Funny how things turn out
Wow! I can't believe it - but in a week or two - Oct 28th to be exact - this will mark my first anniversary of my diagnosis.
Where did that year go?
What did that year bring?
What did I learn - what have I gained during this past year?
And where am I heading....??
I'll tell you....(in no particular order - just as it comes to my mind..)
The past year has brought me : too many appointments, lots of doctors, oncologists, surgeons, nurses, tests, emergency rooms, wards, oncology day centres, radiology, specialists, needles, pills, bruises, blood transfusions, neutropenia, infections, anaemia, heart palpitations, heart monitors, saline drips, potasium drips, antibotic drips, wig fittings, clinical trials, broken needles 
, blood clots, LGFB workshop, discovering BCNA and blogging all the time, scans, x-rays, mammograms, bone density tests, admissions over and over again, anxiety, hot flushes, menopause , tamoxifen, trying to stay sane (!), positive thinking, joking with my doctors and nurses, wearing fashionable caps, hats and scarves, hair falling out, nicknaming my head - chrome dome, taking my knitted bear (chemo bear) to chemo, reading, listening to relaxation music, flowers, mastectomy, drains , eyelashes and eyebrows falling out.
What did I learn and what did I gain? Again in no particular order.......
I learnt to be patient (something I was NEVER good at), to be positive even when things were looking pretty bad, to always remember that there was someone else worse off than me, to appreciate all those I love and who love me, I learnt to love blogging (thanks BCNA!), learnt to slow down and to coin a phrase - smell the roses, learnt that money and status is NOTHING compared to your health, learn to luv my body no matter how scarred it is, learnt to adjust to my "new look" - the bald look (very handy in hot weather), learnt to appreciate all the hard work our doctors and nurses do under incredible pressure but most of all I learnt a lot about myself - I surprise myself at how strong I could be when facing this fight.
And what did I gain - so much....unending love and support from my husband, family and friends; compassion, acts of kindness and generosity from people I least expected it from; who my real friends are and who are not; fantastic support and information from the BCNA, self confidence, a passion for fundraising for Cancer, my hospital that treated me - Box Hill Hospital and BCNA and all of you.........
It's true that once you go through this journey you are never the same...but I view this as a positive for as strange as this may sound - Cancer has helped me become a better person! BCNA has helped me channel all that I've learnt into something really tangible and valuable - as a Community Liaison so I can get out there and help others going thru this journey and spread the word about the fantastic work this organisation does.
Thanks for reading everyone.
Take care
Luv H
Comments
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Hi Helen
Lovely to read, I feel the same about friends who are, they who are not. Your family that stick by you and give all the love and support. How did you go on Tuesday, you didn't say. My darling daughter, Katie, when last year my hair started to fall out and I was having a bad time with it, she on her RDO walked into home with a very shiny head. I cried and called her all the names under the sun as she had lovely long hair, but she wanted to show her love and support, if I didn't already know. She enjoyed it through summer, but with the cold coming on and her diabetes she has grown it again, but kept a shorter style.
Yes we do change with this cancer, I still think that I am not here having all this to go through, I guess I blot a lot out and just go with the flow. At present I am fighting a chest infection and sore throat, a little better today. Havn't had any normal sickness with all the treatments, this is the first.
Take care
Regards Sondra
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