Moving On!

What happens now that primary treatment is over?  How do I navigate life after treatment? How do I live in the present while maintaining hope for the future?

Last week, I had a CT Scan and the drs office called to tell me that there was no evidence of new cancer.  Instead of jumping up and down in excitement, I asked does that mean there’s evidence of the old cancer?  The woman on the phone said this is good news.  My family wanted to celebrate. I have to learn to live in the present and accept good news for what it is:  good news!  I don’t know what my future holds (does anyone, really?) but for now it is time to move on….

Here are pictures of me moving on and enjoying life after intense treatment!

I was so happy to be a part of Jessica and TJ’s move!  Organizing and supervising are two of my favorite activities and I have a lot of experience moving:

Adrienne’s 30^th birthday weekend was a blast and I did participate in most of it (not the slip and slide, however): 

Adrienne and I took a 5 hour car ride to NC to visit family at Oak Island.   I was thrilled to have my toes in the sand (I waited until evening, so as to avoid the hot sun!)

Next up, Hershey, PA with the Sheridan’s.  Pictures to follow…

Milestones in video

It's been a while since we've posted.  Mom's done a little bit of traveling.  We celebrated my 30th birthday.  We've got more to say and it will come in time.  But, in the meantime, I wanted to share 3 videos that I think help capture the last 6 months.

This first video was filmed in Jess' apartment in DC on Christmas Eve 2011.  The day before, Mom had gone to her doctor for a "rash" that concerned her on her right breast.  They gave her some antibiotics to treat a potentially clogged milk duct.  I thought that was funny.  I mean, who gets a clogged milk duct at 55?!  The cancer was there on Christmas Eve, we just didn't know it. Blissful ignorance in the form of a kitchen dance party.  By the way, we were making fried cauliflower, a Christmas Eve tradition.

This second video, you've seen before.  It's Mom dancing her way out of her last chemo treatment.  Chemo, in my opinion, was the hardest part of the treatment so far.  It felt unpredictable and unknown.  It had lots of it's own side effects.  It was the chemo that made Mom seem "sick".

And this last video was filmed almost two weeks ago at my 30th birthday celebration.  Mom looks different than she did 6 months ago, but her dancing spirit is still there.

I have watched these videos over and over, particularly the first one, in the last few months.  Sometimes with laughter.  Sometimes with tears.  Always with gratitude that we can still dance.