1/26/2017, 6 years!

Every year as mid-January approaches I experience many mixed emotions. January 16th is the day Brian and I said our "I Do's" in 2004, that's a pretty special day.  Fast forward to January 17, 2011 the day I went in for a mammogram to make sure what I had felt was "nothing".  By the time that the abundance of  pictures and the excessive wait in that little cubicle for the radiologist to review what the tech had seen was my first sign that something was not quite right. Next, the walk over to get a quick sonogram and watching the images come up on the screen of a jagged edged shape that the tech kept measuring and re-measuring seemingly taking an eternity. I finally asked her when will I hear from my Dr, she replied: "this afternoon". I knew his office was closed because it was MLK day, and on January 18th at 8:30 am I heard my Dr on the other line "kiddo, we've got a problem". I was in my surgeons office on the 20th, biopsy done that day, and surgery scheduled for the following week on 1/26/2011. A whirlwind of events that would be the beginning of a journey like no other and several uphill battles that I wish upon no one, yet year after year the calls keep coming in that another friend or loved one has also heard, "you have Cancer".   It does not get easier, it never will.  Every time I hear that phrase, my heart skips a beat.  I have just completed my 13th surgery, 7th of the abdomen area, since this journey has started. The removal of the ovaries as directed by my oncologist is hopefully the last step in the process.  As with everything else, this surgery has taken a longer time to recover from than expected--but as my doctors know, that is the norm with me!  I can only hope and pray that the world will find a way to eliminate this terrible thing we call Cancer.  As I continue my journey, I know that I am strong enough to have beat this, I know that I am strong enough to help others, I know that I am strong enough to be a Survivor!