Thankful. A word I feel has gained new meaning through the last year. I have so much to be thankful for, I always have but don’t think I fully realized it until recently. Cancer has a way of making you look deeper into your life, to reassess & prioritize.
First & foremost I am thankful to be alive & feeling well! There were points through treatment I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. I still don’t have a lot of hair or my full energy load but I am closer than I have been thus far & continuing to get closer with each passing day.
I’m thankful to have received my diagnosis when I did & thankful that my cancer thus far has not spread. I am thankful for an amazing cancer center filled with incredible physicians who took such good care of me. I’m thankful for modern medicine making my diagnosis something treatable.
I’m thankful for the advancements in reconstructive surgery. Leading me to be thankful that I have breasts that are natural, following my bilateral mastectomy & I’m thankful to have never been without them. Thankful to the surgeons who adjusted & managed to line up their schedules on such short notice to make that happen. I went into surgery with breasts that, well to be honest had seen better days after breast feeding two children & a mommy-tummy I hadn’t yet successfully rid myself of. Through the glory of microsurgery I awoke to new breasts made of my own tissue & a flat tummy. For this I am still amazed & thankful!
I’m thankful for a job I enjoy & am grateful to work with such a great group of people. It’s a blessing to enjoy the people you work with & makes the day to day that much more enjoyable. Not only that but I work with my husband too. Not closely, we drive separate cars, we park & work on opposite sides of the building & often go the entire day without ever running into one another. But we can easily enjoy lunch together as often as we’d like or meet up for a chat or support if need be.
I’m so thankful for my children. I realize that raising two little ones is not only the most challenging but most enjoyable task I’ve ever taken on. I’m so thankful that I was able to have them before my cancer journey, which has most likely left me unable to have more. They’ve also been such a huge inspiration to fight & be strong through all of this.
I’m thankful to have a husband who loves me, supports me & most of all, he puts up with my crazy, lol. He likes the crispy fries & I like the squishy ones, it just works. After 13 years together, nine of them married, I’m amazed that I still like him. Of course I love him, he’s my husband & the father of my children, but overall, I still like him after all this time. Most of the time, lol. He’s the butter to my bread.
I’m thankful to have two mostly healthy parents who I can count on. I can call day or night & I know I will always have those two in my corner no matter what. I may not have much family left, but what I do have is strong & so important to me.
I’m thankful for my many new found friends & fellow warriors of all types on Instgram, Facebook & Twitter who have touched my life. Providing encouragement to me & allowing me to be part of their journey as well. There are so many who have made such an impact on me. I truly believe we find so much strength through one another & through sharing our experiences. We are reminders that we’re not alone in this & that together, we can win.
I’m thankful for so much… seriously the list could go on & on… I’m thankful for my home, my pets, kind friends, good family, COFFEE, good food, living in proximity to so much good food, my bed gosh I love my bed, good music, a hot shower, comfy clothes, a cozy fire, change of season, you get my point. Every day is a gift, it’s so important to appreciate & embrace the little things.
As strange as it may sound, I’m honestly grateful to cancer for providing me a new perspective & for bringing so many wonderful new people into my life. It’s been a tough road, but its my road, which has made me the person that I am today, for that I am grateful.