New Year, New Days to Conquer!

I’m writing this on the first day of a new year and at the 2/3rds completion of my treatment. It’s a relief to be this far along and I’m finally starting to level off in terms of the consistency in how I feel with fewer highs and lows. One more year of the maintenance chemo and tests, and then I’ll be finished!

I tend to ask my oncologist all sorts of questions when we meet and she humors me by taking the time and seriously answering them. I love her for that.

“So knowing that we have one more year to go, do we have a tapering off of the meds at some point?” “No, it’s cold turkey.”

“And is there some sort of weaning off of my dependency on seeing all of you each week or do we just break up?” [chuckles] “Well, you’ll still come in about once a month for awhile so we can keep tabs and then eventually just once a year. “

I’m pretty sure I’ll miss these people even if they don’t miss me.

Anyway—-back to the New Year:

I’m celebrating having more consistency with my energy and strength, and to the continued ability to walk, row (yes, we have a WaterRower and it’s fabulous!), eventually biking, and of course continued yoga. These are the ways I’m pushing myself physically and gaining back what I lost, plus the benefits they give to my recovery numbers each month are great.

Also celebrating the clarity that comes from this strangest of gifts and how it colors decisions and opens up new ways of thinking and living. It’s given me some freedom I never anticipated and helps me to put my energy into what brings me joy and helps others.

The ongoing pandemic keeps us apart again as we roll into 2022, and unfortunately I have to honor the boundaries which prevent my being more social and able to go places. But I’m willing to stay the course and finish this year in the hope that when I’m done with treatments, maybe this virus will also be done terrorizing our lives. Getting control over health, and conditions that affect it, are paramount so I’m hopeful that this is the last year of lost time and space between people and we have a chance to find a “new normal” we can all live with.

Wishing us all peace and joy!