Today, I am no longer a patient. Today, I became a survivor!! As quietly as it all began, it ended that way too. I arrived for my 10:45 appointment just after 10:15 a.m. I chatted ever so briefly with Momma Liz before the nursing staff came and got me around 10:30. By 10:40, I was walking out of the Oncology Radiology Department at Liberty Hospital with my mask in hand.
I have not exactly decided what to do with the mask. I am still taking suggestions. So far I have heard the following:
1. Turn it into art and put it on the wall.
2. Turn it into a bird feeder
3. Some sort of Halloween decoration.
4. A plant container.
5. Strain Spaghetti with it. (although we had to reconsider this one, because hot water will melt the plastic)
6. Hang it from the ceiling so it looks like a face is coming down at ya!
If you have other suggestions, by all means, send them to me. I would love to hear what you think!
I elected to spend my afternoon after treatment doing something I love to do. I went to see a movie. I fully expect The Black Swan to be nominated for some Academy Award, so I hit a morning movie. I always feel like a woman of leisure when I can watch a movie in the middle of the day in the middle of the work week. One hour and fifty minutes of pure guilty pleasure!
Many of you know that I begged and begged the Doctor to get my treatments finished in 2010 due to outrageous changes in health insurance that take effect January 1, 2011. I am elated that we were able to do this. I male have to financially worry about the follow up care (doctor appointments every 3 months for the next two years) but I was able get the cancer treatments covered at 100%.
I have some peace of mind tonight. I was diagnosed with a treatable form of Cancer. It has a high success rate. It also has a low return rate. I am going to bed tonight feeling like I kicked this one in the ass and won. I will pray later that I am not in some minuet percentage of recurrence. Tonight I am a survivor!
And....I feel like I should properly warn all of you....tomorrow I shall gather with some friends and raise a glass (or two) to celebrate The End. I will also celebrate that 2010 and has come and gone and that from here I shall be counting the years as they pass from the time I was diagnosed with Cancer. For I never want to be defined as a person who has Cancer but rather as the person who survived Cancer.
Happy New Years dear Friends!! May it be a joyous one for all of us!
I have not exactly decided what to do with the mask. I am still taking suggestions. So far I have heard the following:
1. Turn it into art and put it on the wall.
2. Turn it into a bird feeder
3. Some sort of Halloween decoration.
4. A plant container.
5. Strain Spaghetti with it. (although we had to reconsider this one, because hot water will melt the plastic)
6. Hang it from the ceiling so it looks like a face is coming down at ya!
If you have other suggestions, by all means, send them to me. I would love to hear what you think!
I elected to spend my afternoon after treatment doing something I love to do. I went to see a movie. I fully expect The Black Swan to be nominated for some Academy Award, so I hit a morning movie. I always feel like a woman of leisure when I can watch a movie in the middle of the day in the middle of the work week. One hour and fifty minutes of pure guilty pleasure!
Many of you know that I begged and begged the Doctor to get my treatments finished in 2010 due to outrageous changes in health insurance that take effect January 1, 2011. I am elated that we were able to do this. I male have to financially worry about the follow up care (doctor appointments every 3 months for the next two years) but I was able get the cancer treatments covered at 100%.
I have some peace of mind tonight. I was diagnosed with a treatable form of Cancer. It has a high success rate. It also has a low return rate. I am going to bed tonight feeling like I kicked this one in the ass and won. I will pray later that I am not in some minuet percentage of recurrence. Tonight I am a survivor!
And....I feel like I should properly warn all of you....tomorrow I shall gather with some friends and raise a glass (or two) to celebrate The End. I will also celebrate that 2010 and has come and gone and that from here I shall be counting the years as they pass from the time I was diagnosed with Cancer. For I never want to be defined as a person who has Cancer but rather as the person who survived Cancer.
Happy New Years dear Friends!! May it be a joyous one for all of us!
Pammie J! I am SO happy for you! Way to go to be so honest and open to all of us followers. I must say, I'll miss your posts but perhaps you can start another blog so I may take breaks from turning endless pages! <3 you, you amazing lady! Please hug Wayne, Jacob & little O for being so strong through these last 6 months.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for leaving a comment on my blog. I love this post, which sums me up now. I am a survivor too. Am now going to read through the rest of your journey, as I imagine, like me, 2010 was a long hard year.
ReplyDeleteI was looking for the source of the lorax hat, then I found your profile. I am SO glad that there was a happy ending to your journey.
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well,
anon