Five and a Half Years Later!

September 24, 2015

I guess the last post wasn't my final one after all.  :)  It seems it is time to check in and share another update.  I've passed the five year survivorship mark .  It's been 5 1/2 years since diagnosis.  I want to offer hope to women who are currently in treatment.  Your cancer journey will always be a part of your life in some way, but you learn to live with it tucked away somewhere in the back of your mind.  It isn't always the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning.  You're aware of it, as you may be on a special prescription (i.e. Tamoxifen) like I am, and it comes back to the front burner every time you're due for your mammogram or routine check up. It's also "there" when you hear of another person being diagnosed or someone passes from the disease. Soon after treatment ends, and even for the first year or two, every headache, bump, or bruise scares you, because you've been through the trauma of battling cancer.   But, it does get better and life DOES go on.  Hair grows back and you once again decide on what style to get at the next salon appointment, and other things in life start to take center stage again. We learn to take one day at a time and appreciate certain things more than we did before.  I think that cancer has a way of reminding us that life is short and is to be lived well.  My life is about my faith journey.... walking hand in hand with Jesus through thick and thin.  My cancer battle strengthened me and prepared me for a much more personally painful trial in life that began in 2014...  THAT is for another blog!  Stay strong!  Take one day at a time during your battle.  You're not alone.  You have a lot of "sisters" in this fight.  Find a support group to attend if you can.  If not, there are some online.  Team up !