On 01.02.02, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Too late for surgery, I had chemotherapy, which failed. In May the chemotherapy was changed and I was soon in remission which was celebrated and welcome and lasted nine years - until October 2011. There was progression in 2011 so more treatment was indicated and I am now back in partial remission. But I'm not only a cancer patient - I also enjoy my family, walk my dogs and am learning to draw and paint. Life is good!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

No such thing as a routine day



I made this spread from a start in Wide Open, a card set by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts. The bridge reminds me of the Golden Gate Bridge, near where I live, and the sentiment fits my situation of living with metastatic breast cancer (another way of saying, living on borrowed time).

When I was diagnosed I was sure I'd never make it to the end of the year and no one gave me reason to believe otherwise. Months later I was dealing with treatment failure and an oncologist whose mantra was, "You have a very aggressive cancer, you have a very aggressive cancer, you have a very aggressive cancer" until I wrote him a letter and begged him to drop it.

Treatment change, a calmer onc -- and a lot of good fortune. All that happened six years ago - but the learning of the time stays with me. Treasure each day.

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