November 12, 2021

Abby's White Coat Ceremony

Posted Nov 12, 2021 by Anne Littleton

We're in Philadelphia this weekend for Penn Vet's "White Coat Ceremony." Most of you know that our "baby," Abby is a third-year student at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. (Interesting fun fact: Graduates receive a VMD instead of a DVM. This is because Penn Vet was an offspring of UPenn Medical Center in 1882. In 1933, WOMEN WERE GRANTED ADMISSION TO PENN VET, but by 1939, there were still only 21 females with Vet School degrees in the United States. Nowadays, 80% of Vet School graduates are FEMALE! We've come a long way, baby! )

Anyhow...the Vet students receive white coats during their third year of professional school prior to entering their clinical rotations. Why white, you ask...because white bleaches! I'll try to get a photo to post at the ceremony this evening.

I am doing amazingly well despite a few Keytruda side effects. Yes, it's not all Ferrari rides, fun at the lake with the family, Epcot retreats, and glorious days of hiking and sunning! Some days can be really rough! But they are tolerable because of the good ones! I have learned to rest throughout the day when I am "pooped out," and that really helps the fatigue. Last night I slept six straight hours, which beats 1-2 at a time, and feel like a new woman this morning. 

The doctors have come up with a plan for when random body parts think they're fighting off cancer, but they're fighting my belly, knees, face, etc...( I have to say, the face was by far the weirdest yet! Wasn't expecting that one! ) My immune system is a quick study and Keytruda is a great teacher, so the cancer cells are also getting a blasting. And that's just from the original dose six weeks ago! I am scheduled for another dose on Monday, but that's up to my team at the James. Prior to the proposed infusion, I had two CT Scans. One of the lungs and one of my spine,

I can't wait to see what the lung tumor looks like on Monday! I believe it will be either tiny or gone. I believe my visualization techniques blocked the tumor's "on" switch and returned it to my normal DNA. Now "Sophie" is normal lung tissue as far as I know. Keytruda is working on the tiny mets in my bones. It's a team effort, for sure!

PS: When we were walking out of the hotel to have dinner last evening, a young hotel worker was standing on the veranda, ready to light up a cigarette. I said "hi" and then couldn't help myself and said: "I have Stage 4 lung cancer, and without God and medicine, I'd be dead in 3 months. (Original prognosis was six months without treatment) Don't light that thing up!" (I didn't say that my cancer is NOT from cigarette smoking, It's from 3 different genetic mutations...fib by omission.). He said: "you are dying?" and his expression was one of a deer in headlights! So, what the heck, to save a life, one can stretch the truth, right? Because, in truth, we are all dying, (but he meant short term), I answered: "Yup." And then I kept walking. When I looked back, he was staring at his cigarette...no lighter in hand, yet! I yelled:" God Bless You!." Then I noticed the lanyard holding his IDs said, "JESUS SAVES." Whew! I didn't offend him!

The blessings that cancer affords one are too numerous to count. Being brave enough to intervene in a young stranger's life for their health and wellbeing is just one of them. I WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID ANYTHING 4 MONTHS AGO, and I will always wonder if God sent me to that place at that time. I bet the young man will question it, too! 

Five minutes prior to that interaction, Brad and I were heading to the back door, but I had a sudden inkling to look at the flower shop out front, so... If you don't listen when God speaks, you don't hear God speaking!

Love one another. Can't take money and 'stuff" with you, but every drop of love you share with others stays with them and spreads in infinite directions. We can change this negative, hateful-feeling world when we share our gratitude, kindness, and compassion with those we know and those we meet, and they will pass it forward to those they know and meet. And it goes on and on!

Loving all of you,

Anne