Six

Yesterday was six years since my last day of radiation, which signaled the change from “active” treatment and the beginning of survivorship. A few events have happened since then.

Surgery for port removal. Started Tamoxifen, which started all sorts of fun side effects.Started therapy (still in therapy). Adopted Minerva (yay!)Online dating adventures during CovidMet a keeper & his horde. Broke up with the keeper. Burned my eyeballs so I didn’t need glasses. Failed at breaking up with the keeper. Road tripped to Maine. Took Grandma to Hawaii and officiated a wedding.Snorkeled with sea turtles! Did not get eaten by sharks (woo!)Got engaged to the keeper. Sold my witch cottage that saw me through cancer. Moved in with the horde. Planned a wedding. Got married, across the road from the house. It was a long limo ride back and forth. Disney honeymoonQuit my job to write a bookStarted taking cello lessonsPublished articles and a short storyGot 3/4 through a novelWrote a non-fiction bookSold a book!! Got a job againFamily horde trip to DisneyGot pre-uterine-cancer (likely a side effect of cancer recurrence prevention drug)Hysterectomy (FAR worse than lumpectomy). Stopped tamoxifen, because it’s useless with no ovaries. Re-learning to use abs and starting over with fatigue yet again. Starting letrozole – bone scan for baseline included. Saw Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo multiple times, including once with Pink and once with Bryan Adams (yes, Pat and Neil were the headliners in my mind). Saw Wardruna in Seattle, went to Oregon and Tacoma. Started Zometa infusions, because side effects of cancer recurrence prevention drugs are shitty, including bone density loss. Zometa is terrible. 0/10, do not recommend. Book published & marketing is a weird learning curve.Started a cancer/chronic illness support group in the city. Ending that after 6 months of no-shows, and re-working the concept. Helped teach 3 teens to driveAnnual trips to the cabin. Annual birthday musicals for one twin, + more. One twins trip to NYC. 6 years of marching band (including one College!)SO MANY Band, orchestra, and choir concerts3 years (to date) of show choir2 Track & Cross Country seasons1 graduation & off to college2 actively college shopping1 about to take drivers ed1 house renovationGot a contract for a second book: woo!

Survivorship is a rollercoaster. Sometimes it’s nice to review the busy-ness, and know that even though I’m a homebody I’m not actually always in my office.

Also, I just realized I haven’t practiced cello for over a week and my lesson is tomorrow. Oh dear.