What is the meaning of survivor?

Today was Chemo day for me. I only have 2 of these sessions to go. Whew....I am so glad to see light at the end of the tunnel. Each time I have chemo it catches up to me a little more. The side effects get a little worse, I tolerate it a little less and it takes a little more time to recoup....of course the alternative is not an option.

So...I was thinking today that I am going to miss all these girls in my little chemo group....we have bonded in a good way...sharing stories and urging each other on when someone is having a bad day. We laugh and joke, we feel sad and mad, we share ideas and tips for dealing with the side effects...and in a short period of time we have come to know each other in a special way.

Today I met a cancer survivor. I don't want to name names...to respect some privacy...but she is a friend of another gal in the group. She came in today to say hello. She had been a patient of Dr. Kumar and has the utmost respect for him. Her hair is growing in beautifully, she has had reconstruction and she was so upbeat and fun and such a pleasure to be around ...she brightened the day for all of us. There is a question however. What is the definition of SURVIVOR? The American Heritage dictionary describes a survivor like this: "To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere".

Some say....when the treatments are done and there is no evidence of cancer...you are a survivor...some measure a survivor in years...I am a 5 year, 10 year survivor. I like to measure a survivor from the minute a person decides to fight this disease. When you are diagnosed and decide to accept treatment...you have become a survivor.

I consider myself a survivor and all of those gals pals in my chemo group are survivors. Fighting the battle...toughing it out...that is surviving.

My Bucket List

I made a "Bucket List"! One of the things I always admired and wanted to learn was cake decortating . I always admired my Aunt Jeanette's skills in this area. She owned a bakery and made the most beautiul cakes and cupcakes. I loved the beautiful roses she always made and was awed at the specialty desserts she designed. I am taking a Wilton Cake Decorating Class and I have learned how to make those roses. Now, my roses are not on a par with Aunt Jeanettes and are not nearly as good as my instructors, but I am having fun and getting more familiar with the techniques. With the popularity of television shows like "Ace of Cakes" and such, our class is full. Most of the class want to go into the profession of cake decorating. Hmmmm. I just want to make cupcakes and cakes for the family. Hopefully we won't gain too much weight with all the baked goods around lately.

Back to Work

I havn't posted here in awhile....I have gone back to work. Once I started on the second round of Chemo my energy level started to come back. I am certainly not 100% but much less tired than I had been on the A/C protocol. Daytime TV was getting old...so I went back to work. I am in the Port Richey office...a little slower office than the New Port Richey Office that Russ and I both worked in...but certainly better for me. I am happy to be there. The agents in that office have been great to work with and it is closer to the house than New Port Richey...only a 10 minute commute.