, and triumphs became a daily therapeutic ritual that helped her get through each and every day.  Everyone was amazed by her ability to write regardless of the amount of pain and discomfort that she was in (she even wrote while she was in the emergency room).

My mother’s unfortunate situation also sparked the initial concept for my jewelry company, Bonded Forever.  You can read about how it all began on my About Page.

Tagged as: bonded forever, care pages, colon cancer diagnosis, lynne reingold-hoo