18 Months NED

Today, I am 18 months NED! That's 547 days with no sign of cancer in my body. I didn't really know how to handle this day. Things have not been all unicorns and rainbows in my cancer community lately. I have friends whose cancer has returned. Friends whose cancer has metastasized. A friend entering hospice care. Friends living with daily treatments, and no end in side. And of course, I'm still dealing with the death of my dear friend Melissa. So to go nuts about 18 months of remission seems a little like rubbing some peoples noses in my good fortune. Because I do believe that luck plays a definite role in how our bodies respond to treatment. For some of us, it works; for others, it just does not.

I raised this question in an online group: am I being a jerk to call attention to this? And the answer I got was a resounding NO. That I should celebrate anything I want, and as often as I can. The women most vocally encouraging me to embrace this day are women still fighting for their lives. That floored and humbled me.

When I was diagnosed, I couldn't imagine making it to my first post-treatment check up. People told me that I would, and then I would hit 6 months, then nine, then a year. And they were right; all of those dates passed with a letter in the mail saying "Pap smear results normal." My mom and I had a wonderful party over the summer to celebrate our first cancerversary. Even though she was diagnosed with breast cancer two months before my diagnosis, radiation treatment caused her NED date to be closer to mine.

When you have cancer, there is nothing you want to hear more than the words "No Evidence of Disease." We all live with at least a low level fear of cancer returning, but when you are classified as NED, there is some breathing room until the next exam.

I chose to include this quote by Oprah because I think it applies to all of us, those still battling this disease, and those who have been declared NED. There is always something to celebrate in life, even if it just getting out of bed in the morning. Full disclosure: some days, washing my hair is my big cause to celebrate. But the point is, the more we look for the good things, the victories large and small, we can praise and celebrate our lives. And that in turn gives us a life of appreciation, of gratitude, of celebration.

My hope is that each of you finds something in your life to celebrate today. Whether it is a victory over a medical issue, or that you just look really good in your outfit today, own it, and celebrate the HECK out of it. I promise that that feeling of celebration will make today special, and that's pretty cool.

xoxoxo

jennie