Anniversaries

A year ago today [August 7, 2020] I rang the bell after completing my 25th and final radiation treatment. It was an emotional act for me then and a year later the memory still stirred emotions as I reread my blog post from that day.

It has been nearly 14 months since my diagnosis. June 9th was the day my journey began. I had planned to write a post on the anniversary of that day but when it came time it didn’t feel right. I didn’t really know what to say. As the anniversary of each of the events leading to the start of my treatments arrived, Jon and I would talk about each one.

Until recently I had not reread my blog posts. I started my blog on June 28, so on that day this year I started rereading my blog one day at a time, keeping pace with each post’s anniversary. I remember much about this time, but I’m also amazed at how much of the details I had forgotten - or more accurately, I had pushed to the back of my mind. I wasn’t sure how I would feel revisiting this time period of my journey, but now that I’m many weeks into it I am glad I’m rereading my posts. I think that revisiting this past is part of moving forward. I read each post, share with Jon and we talk and count count our blessings - and then we move on. Most of all the posts remind me of the strength we both had to deal with cancer. The posts also remind me of all the support we had and all the love expressed in so many ways.

On this day a year ago I felt the hope as I rang the bell. I’m now slightly over nine months cancer free and I feel that same hope everyday.