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, September 07, 2010

Upcoming relay

When I went to chemotherapy last week one of the nurses showed me the white luminary bags with the zentangles I had made to decorate them. They will be used in next weekend's Relay for Life in Santa Rosa, California.

I had tangled around an upward flying bird on one and she said it was being saved for a man who had recently died of cancer and left teenagers and a wife. I was immediately saddened, but glad I could contribute that tiny bit to a family I've never even heard of.

Steve, who is also a survivor, attended the Sonoma Relay this summer and walked in the survivors' lap. I don't know why I wasn't up to it this year. Some years I look forward to the event, but this year I had trouble getting into it. The nurses' comment about the father who had died made me regret that I didn't attend. Cancer is real and it affects all of us in some way. There's no one who doesn't know someone who has or had some kind of cancer.

Most of the members of the two cancer groups I used to attend have died. Because I'm on a maintenance infusion every three weeks and I feel great, it's easy for me to treat the chemotherapy suite lightly. I prance in with my smile and my dog, not particularly fearing for my life as I once did, and I forget -- how could I forget? -- that many of the men and women sitting in the other chairs are living the endings of the lives. It's amazing how one can be as sick as I once was and still reach a point of taking cancer for granted! Grrr... will I ever learn?

2 comments:

  1. Great post! It made me think of so many things that we take for granted. I haven't had cancer but I have physical pain every day with fibromyalgia (nothing in comparison to cancer)... but I look back at how much I took for granted when I didn't have pain. I pray for you and everyone with cancer for God's healing touch. I love what you have done with the white bags.

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  2. Hi Kelly -- My original diagnosis was fibromyalgia because I hurt so much! Subsequent x-rays proved otherwise....

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