The Cancer Anniversary

October and November always mark a kind of bi-monthly anniversary for me. October was the month my cancer was diagnosed and operated upon and November was when I got myself all radioactive. I don’t look back on this time with any regret, rather a celebration, because something bad ended and something new began.

Fairwell Thyroid (Post Surgery)
Post thyroidectomy euphoria! October 2011
I'm really radioactive!
Radioactive Iodine Treatment November 2011

Certainly, my life is undeniably different from the way it was before, not just because I’m now a pill popper, serial weight gainer and champion cat yawner, but because I don’t count my days, I make my days count. At least I try to. I don’t always get it right and occasionally find myself sweating buckets over some small stuff until I get a grip and say to myself, “Meh,  you really want to waste time and energy worrying about that?” Me and my first world problems!

I probably don’t look like a survivor. You can hardly see my scar now. It’s almost invisible. Sometimes, I give it a once over with Vitamin E – just for fun. I said to David that if I ever get ill again, at least I won’t have to worry about finding a good surgeon. Then David reminded me, my surgeon’s work is done. My neck is so empty there’s nothing for him to work with. Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Crazy stuff!

My scar - now you see it, now you don't
Scar after surgery 2011... scar in 2012
scar-nov-2013
Can you see my scar? November 2013

I feel  like a survivor though. There’s nothing more empowering than triumphing over adversity.I don’t want to kid myself into thinking I am Cancer free, but I do think about how lucky I am to be well, this minute, this hour, this day. It’s such a wonderful gift.