It was the first day of chemo and radiation treatments. Now it amazes me how little I understood about what my life was about to turn into. I was planning on working through the majority of my treatment, assuming that near the end I might have to take a little extra time off. My parents were with me to help take care of Baby Chang but I thought it was a little unnecessary. HA! I couldn't have been more wrong.The thing I held onto the most was that NPC was curable and the doctors I was working with had a high success rate with the treatments I was about to endure. Now with the physical and emotional scars I think only a survivor can understand I know I would follow these men and their advice again in a heartbeat (feeding tube scars and all).
Recovery has been almost as hard as the treatment itself, which I was told over and over would be the case. It seems monthly something new comes up that a year ago I would have been strong enough to fight off. There are physical side effects that should go away but they should have gone away sooner. Every three months I have a round of doctor appointments that makes me want to weep even when the news is good.
It has been a hell of a year and looking back it's hard to believe it really happened (not so unlike childbirth). I'm looking forward to a new year with new healthy experiences. Perhaps someday this will be an anniversary I will forget, or maybe I will always spend a little time on December 28th reflecting on how far I've come since 2009.
What is very worth celebrating is that a year later, you are cancer-free and well on the way on the road to full recovery. You're right, your last year turned your life upside-down but you were as strong (if not stronger) than I imagine and you did it. And you did it because you were who you are, and because of your family, and because of your friends. And while we wouldn't want you to fall ill again (god forbid), you know we'd be there again in a heartbeat, every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on surviving a hellacious year and for kicking it's ass and taking names.
I'm proud of you, and soon this will be so far behind us all!