End of Active Treatment
Tomorrow is my final surgery for 2022. I’m not sure what to think about it. Obviously, it’s a very simple procedure of taking out my chemo port, doing a small skin revision on my left side, and perhaps a revision on the right. It’s the final part of my treatment. Really to tie my cancer journey with a big red bow of being “complete”.
When we saw my oncologist on my birthday she made a comment that emotionally things could be harder as treatment finishes. There will be a lot of processing moving forward, and she was right. While you’re IN IT you’re fighting, but once you’re done you have breathing room to soak up what you really went through.
2022 was all about action and fighting the fight which I totally did.
2023 will be about:
- Reclaiming my body and learning to accept its new look.
- Growing my hair out. Right now my “look” still screams cancer patient.
- Learning what clothing fits best with my new body type. I’m noticing that V-necked tops aren’t the best option. Since I don’t have anything to fill out the V plunges way too low.
- Making the transition from a cancer patient to just a normal person.
- Going back to working in the office vs at home. (haven’t been there since the end of Aug)
- Being able to enjoy group activities again.
One thing people don’t mention often is the emotional transition from being a cancer patient back to being a wife/mother/friend/daughter/employee.
Mike also needs to go from caretaker back to being a husband. By all means, Mike has been amazing and I can never thank him enough for taking such good care of me. I mean he had fresh flowers in our house the entire time I was going through treatment. Drove me to appointments, picked up countless bottles of meds, made anything that remotely sounded good, and kept my water bottle filled. After surgery, he had to help me get dressed and undressed, showered, and assist with bandage changes. Simple things like helping me get in and out of bed and keeping the dogs quiet while I slept. I am forever grateful to him.
PS ~ I crocheted my very first hat successfully.
