Anniversaries

[RossH]

Hi my thought for the day - lots of a stuff on TV news etc about some Jubilee thing 🤣. Made me think abt anniversaries. What do anniversaries do for you mindset - positive/negative.

I celebrate my transanniversary every year. I acknowledge I diagnosis anniversary.

What do you guys do? How do you deal with what can sometimes be a difficult memory?

[2003UK Champion]

Hi Ross, I celebrate my date of diagnosis, I don't tell anyone else within my family and friends about it. I spend some time on my own, usually walking. I replay the day of diagnosis, which was 18 yrs ago, as if it were yesterday and the fears, anxieties, practicalities, thoughts and feelings come flooding back. It is weird I replay the day as if I am looking down on the scene.

I also reflect on the blood cancer friends I have made over the years and I get survivors guilt over the friends, with blood cancer or not, that I have lost over the years.

I also appreciate how lucky I am and for the opportunity my blood cancer diagnosis has given me to reflect on my life and what I want from from it and with whom. I have gratitude for every day and my 70th birthday just before lockdown was my best ever.

I also cook a special dinner with some treats on the day.

Thank you Ross you have given me a time of reflection today.

Look after yourself

[DrunkJam_UK Administrator]

Hi Ross. What do you do to mark your anniversaries? Do you do something different for the diagnosis one (does it feel different?)

DH is not big on anniversaries, or any specific dates of anything

[RossH in reply to DrunkJam_UK]

Hi there. Nothing different really. Go out for a meal with my wife, or for a drink with mates. Nothing too special. Tbh my mind swings between remembering and focusing too much on it all.I think remembering is fine and good, but we must also move on and try not to allow this to take over our lives (if that’s possible).

Also, excuse my ignorance, but what is DH?

[DrunkJam_UK Administrator in reply to RossH]

Sorry, DH is abbreviation commonly used on internet boards for Husband (by the same token, DW is wife, DS son and DD daughter)

[PaulaS in reply to DrunkJam_UK]

Well, I never knew that, DH. I thought those abbreviations were just letters you'd chosen for some reason! Thanks for explaining.

Paula

[DrunkJam_UK Administrator in reply to PaulaS]

They are commonly used on all the message boards I have used since 2006. The D stands for Dear, thus, DH, DW,DS and DD (it's quicker than typing husband, daughter, etc)

[PaulaS in reply to DrunkJam_UK]

Thanks, DrunkJam. Can I call you DJ for short?

Interesting to hear the logic behind those letters. Now I'll remember them better.

Probably shows my advancing age, that I don't use message boards so hadn't seen them before (though I use the internet a lot in other ways, including Facebook and WhatsApp).

Paula

[RossH]

Ah that explains it then

[HAIRBEAR_UK Administrator]

Thanks for posting Ross, Well the Jubilee procession and activities reminded me of many anniversary dates. Some worth remembering, some not so perhaps for me. Cancerversary diagnosis seems to be one of many scrapes that I don't always remember, It's just a part of me now. I struggle remembering birthdays COVID changed things, March 2020 sticks in my head now, not for much longer I hope