One year past diagnosis

Today I went to see my GP DR to get my prescriptions refilled and just for a quick checkup. It has been a year since I saw him with my lumpy breast. After we chatted for a few minutes to catch up on all that has been going on with me in the past year he did the normal checkup stuff and wrote out my prescriptions. How different this visit was from the one last January.

By this time last January I had been diagnosed with BC and had an appointment with Dr. Hagans the breast cancer surgeon in Little Rock. My friends were all rallying around me to show their support and people were putting me on prayer list. Tina was telling me things she remembered about her trips to the doctors and chemo etc. and making me feel very positive and knew I had to keep a sense of humor throughout whatever the outcome.

Even though I do have quite a bit of energy, I still get tired easily and I get a little aggravated because I'm clear of cancer and all my treatments are over and I think everything should be normal. I have to keep reminding myself that it's okay if I'm not up to snuff still and that my body has been through hell and it just takes time. So it's okay if I go to bed early and on days that I'm off it's okay that I take a nap or just lie down to rest if I feel the need. Because when I listen to my body and do rest I get up feeling refreshed.

Next week I'll be going to see my chemo doctor and get the blood labs and all that. She told me that I would be coming to see her about every three months for a year or so and that my visits would gradually be not as frequent. So I guess here I am a year later and truly on the top end of my road to recovery. Now if I can just get through my birthday this year without getting too depressed everything will be okay.

I'll be sixty in a month. When I was thirty I cried for two weeks and at times I feel like crying now but when I get to thinking about the alternative and the last year of my life, I do feel more like celebrating than crying. I just have to keep telling myself that everyday until I have to start writing my age as 60 instead of 59. Maybe I should make little cards and hang them all around the house that says.....yipppeee I made it to 60.... life is beautiful... I survive breast cancer and thank God I'm gonna be 60!

A year after my diagnosis and I'm alive and well and thank you lord for allowing me another year!