Posted: 7/26/06
God wasnít finished with me yet
 Virginia Thorn |
By MaryHelen Swanson
Her life may be in Godís hands, but He has given her feet to walk into the doctorís office and a mouth to ask questions.
So when, one year ago Aug. 3, Virginia (Ginny) Thorn of Rush City learned she had a lump in her breast, with God by her side, she took the action that would be needed to make herself well.
ìI have faith in God,î said the 2006 honorary chairperson for the Chisago County Relay for Life event.
ìWhatever was going to happen, would happenî she went on, ìas long as I took the next step.î
It is her strong faith in God that has gotten her through the year. But Thorn also gives credit to her family, especially her husband Jim, for his support. ìHeís a wonderful, caring man,î she said, adding it would have been tough to get through the ordeal of the past year without him.
Additionally, friends were there to take over the tasks at her store, Fabrics, Fashions and More, in Rush City. ìThere was a lot of stuff I didnít have to worry about,î she said.
But worry was not on the menu from the beginning.
After the lump was found during a routine physical, she had surgery on Sept. 15 and chemotherapy after that.
ìI never thought I was going to die,î she said matter of factly.
She said she had confidence in the progress in medicine and treatment for breast cancer. Still, she has some important advice for other women, of all ages.
Thorn says it is up to you to take care of yourself. No one is going to do that for you.
So, it is crucial to be diligent in self-examination and in regular mammogram testing.
ìWe get busy and put things off,î she said. While she feels she is diligent about regular physicals and mammograms, it had been 56 months since her last mammogram. The lump had grown during that time.
It is also important to look into family history. While breast cancer doesnít seem to be prevalent in her family, her mother did have it at age 89.
Asking lots of questions is also important. No one knows our bodies better than we do. If there seems to be something amiss, ask about it. Asking questions is important during the recovery, too.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, she said, it is so important to have a positive attitude. ìEvery second you need to believe youíre going to get better.î
Because of the treatments her hair fell out, but there are medicines to help so the treatment and recovery isnít so bad, she said. Her hair is coming back, thick and curly, but she said it wouldnít have mattered if it didnít.
What is important is that the lump was found, that she was treated and that sheís back in the store cutting yards of fabric for folks who like to sew.
ìGod wasnít finished with me yet,î she said, ìitís not in his plan.î
The American Cancer Society has set the following goals for the year 2015:
ï Reduce cancer incidence by 25 percent;
ï Reduce cancer mortality by 50 percent.
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