Meaghan's Life ❤️

Story

Hello,My name is Meaghan Murphy.Two and a half  months ago I was brought to emergency at St. Boniface Hospital after a nice night out playing games with friends. I had been experiencing some abdominal pain, and since being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease from age 16 (I'm 35 now), I am used to managing and tolerating high levels of discomfort and pain. The reason I went to emergency is because it had reached a point where I was unable to handle it anymore and felt like it may be more severe than what I had been used to. Luckily, my friend Emily (an ER nurse) encouraged me to go and assured me that although it might be a bit of a wait, I needed pain relief and tests to determine the diagnosis.I was admitted on April 18th early a.m. and was taken for a CT scan first thing in the morning.By 11a.m. I was told that i had cancer, they had found some sizeable tumors and there was spread. I would need surgery right away.I was in shock. I had been receiving morphine for the pain and it certainly helped to numb any feeling I had other than the need to let my loved ones know. I let my Mom and Dad know and it was certainly the hardest thing I've ever had to tell them. I had friends who came to be with me right away. Everything that followed leading up to the surgery was a blur. I had tests, procedures, and surgery preparation.The outpour of support and visits I got from friends was truly amazing. How did I get so lucky?I went in for surgery on April 20th. I had my colon, part of intestines, and a large part of my stomach removed. The cancer had spread to my liver and was inoperable. I made it through the surgery and now have an ileostomy as a result.It was now time to rest and recover, and to heal until the next steps could be discussed.On April 23 I was running a fever and showing signs of infection and was rushed to surgery again. They removed a large quantity of blood in my abdominal area and I received a blood transfusion.I was in recovery again, and again starting to mend.I slowly made it back, was stable, and was learning and adjusting to a new lifestyle I would have to live (ileostomy, diet, etc.)I was released from the hospital just over 2 weeks after I had been admitted.I was healing ok and managing the pain. I had a lot of help from my family and friends.I went to see my Oncologist for the first time and it was made known to me the severity of my situation.I was told that I would have 6 months to live without treatment, and 2 years to live if I chose to undergo chemotherapy. I chose life. I chose chemo. I had a little cry but since then I am surrounded by wonderful, loving people, and I choose to remain positive and happy.I am doing everything I can to remain focused on my health and treatment while still being able to do the things I love and spend time with all of the wonderful people in my life.I am tolerating the chemo okay, and I am taking morphine to manage the daily abdominal pain I feel. I have been in and out of emergency a few times, but i am pushing forward.I feel worse every day that passes. I am battling more fatigue than ever, and struggle with dizziness/fainting. I am thankful that I still feel able to enjoy each day. Asking for help is not easy. It is extremely hard. And I certainly do not want anyone to feel obligated.I will be selling some possessions I hold dear to trade for life experiences. There are a few things I would like to do and I am asking for help with them.I would like to travel a bit. I want to swim in the ocean once more. I want to go see some of the bands I adore because that is very important to me. I want to be able to visit my family, and not have all of the financial burden put on them. I want to do little fun things like go on day trips to enjoy the endless outdoor beauty and lay in wild flowers or have a spa day with my girlfriends. I want to make as many happy memories with my friends as I can. I would like to deeply thank everyone for your love andsupport. It means so much to me.I have a CT scan scheduled for July 18th, after my 4th round of chemo, and before my next scheduled 6 rounds. This scan will show if the chemo is working. I will post an update then.Sincerely,Meaghan.xoxo