Kathy’s Story
I was diagnosed with follicular non Hodgkins lymphoma (fNHL) in January of 2006. June of that year marked our 25th wedding anniversary. We put off any celebration because of the uncertainty during the time of having treatments.
I had a scan about 3 months after completing my Rituxan regimen and was told there was no evidence of disease. It was then that we made plans to take a trip to a warm place in the winter to celebrate our missed anniversary. We decided on Puerto Rico since we wouldn’t need passports because it’s a U.S. territory, and it is inexpensive to fly there.
That week in January of 2007 was a lifesaver. I was able to get my mind off of everything that had happened over the past year. It was a “restorative escape” for both of us. We loved Puerto Rico, so much so, in fact, that we bought a piece of property that summer, and by the summer of 2010, we had built a vacation cabin.
We began this project with our cabin in the mountains of Maricao, Puerto Rico, and later added a cabin in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin. Now we’re taking the next step – expanding so more survivors and their families can enjoy a respite from anything having to do with cancer. We want to give anyone who has had the experience of being diagnosed with cancer to have a restorative escape of their own.
Renewed Hope/Esperanza Renovada will help that become a reality.
