A Milestone that Shouldn't Be!

Today is my 60th birthday. I have been thinking about all it has taken to get through to this day. In 2002 the prognosis was less than good that I would make it to the 5 year mark. It is 4 cancers later, and I am still kicking up my heels and fighting! While this is a big milestone, I would like to remind all of us that we need to celebrate each milestone as if it were the biggest. It is the baby steps that get us through. I am baby-stepping through each day, one day at a time. The lung cancer remains stable, and my oncologist continues to want to do the wait and watch for the two remaining tumors. Since killing the most aggressive one, time has been good to me.

One of my favorite things to do before the lung cancer was to kayak. I have not been in a kayak for two years because it takes strength to kayak the currents around my home. Last weekend a group of friends and I went on our annual vacation and we found a very nice area that did not have a strong current. Here is a picture of me doing what I love! They had to help me out of the Kayak, but it was glorious to spend time on the water again!! I am on the left.

Thank you to all who have supported me so far through this journey <3

14 Replies

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anrean

3 months ago

Thank you everyone! This cancer journey started 16 years ago and I thought two years ago with the lung ca diagnosis/confirmation that I would never be in a kayak again. Kayaking was my special place to go - I would fight currents and battle my way through places just to watch the sun rise or set, and to spend special time with my cousin. I fought currents even the guys struggled with - surprising them because I was slower than they were, but I wasn't afraid to push as hard as they did to get where I wanted to go. This time I had to swallow my pride and let my friends help me out of the kayak, and it was worth it. We all need to remember that needing help is part of our new normal. I have been struggling with accepting the new normal - this is my 5th new normal and the only one to permanently rob me of recovery. I paid dearly for the pleasure of kayaking again and had to bow out of the evening activities, but as we all should, I picked carefully what was most important...I could stand on the shore and be heartsick or swallow my pride and accept help. Please, please, please when people offer to help, choose wisely and know that swallowing your pride doesn't cost you anything. My friends smiled and were just as excited as I was, and for the moment they needed to help me out, they clearly did not see me as the burden I imagined being. Accept the help people offer without allowing our imaginations to let us think that help is a burden!

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