Happy New Year!
Despite having had a wicked cold over the holidays, we still managed to celebrate, relax and enjoy.
I don't think that I have ever welcomed in a New Year quite like I welcomed 2011!!!
I am feeling so much better these days and my energy level has virtually returned to normal. I cannot tell you how nice it feels!
I officially have no hair. We shaved off the few lingering strands that refused to give up a few weeks ago - it looks a lot better than it did. In retrospect, I should have done this when it started to fall out but that felt very drastic at the time. My hair has started to grow back, my head is now covered in a nice soft downy layer of fluff! I think it will be several weeks before I even achieve brush cut status...we shall see.
During chemo I was definitely starting to see things from a 'glass half-empty' perspective because I was feeling so rotten. Consequently, I know that my last few posts were a little on the grumpy side. As a result, I have decided to post my top-10 list of having cancer. My mom always taught us that some positive always comes from something negative. Reflecting upon the past 7 months, I can say that again, she was right. While at times things were really bloody awful, there have also been some highlights/positives as a result of this experience.
So in no particular order my TOP 10 of having breast cancer:
1) I have learned A LOT!
2) My breasts had caused me a fair amount of grief over the years and I can honestly say that there is a part of me that feels liberated without them. Good riddence to you mammary tissue!
3) Not many 37 year old women get to see their heads. I have a mole on my head that I never knew about, my head is considerably smaller than I thought it was and I actually don't think I look as bad bald as I thought I would. Did I mention that I can now be showered, dressed and ready to go anywhere in under 10 minutes.
4) I plan and truly hope that I never take feeling 'well' for granted again.
5) TEAM SARAH raised over $12,000 in one month for The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (AMAZING!!!)
6) This curveball completely changed what I had planned to be doing over the past 7 months. Had life not unfolded this way, I would have finished the NP course, written the licensing exam and then most likely would have gotten a job working as an NP. Clearly someone out there had different plans for me. An amazing result of this is that I have had so much more time to spend with Luke than I would have otherwise.
7) I have often felt completely ripped off at losing my mother when I was 19. I feel sad that I never had the opportunity to really know her as an adult or develop an adult relationship with her. A lot of what I have experienced over the past 7 months is similar to what my mom experienced when she went through this. So...in a bizarre way, I feel that this experience has made me feel closer to my mom and have more empathy for what she went through...because lets face it I had NO idea at the time.
8)I would argue that I have the most amazing family and friends that anyone could ever ask for. I have been brought to tears on more than one occassion by the support, generosity and kindness that has been shown to me relentlessly over the past 7 months. I feel blessed to have such incredible family and friends.
9)Being diagnosed with breast cancer and being young catapulted me into a club that I never really wanted to become a part of. I have however, had the privilige of meeting and speaking with other young women who've shared this journey. These women have inspired me and helped give me the strength to face each day head on. They have also helped me to see that there is life after breast cancer for so many women.
10)The expression 'Live each day' bears more meaning to me now than I ever thought possible.
Bring on 2011!
Ditto!
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