Saturday, March 6, 2010

My Cancer Year.....


So..., a long overdue update....

It's been over a year since I've last posted in this, my lonely, near-abandoned art journal. And indeed, what a year it's been too. It was almost just about this time last year when I first received my personally startling diagnosis of Stage II Breast Cancer.

Well, suffice it to say, while I can't exactly claim it's necessarily been the easiest thing in the world to deal with, I haven't been devastated by it either, not by a long stretch -- willing as I've been to simply take each and every day and its challenges as they come, one at a time. And always along with the love and encouragement of my super network of ever-supportive family and friends, plus a wonderful team of health care professionals, backing me up. I may have had Cancer, but it never had me....

Still, a lot of my typical activities, pursuits and interests were put aside these last many months, simmering on the back burner as it were, as I focused on my health. However now with several surgeries and aggressive chemotherapy under my belt, plus the nearing of the end of a few months of radiation treatments, I'm happy to report my overall prognosis is quite good and I am at peace -- here as I find myself ready and willing to soon kiss my Cancer Year goodbye, and get back to my regularly scheduled Life* and good health....



(*...which naturally includes my artistic life as well -- Huzzah...! :-)

5 comments:

angela recada said...

I must have originally found your wonderful blog just as you had to leave it temporarily. Since then I've had a link to it on my blog, hoping you would return.

I'm so sorry to hear that you've had such serious health problems, and am happy to read that your prognosis is good. As someone whose mother has had breast cancer, and who has personally had several biopsies and near misses, I wish you all the very best in your continued recovery.

Looking forward to seeing you back here again more often.
:0)
Angela

Dixie Redmond said...

Wow. I want to say good for you for kissing your cancer year goodbye and good for you for your attitude.

Dixie

Patience said...

Thanks so very much for the wonderful and supportive comments, Angela and Dixie -- it is ever so much appreciated,,,!

By Way of Salem said...

Good for you! That's awesome! And I'm so glad you found my blog too and now I've found yours! You're attitude seems really great about it. I always joked to myself that if I was to ever lose all my hair, I'd razor it really short - like a tennis ball, dye it lime green and put those tennis balls stripes on it. I mean, if you gotta go bald, why not make the best of it. Of course I say that now. Who knows how I'd really feel if it was me. But I'm sure your attitude really took you far! So glad your all good and your doing art and sharing! I'll look for more from you :) Jeannine

Patience said...

Thanks so much, Jeannine -- pleasure meeting you! And your 'tennis ball' idea -- ha, hilarious..! ;-). Really, I think it's very important to keep a sense of humor throughout these sorts of situations -- I did, and it helped a lot. And as for me, while I was initially dreading the thought of losing my long hair, in the end I just came to embrace it (donating what I had to Locks of Love, then buzzing the rest) -- and found it actually quite liberating! I ran around Bald for months, and realized to my surprise there are actually a number of advantages to having no hair... It was summer for one thing, so much cooler without all that heavy hot hair sticking to my neck -- not to mention the fact I could get ready and out of the house for Any event at Any time in mere minutes...! Saving time is nothing to sneeze at in my book, heh ;-) ...

Well, in any case, thanks again Jeannine -- wishing you the very best in health and wellness plus much artistic and creative success...!