I sit and type this Tuesday am, November 18th. Why is this significant? It is because I AM DONE WITH TREATMENT!!! Can you hear the joy in my keystrokes? I am sitting in my very own kitchen after putting in a good morning run (THANKS AMY!). I even laughed about the snow; yes that four letter word - it is a crisp morning and I feel good! At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, I am filled with energy and happiness as I HAVE MADE IT THROUGH the dark side. I look back at the blur the past few months have been and realize I am finally at my finish line. While I still face the race for my life throughout the next five years until I can be deemed "cured", I feel as if I made through the trials and qualified for the winning round. The credit goes to my support network:
It goes to all of you who have read this blog and posted a comment, sent me note, picked up the phone, sent a card, shot me an IM, passed along a message through a friend. It goes to those of you who made Greg and I wonderful dinners, provided rides, understood when I had a meltdown, who understood when I had to say "no, I can't do that", to those who walked with me and for me, ran with me and prayed for me. It goes to all of you for you have all touched my life in someway and made it worth living, worth fighting for, worth not giving into the disease and its possibility of despair or depression. I cannot thank you all enough, my family and my friends. When I am asked if this experience has changed me, I honestly can say yes - I mean check out my head! No, seriously, I have realized how wonderfully blessed I am to have so many incredible people in my life and I will be doing my best to always remember to tell you all just how incredible you are. Without all of you I never would be sitting here feeling as good as I do even though I am still somewhat bald, eyebrow and eyelashless!
I still face a round of physician visits and scans in the few months but this Thanksgiving I will give many thanks for how far in my journey I have come thus far. I will give thanks for all I have learned about myself and those in my life. I will say an extra thank you for the wonderful doctors, pharmacists, and medical institutions I have interacted with during the past year. I will also say thank you for the technology of 21st century and for those pursuing the cure for cancer so that women of the future may continue to thrive even when faced with a diagnosis like mine. I guess I best start saying my thanks now as this could take a while!
So now what? I visit my oncologist later this week, I'll let you know!
2 comments:
Raise your hands high into the air and scream....AMEN!
Jane Clare we are all so very blessed. All who know you and love you beyond words....would do whatever they could big or small to help you in your fight. We on the sidelines have learned so much from you as you have taken this unwanted journey. We have all become stronger in some way...through you.
Yes, this Thanksgiving will be different for many of us. It is an eye opener as to how precious and fragile life can be. There is so much to be thankful for!
Know our loving arms are around you and we too are jumping for joy as you crossed this finish line.
Thank you for being you....for being strong and for sharing with all of us your journey in the fight of breast cancer.
God has been with you and Greg every step of the way.
Love, Debbie
Congratulations, Jane. A Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.
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