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EDITOR’S NOTE: The complying with is the sixth in a collection of stories on cancer survivors and those lost to cancer in Clarendon County. The Manning Times will certainly be operating these stories weekly through Clarendon County Relay for Life, which will certainly be held 6 p.m. to midnight Might 6 at Manning Higher School’s Ramsey Stadium.
Shelley Rebekah Richburg discovered out she had leukemia a little a lot more compared to a year ago, specifically on the quite day of her mother’s last treatment for endometrial cancer.
“It was her quite last treatment, so it was merely weird,” Richburg said.
Richburg said she was having “troubles along with (her) gallbladder,” and that her blood cell Matter was off.
“I was concerning to have actually surgery, and they ran some tests,” she said. “The cell Matter was actually high, and so they ran some a lot more tests. That’s exactly how we discovered out.”
Richburg said she feels fortunate to have actually a “much less aggressive” form of leukemia, specifically chronic myelogenous leukemia.
“Still, it was undoubtedly a shock for me and my whole family,” Richburg said.
The daughter of David and Linda Richburg of Richburg Farms, Richburg is really close to her parents and her brother and sister, Dave and Sara Beth Richburg Davis, respectively.
She said she felt it’s helped her treatment that she got to notice her sister last summer. Davis is currently living in Germany, where her husband, Jeff, is stationed along with the Air Force.
“It has actually been fairly difficult along with her gone, along with my mom having cancer and going through treatment then my being diagnosed,” Richburg said. “She’s adore a finest friend so me, however I understand she’s still there, also otherwise in person. I believed it was actually cool that we went to notice her prior to my treatment started. I believe that helped me a lot.”
Richburg likewise attended a Relay permanently event in Germany while visiting her sister.
“It was at among the bases there, so we went out to participate,” she said.
Richburg said that, prior to her diagnosis, she had constantly participated in Relay along with friends and family.
“I would certainly participate in the chalk art contest along with the Higher school, and I would certainly constantly go walk,” she said.
In 2015, Relay meant something a lot more for Richburg, she said.
“Now, having been diagnosed and going through my own treatment, it merely means so more to me,” she said. “To have actually this sort of support, it’s difficult to actually say just what that means to you. I can’t imagine going through this free of this sort of support.”
Richburg said due to the fact that the summer she has actually been taking a low-dose chemotherapy pill, Dasigna.
“You have actually your excellent days and your unsatisfactory days,” she said. “Mostly, I’m merely really lethargic on it. That’s the main adverse effect.”
She likewise has actually to have actually her “blood levels monitored regularly,” she said.
As for healthcare costs, Richburg said she’s fortunate to have actually gotten in to a routine where the copay for her medication is $0.
“If I didn’t have actually the insurance or that program, it could be a bout $10,000 a month,” she said. “That’s why points adore Relay are important, due to the fact that it helps increase funds for research and for patients.”
Richburg said she merely tries to take every little thing day-by-day while attending classes at University of South Carolina Sumter, where she is studying early childhood education. She likewise attends Very first Baptist Church of Manning.
“My faith in God has actually actually helped me cope along with (cancer), along along with the prayers of my church family,” she said. “I believe it’s going to be difficult for any person that has actually cancer. It was undoubtedly a massive shock to us, and some days it’s harder to deal along with compared to others. however some days I attempt to position it in the spine of my head and not consider it. I’m handling it fairly OK, I think.”
