Birthdays and cancerversaries

This is a fairly intense time of year. I celebrated my 57th birthday before Christmas. After my initial brush with breast cancer, I would tell myself that each additional year is a gift. However, this year I really felt the truth of that. One year ago today, I went to make myself a cup of coffee in the morning and my world changed. My brother-in-law told me the CT scan showed nodes on my lung and a spot on my liver that suggested metastatic breast cancer, which was confirmed a few weeks later. There have been some definite ups and downs over the course of the last year but with the support of my family, friends, and colleagues, and the care of medical professionals, I am alive and well. I moved back to Saskatchewan from Guatemala (and Ottawa), moved into my new house and am building a new life here. I am sorting through my things, trying to get the inevitable paperwork in place for when I am not so healthy or am gone. I was given the name of a death doula in the area who may be able to help me plan other aspects. Who knew there was such a thing?

In some ways, I am feeling better than I was last year before the diagnosis as I know what the problem is. In other ways, obviously, I am not feeling so positive as the question is not whether or how this story will end, but when. But for now, though, I am feeling reasonably strong and remain optimistic.

Here are links to a beautiful article written by a woman with terminal cancer and a tongue-in-cheek guide for talking with cancer patients. 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-i-have-to-balance-my-terminal-illness-with-living-a-full-life/#_=_

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/how-to-talk-to-a-cancer-patient-without-being-a-complete-twit?fbclid=IwAR15cM-SuNWEkVOyW_ZCTC_fjidKeuezQjWJWK4L1I5u3ZYMoJCzm_eWsDE 

And just after I posted this, I saw this wonderful article on FB: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/opinion/sunday/resolutions-hope-cancer-god.html?fbclid=IwAR1p1M2NzCdjJCNdN8JfixoeZaGRSrv2fJhcIL7yhoyAHHZ5AH6pGF4siPk

I wish you all the very best for 2019! May it be filled to the brim with love, laughter, fun, games, good books, music, great food and lots of wonderful times with friends and family.

Deborah

My ginger friends (with Sarah T)

View on a walk

Ginger checking out the smells and tracks