HAPPY New Year!
My medicine box bears this quote. I love it because we can choose to be happy, and we can choose to be positive. It is good for our health. And that’s what I’m focusing on as I look forward to 2024.
While I still feel anxious at the start of the new year as I wonder if I’ll make it through to the end of 2024, this year is off to a great start! I am soooo happy with my decision to take a chemo break, and I have no regrets whatsoever. I have so much energy back, and I am back to life! This decision is worth it, even if I only get three months out of it, three months till my next scan. Best. Decision. Ever. I even feel like it’s worth losing my hair again if I have to. I can’t believe I am already feeling so much more energy back. I anticipated I would get more time back and fewer symptoms from chemo right away, but I figured getting my energy back would take months. I am celebrating all the small things again … I can run up my stairs again!! While I was on chemo, I was holding onto the railing and walking slowly up them to bed every night, and I was seriously out of breath by the time I got to the top. I worked out today to a DVD, and it felt awesome, not like the chore it had become on chemo. I’m even looking forward to doing it again tomorrow, which is saying something because I know I’m going to be sore in every muscle of my body tomorrow! My foot still hasn’t healed. ☹ So, no treadmill for me yet. But it will feel good to start toning up again.
My word for this part of my journey and for the new year is Health. All of my goals for this year have to do with my physical and mental health. I am feeling healthier being off chemo, and I am going to do everything in my power to try to keep this cancer from coming back. I am going to limit my caffeine, my carbs, my sugars, eat naturally, exercise daily, limit alcohol, and avoid as many chemicals in the products I use as I can. These are things, in my opinion, that I’m doing right to fight cancer. I just don’t want to blame myself for a recurrence when I have the power to make healthy choices. I know that healthy, fit people get cancer. Cancer does not discriminate. But making healthy choices is something I can do to feel like I am in control of something I’m not in control of. Cancer patients make all sorts of choices during their treatments, and I think that whatever makes people feel better and in control and “in the fight” is what’s right for them. I believe you have to do whatever you have to do to remain positive (again, feel all the feels – but get back to positivity because it is a healthy choice) and find peace with this disease, this diagnosis, your life and your even your death.
This week, I had to have my port flushed and have blood drawn from my port. I went to my new infusion center for the first time. I think I’m going to be happy there. The infusion room doesn’t have the pretty views I’ve been spoiled with at prior infusion centers (Charlestons’ infusion centers really spoiled me!), but with only five infusions going on at once, I think I will find the peace I used to love in getting refueled. I was thinking about how I’ve been treated at five infusion centers now, and I’m kind of like an expert on infusion centers now. That’s bad, or sad, but it’s good because it means I’m still here!
I got the results of my bloodwork in my patient portal. My numbers all look good, according to me! 😊 My new doctor is tracking my cancer/tumor markers, and so far, so good, I think? I’ll find out on Tuesday when I meet with my oncologist again. I’ll write next after my appointment to let you know if I find out anything interesting and let you know how it went. Right now, I’m feeling better than I have in years, almost a decade! I am getting things done and am loving every minute of having energy again. I’m not taking it for granted! I hope everyone had happy holidays! Happy, Healthy New Year! I’ll post again after Tuesday’s doctor visit. Stay safe and healthy, everyone!