I sat in the Oncologist office yesterday getting the good news that my MCV (Red Blood Cells) and HGB (Hemoglobin) are back to normal and all of my blood work looks great, I reflect back over the past year and all that has happened. Today, one year ago on December 6th, 2018 I was told I had Colon Cancer. I walked out of the Gastroenterologists office with tears streaming down my face wondering If I was going to survive. Automatic regret of all the things I hadn't done, all the things that I put off, all the things I may never experience. My boyfriend was flying, so I couldn't call him and my best friend wasn't responding to my text, so I drove home and sat alone in self pity for 5 1/2 until Jason got home. It was the longest day of my life.
Everything moved quickly after that, lots of tests, surgery and 16 weeks of chemo. It was a tough year but also for me, a good year. When you sit with Cancer, you have plenty of time to self-reflect; really get to know yourself. Who you are. Who you want to be. Weed out the negative people in your life and welcome in everyone else. Learn to say No and put yourself first. Appreciate the simple things and don't take time or people for granted. Open your heart. Laugh at yourself. Actually laughter was key for me. We learned to laugh at all the things that where causing me the most pain. Today I am Cancer Free and happier than I have ever been. I know that I am blessed and very fortunate. I had an amazing support group; Jason, my family, my friends, my community, strangers and lots of prayers. I couldn't have done it without them.
So today, I am happy to present our newest Cancer Awareness Swagger Pup bandana! It is very special to me. We all have a loved one or close friend that survived or lost the battle to Cancer. Cancer has or will affect all of us in some way. This bandana has all of the Cancer Ribbons represented on it. Together we stand. Together we fight. Together we fall. For each Cancer Awareness bandana sold, 50% of the cost will go to the Cancer Research Institute. The Cancer Research Institute was founded in 1953 and are rated one of the top charities to donate to. Their mission: To Save More lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for ALL types of Cancer.
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