Ring Those Bells

I had such a great moment of excitement today! I so miss being excited, having the little butterflies in your stomach kind of feeling. The excitement? That tomorrow is my last treatment of any kind to kill any lingering breast cancer cells that may be floating in my body.

Cancer has become a way of life at our house and work places. Our lives have evolved around it for 8 months. . . . three seasons. We couldn't make plans for short-term activities – forget about long-term! Juggling the doctor appointments, treatment times, and levels of energy sometimes made everyday life out of kilter. Would I have enough energy to go to the grocery store after work? Will I have taste buds so we could enjoy dinner out? Etc., etc., etc.

Some people don’t understand that though tomorrow is the last day of treatment, cancer will be with us for the next few years. My chance of recurrence is low since I completed chemotherapy and radiation. Recurrence of my type of cancer (triple negative) has a higher percentage of recurrence in the first 2 years. After 5 years, I am safe( r ) than those women who have hormone-fueled tumors.

Am I going to focus on this? No, I won’t. But one can’t help but have it in the back of the mind.

I have done all that has been asked of me medically. Now it is up to me to make some changes to my life to better the odds.

Radiation went well today. Still pinked out. One of the radiation therapists won’t be there tomorrow, and she gave me a big hug after treatment today. She said it was a pleasure to have such a happy, pleasant and smiling patient. Isn’t that sweet?

I am sooooo looking forward to ringing that bell with Vic. Even though he didn’t have the chemo or radiation, this has been his journey too. Don’t know what the bell is? Tomorrow you will!