We are all still here

pascotty

Hi all. Just thought i'd post a positive thought for us survivors today. As we ponder our future and side effects and treatments. We are still here and living and amongst our wonderful caring families.
We have not been taken suddenly like the poor miners in new Zealand. We are surviving. We are slightly tainted now. But we are here. We need to grasp life. Noone knows when the end is and I know that this challenge makes us face our mortality which is what makes this whole trip painful. The fact for me is I would rather the side effects and be alive to gat stronger each and every day.
I hope this experience can somehow much us stronger more loving and kinder in our quest. My love to you all in this festive season. My last one was horrid as I had just been diagnosed. Oh what difference a year can make. Woo hoo loving life xxxx

mixleader

Still Here
Hi, Pascotty. There was a time when I thought that when people said they were seeing things differently after a tough illness, that it was just something that was expected to be said. I did not truly think that these statements were true or heart felt. Well, that has certainly changed for me and probably for most of us here. It seems as though a life-threatening (and certainly life changing) illness does indeed have some profound effects on how we look at life and what is truly important. I am in a similar situation as you in that I am greatly enjoying every bit of this holiday season. A clean scan just a couple of weeks ago made this season a whole lot brighter for me. I hope we can all enjoy this season and many more like it.

ekdennie

enjoying my life!
I have a hole in the roof of my mouth. I will be seeing doctors for the rest of my life. I am still dealing with pain. But I am alive and I am healing! I was even able to eat some real food today and I am only 2 1/2 weeks post radiation! I am so excited...it didn't taste the same, but it was real food that I actually chewed, and not just swallowed whole!
I am surviving, I am getting better, I will be better and I have discovered that there are elements to myself that I really want to make sure get a chance to be seen!
I want to get back to my art. I want to demand more time for things that are important to me. I have been a great mother, but now more than ever I need my kids to see that mom has goals of her own. that there are things mom does on a daily basis that makes me happy. I sometimes wonder how long I would have just gone along supporting my kids and husband, but not demanding what I need to make me happy. I am thankful that I had such wonderful doctors who found ways to remove my golfball size tumor from my sinus and palate without leaving any exterior scars. I am grateful that my radiation oncologist was able to minimize so many side effects and that they decided they didn't need to do radiation on my lymph nodes. I am still dealing with sores and reduced saliva, but I would rather have those side effects than still have my tumor!
I hope that those in my life who I love, know how much they mean to me...I plan to do things in a different manner than the past, and I am already happy about the small changes I have made! life means so much more to me. the little things always made me smile, but now I want to share those moments with those I love so much!

wishing you the joy and wonder of the holiday season...may the miracles that we celebrate remind us all of our potential to be great!
hugs!
also loving life!