I am a champion!

This is Angie. I made a slideshow video of mom's treatment and recovery because I was so inspired by how hard she fought and how much she suffered and overcame, and the strength she showed in completing her goal of running a half marathon just a year after her diagnosis. She is incredible.

SharlaCancerJourney2 from Angie Harding on Vimeo.

Half Marathon Day!

Well we did it! 
Race day was perfect in every way, from the weather, to the beautiful course to the fact that we finished our goal and felt so awesome at the end. I could have never stuck out the training and preparation without the amazing support from my team. Team Shonkatron kept me motivated to push hard and complete this goal we made back in January. Thanks everyone for coming out to support this amazing cause and cheer us all on.
My dear friend Carolyn Child provided the neon yellow outfit that Shannon Mineer Shupe and I wore. We invited others to sport the cheerful color and it made it so much easier to identify runners as they crossed the finish line. I shed many tears of joy as I watched runners complete the race. Some through injury and pain and still with a smile on their faces.
Brian ran by my side and we were able to finish our half marathon in 1 hour 54 minutes. It is a true miracle to me and I will never forget that feeling.
Some of the very nurses that have been by my side through the toughest part of the treatment this year were at the aid stations! How great it was to run past them and shout hello as they passed out water and gatorade! This race is so well organized and benefits so many.
Life is beautiful and I couldn't help but pray as I ran this beautiful course and thank a loving Heavenly Father for the gift of life, for this opportunity, and for my recovery and health.
One of the signs along the race course said "Winning is Everything!" And I have to agree. Winning this fight against cancer is everything.
So thankful for Life, for my sweetheart, family and friends who have supported me and loved me through this fight.
God is good, life is fantastic!

It's almost race day!

It's almost race day!

If you would've asked me a month ago, I would've told you I could barely run the 10K. But things kind of turned around for me the past three weeks! I've been able to do some long runs without pain and have thankfully returned to my joyful running! I'm so excited to celebrate beating cancer and feeling like myself again by running this race with my friends and family tomorrow 👍 This is going to be a grand celebration and also a chance to help those still in the fight 😃

If any of you will also be at the AF Canyon Run Against Cancer tomorrow, be sure to say hi! Watch for me in neon yellow and feel free to support our Shonkatron team members by wearing either neon yellow or lime green (the color for lymphoma awareness).

Let's do this!

Things are looking up!

I have been thinking lately that I need to post another update here to let everyone know how I’m doing in my ongoing recovery. When I posted last, I was out of the woods, but there was still a long winding path ahead of me to get back to “normal” full health. I’m still not there yet, but I am doing so much better. I’ve said several times that I am glad I recorded the details of my treatment journey, because when I get discouraged with how long it’s taking to get back to my normal self, all I have to do is look back at where I was to see how far I’ve come, and realize that I am grateful to be where I am and moving forward.

In January I signed up to run the American Fork Canyon Half-Marathon at the end of June, and training for that has been harder than I expected! My energy levels have been lower than they once were, and it’s amazing to realize what good shape I was in before as I try to do things that used to be easy and see how much harder they are. There were times I thought I would not be able to complete the Half after all. But I’ve taken it slow and added some visits to the physical therapist, and things are looking up! I have been able to gain strength and get back on track for the race coming up June 25th. Brian and I did 6 miles last week and I felt like a champ.

My immune system is rebuilding and I have caught a couple of colds over the last few months, but my body has recovered and fought them off, which is very encouraging! The main issue I’ve had that has slowed the recovery process is some stomach issues. Every so often my system would respond poorly to something I ate, and I would have 24 hours of my body rejecting everything; violent nausea, vomiting, the whole deal. After an episode I could only eat broth, and it took several days to get back to eating regular food, so I couldn’t get the nutrition to help my body be strong and recover quickly. After a few months I met with my doctor and he prescribed an anti-nausea med that I could take if I felt an episode coming on. It helped so much and I was finally able to get on top of these attacks, and after a month or so of preventative treatment, I seem to be in the clear! The only food my body still can’t seem to handle is pineapple, how about that? I guess I can live without pineapple for a while if it means good health!

