An Anniversary, of Sorts

August 1, 2021:  “What the hell is that!?”

August 1, 2022:  “What a year!”

Wow.  It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Toby popped out to say hello.  Some days, it feels like yesterday – others, like an entire lifetime ago. 

Recovery has taken much longer than I anticipated.  I was fully expecting to be back to normal in May or June but that hasn’t happened.  My cognitive functioning - short-term memory, recall, concentration, organizational skills – is still not back to the same level as pre-Toby and I need a daily afternoon nap.  If I get overly tired/stressed/anxious, it feels like my IQ drops about 30 points.  Dave even beats me at Jeopardy! I start my gradual return to work tomorrow so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out, especially when it takes me twice as long to do anything.  Personally, I do not really want to go back to work. This whole journey has certainly put life in a new perspective and has shed a different light on my priorities.  I am no longer that go-getter girl who was focussed on her career and all the accoutrements thereof.  It no longer defines me. That said, I am one of the lucky ones – my employer has an excellent benefits package and I was able to take the time I needed to recover without worrying about how we were going to pay the bills.  For that, I am eternally grateful and loyal, and have no intention of switching jobs at this point. It will also be nice to draw in my full salary once again.  Let the count-down to retirement begin!

Healthwise, I won’t officially be classified as “cured” or “in remission” until I pass the five-year mark with no recurrence or new cancer.  Radiation ended three months ago, and since then I have had copious amounts of blood drawn, a complete physical exam, an ultrasound, several x-rays, an MRI, a colonoscopy and a bone scan.  I am relieved to say that at this point, there is no evidence of disease.  We did have a scare when my MRI showed a tiny bright spot on my pelvis, but a follow-up bone scan showed no evidence of metastases.  Still waiting for some x-ray results on that as well, but right now it looks like I am in the clear.  What a relief! I have more imaging coming up in November (mammogram, ultrasound, MRI), so fingers crossed that those tests prove the same. 

Up next is my long-awaited genetic counselling appointment on August 15.  I am hopeful that I will qualify for healthcare-covered genetic testing but I am prepared to pay for it myself if need be.  I think that it is important for Nichole and my little granddaughters to know if there is an inherited genetic component that they need to be aware of and consider throughout their lives. 

P.S. By way of a hair update:  I’ve got “chemo curls”!  I know that they are temporary until my hair follicles re-shape themselves back to normal, but I am going to enjoy it while I can.  As Elaine said, “Ga-Ga, your hair is all fluffy”.  Gotta love it!


#breastcancersurvivor #breastcancerawareness #breastcancerrecovery

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