As time goes by

Melodie,

Karen Greene who is on our board of directors just celebrated her ninth year with an Indiana. By the way she was stage IV.....

More than once on this forum and in conversation with the newly diagnosed this question has came up. How do you ever learn to live with the uncertainties that a cancer diagnosis brings? Or cancer has taken over my thoughts and my life does it ever end?

I guess the best answer I can give anyone is that yesterday was August 8th, so …….and……. my husband reminded me that August 6th was the five year anniversary of my bladder cancer dx. The day the surgeon called Ed in the surgical waiting room and said the words that changed our lives forever.” Its bladder cancer and looks invasive to me.”

Wow I forgot how could I forget? How wonderful once again my birthday is the one date I will never forget.

Now I will not tell you that it has been easy and that when my checkups come that I don’t hold my breath waiting to hear the all clear. But I can tell you that my cancer no longer defines my life. My diversion has become such a normal part of my life that I really don’t think about it being different any longer; it is just part of me being me. Hair grows back, incisions heal and the mind learns to deal with the unthinkable. We have learned that our imperfect life still allows us to be happy and productive, as well as look forward to the future even knowing how tenuous it may be.

As for the uncertainty life has taught me that it is that for all of us, some just have not been slapped in the face and been reminded yet.

So here is to five years of falling down and getting up, bending but not breaking and going forward sometimes in the dark, happy anniversary to us.