May seems to have been the magic month for me. Getting on top of my stomach issues, and seeing a PT and getting on top of my running issues, has made me feel so much more normal and like myself. I've been feeling really good. I was able to go visit each one of my children in their homes this month and really enjoy them and my grand babies! There’s nothing better or more healing than that! I’m back by Brian’s side on the running trail and in our travels, keeping up and loving every minute of it. We make a great team! We capped off our month by driving to Cedar City for Memorial Day weekend to spend time with family there.

It really is a miracle to me to finally be enjoying such good health, and I appreciate every single part of what that means on a daily basis. I will never take the small things, like going for a jog or eating food without fear, for granted again! I’m loving that my immune system is strong enough that I can go out and be with family, my ward and my friends. 

I’m so thankful for the amazing treatment I’ve had from the team at LDS Hospital, the great care of Dr. Rich and my dear friend Dr. Walstir Fonseca, and above all the love and support from my Heavenly Father my Savior Jesus Christ and the hundreds of prayers and kind thoughts and words from my family and friends. 

It’s taken much patience and care from my Sweetheart and those family members that are closest to me. Their encouragement and help has given me time to heal, and also a chance to get stronger, and I’ve needed their support through this time. It’s interesting to me to experience once again how the body and brain can recover and come back after such a grueling experience, and there is no doubt in my mind that I’ve been strengthened and upheld to be able to withstand it all, and it is a miracle. I certainly won’t have a record-breaking time when I run the American Fork Half, but it will still be a grand celebration and a manifestation of the healing I’ve been granted. It has taken patience, but oh, the rewards of waiting on the Lord. I’m overjoyed and loving life!

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint.

120 days!

I felt really healthy going into my tests this week and thats a great thing. Also, Angie and I had started over in our Book of Mormon reading and we are in one of my very favorite parts! The history of Lehi and his family's journey through the wilderness to make it to the promised land. So many great analogies to be found as we wade through our own adversity in life. I really love Nephi's example of faith and courage, and I’ve always wanted to be like Nephi. So I was feeling mighty going in on Monday!

Mom and I headed to LDS Hospital for our first day of tests. Everything went great, especially the pulmonary tests. My lungs are as strong or stronger than before transplant. Such a relief, because the chemo they used had potential for lung damage. My cute friend who does the tests said I must be on my feet and working out, because she doesn’t get to see scores like this after treatment and if you’re too sick to work out the recovery is much slower and much, much longer. Hooray for the StairMaster in our basement, and for God’s loving protection. The blood work looked great and it was nice to walk in and out of the hospital feeling good. The Pet Scan was on Tuesday and we got the reading from our neighbor Dan Rasband on Thursday night. All clear! Such good news. This means the treatment was effective and no cancer remains!

Sitting down and talking with Dr. Mitchell Friday was so refreshing. She gave us some great advice and information going forward, namely: Get out there and live your life! She was totally in support of me training for the half marathon in June and of or travel plans coming up. This is the reason they do the treatment, so I can get back to living my life! It was really wonderful to hear that from her. 

Dr. Mitchell felt that the treatment was effective and that at 120 days post-transplant my immune system is probably up to about 70% of normal. I was able to get a flu shot! As far as restrictions, she said I should still use good judgement, avoiding sick people or too much physical contact in large crowds, but I don't have to wear a mask anymore when I go out! I am so happy about this news. I really didn't like wearing the mask in public. We specifically asked about going back to church since I have missed that so much, and the doctor advised that we should still be very cautious about church because there is a large crowd in an enclosed space and lots of school-age children. She said I could go but I should sit on the side or in the back and not linger before or after the meeting. So I am excited to get back to church and will be careful to keep my distance. 

I’ve wondered if my stomach issues were normal and how I could avoid any more of those awful attacks where I get so terribly sick. She said it was not normal to have those kind of setbacks and that it was probably due to eating something contaminated and possibly a virus as well. She gave the clear to eat out but said once again I just need to be really judicious and careful. We have learned the hard way that you just never know what might be in the food you're eating when you go out. A normal immune system can handle those things so you'd never know they were there. I still have to be careful as I’m very susceptible to infection and I’m learning that progress is so much better if I can stay well, and digesting food. 

Brian is my sweet protector and even though he is so anxious to start back into real life, he keeps me on the safe side. He and my sweet mom have seen me pretty sick, and thats no fun for them either. So for now I’ll take the doctor’s advice and my cute husband's and be grateful for where I’m at. As I look back to even a month ago, I’m so much stronger and better. It will continue to be that way, I am sure.

