Made It To 5 Years!

I was diagnosed in May of 2013 with Stage 2-3 rectal cancer and went through of 9 months of radiation, chemo, surgery and more chemo treatment. I count my NED from the day they removed my cancer and that was in October 5 years ago. 

I rebounded pretty good even though I had to start my career over, divorced and was left with some permanent challenges of a colostomy, diatery restrictions and constant abdominal discomfort. The only way I can keep myself in relative comfort is to induce diarrhea once a week to empty my intestines. Interestingly by now I completely forgot about not having a belly button, an anus, and having a 15 inch scar on my stomach. Miraculously this all became normal and part of me.

My career is going fine, my daughter is doing great at a awesome college, I‘m in a wonderful relationship again. Ever excited about life, hobbies, travel, poetry, science and other interests.

The human endurance is remarkable although when we are going through difficulties is very very discouraging. I have no major long term plans just living life one day at a time. I’m enclosing one of my poems to support the ones that are struggling and wishing you strength and faith that everything will be alright.

Laz

Now

Living the art of being in the moment,

Without false certainty in the future or reliving the past,

For will be events are not yet and passed events, well, have passed.

Will be and was are created right now,

In this present everlasting second everything we do is blessed,

Worrying about next or past moves spoils the whole experience. 

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone.

When this breath is gone, no one promises the next one.

This moment is the best one.

Savor each moment, don’t take things for granted,

Life as a whole is wondrously resilient,

But for us, fragile individuals only constant change is permanent,

Eternal life frozen in a moment.