After the appointment Brian surprised me with a night at a hotel in Salt Lake City to celebrate. We went to dinner with Brandon and Beth and enjoyed a fun evening in Salt Lake. We are feeling so blessed and so excited to get back to normal life, one day at a time. Above all we are so grateful. For each other, for our family and friends who have supported us through all of this, for great doctors and medical treatments, for a Heavenly Father who is mindful of us in our struggles and a Savior who lifts and carries us along the way. For countless blessings and miracles we have received through this. For each one of you who has offered service to us in any form. And for the chance to keep living this beautiful life we've been given. Each day is truly a gift and we know that now more than ever. I plan to take this gift I've been given and live each day to the fullest, hold my grand babies, love my husband, run and hug and serve and just enjoy this life I have been granted the privilege to keep on living. I am beyond grateful!

Setbacks and My First Trip!

I ended up having to postpone my 100 day check ups and tests due to a couple of back-to-back illnesses that landed me in the emergency room last Monday evening to be treated for dehydration from vomiting and other unpleasant effects. I've had a couple bouts of mild food poisoning but this was a whole different level, it must have been a virus of some kind. It’s the sickest I’ve ever been that I can remember. I guess I’m not Superwoman!
It really smacked me down and taught me a couple of very important lessons. First it taught me that I want to avoid sickness at all costs, and second that I need to be careful during flu season about getting out and around people too much.
After the Christmas season, I just felt like I was ready to start living my life a little more and I got a little ahead of myself.
Thankfully my body did an amazing job of fighting off the infections, and we had miracle after miracle which led to us still being able to fly down Friday evening to see our little Arizona family and attend a small family gathering for Amelia's baby blessing. I so wanted to make the trip and it was up and down the week before wondering if I was going to be well enough.
The Arizona sun and spending time with Kyle and Michelle and the kids did Brian and I so much good. I had strict orders from the doctor to only eat food prepared at home and to wear my gloves and mask, especially on the plane and in large crowds. We were careful and had a successful, safe trip. And most importantly a healing trip - it was so healing for me to be with my kids and grandkids and to hold that sweet new granddaughter for the first time.
I went in for a check up Friday morning to get final clearance and my blood work showed that my white count was back down showing that the infection was gone and things were returning to normal again. The white count was actually a little low, but that is normal this close to transplant.
I’m back on track to start my 100 day testing in a week and will now have the results more like the last part of January. I have to remind myself to be patient and take my time getting back into real life. Especially during flu season. I also have to be so careful what I eat as the least little thing can challenge my digestive system.
That was what got me sick enough to have to go to the ER. I’ve always said that this treatment takes a combination of being really careful with my fragile new self and also setting goals of exercise and getting back to my good health and strong body. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That was certainly true this week!

Ready to RUN!

I'm almost at the 100 day mark! I can hardly believe it! These last few months have been some of the longest of my life. But I made it through and with relatively good health. I caught a cold last week with all my kids and grandkids at home for the holidays, and I've had food poisoning a couple times, but other than that I've made it to 100 days unscathed!

Now I am starting all my 100 day testing. I'll have a full round of tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment I received. PET scan, blood tests, chest x-ray, and then a meeting with the doctors at LDS hospital to evaluate everything. I'm hopeful everything will come back clean!

We are looking forward to getting back to normal - even putting a few exciting things on the calendar to look forward to. A couple visits to see our kids and grandkids, and I just signed up to run the American Fork Canyon Half Marathon at the end of June! It's an ambitious goal and I'm excited to get back to the good health it requires. Last June we ran a half marathon right after I received my cancer diagnosis. I was in such good health then! Soon after I began treatment that stole my good health away from me. I think training for and running this race a year later will be my way of celebrating my health and coming back.

The AF Canyon Half benefits cancer research. We ran it as a family in 2014 and it was incredible to see all my fellow cancer survivors participating and the family and friends of those affected by cancer. It was so meaningful and we think this year will be even more so!

I created a team and have some family members and friends running the half marathon, 10k and 5k distances on my team. We'd love to have more join us! The race is still run as an individual but joining a team just means you run in someone's honor. If you'd like to join our team you can follow this link to register!