National Cancer Survivors Day is almost upon us. And I for one plan to make it much more than a single day celebration. So buckle up. Today I look back on the book that I wrote 6 years ago. This was the fifth book I had written and I felt that it was a pretty comprehensive snapshot of my cancer story. And it was…. 6 years ago.
As the cancer Wheel of (mis)Fortune would have it, my body stopped responding to the chemo drug Bendeka, which I spoke about in great detail in the book, not long after that book was published. In time we would turn to the next treatment drug in the arsenal; Ibrutinib, which is what I’m still on today. Some may look at that as a failure of one drug which forced us to look to another. I’ve made the choice to view it differently. The fact is, throughout my 15 year journey, I’ve been on rituxan, fludara, bendeka, decadron, prednisone, and Ibrutinib to keep my leukemia in check. And I don’t look at any of those drugs as having failed me. Rather, I embrace the reality that anytime I’ve needed a different answer, one was available for me. And I embrace the fact that there are more available options at the ready and others in the pipeline. There have been many more chapters to my story since that book came out. And there are times that I wonder if I have a continuation in me. Maybe I do someday, but not today.
Today I just celebrate my place on this planet and try to laugh often and not take my said place on said planet too seriously. Peace. #survivor #cancer #nationalcancersurvivorsday #ncsd #lls #cll #remission #ibrutinib #bendeka #fludara #rituxan
National Cancer Survivors Day 2021
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. It’s not because I haven’t been active on social media. I’ve been very active on Facebook and Instagram but I’ve done a poor job of posting updates here as well. I vow to be better!! ….
A few last words on this year’s National Cancer Survivors Day … In short, thank you to everyone who has played a part in my sustained survivorship. As many of you know, my leukemia is chronic and incurable. Our goal is to constantly maintain and manage the disease with the hope of beating it into submission and keeping me in remission. To date that has required 54 rounds of IV chemo, countless rounds of steroid therapy, and an oral targeted therapy treatment drug. “Surviving” is a present tense exercise for me. Every day I manage my leukemia, remain diligent with my drug therapies, and control what I can to keep my blood work and lymph nodes in check.
To everyone who has supported me along the way, thank you. To every doctor, nurse, receptionist, and scheduler who works tirelessly to put people like me first, thank you. And to my primary oncologist whose name I won’t mention but who has been my #1 go to for all 15 years of my disease, THANK YOU for all you’ve done and for putting up with my relentless questions and challenges.
In closing, please be kind. Everyone you meet is facing their own challenges. Support them. #survivor #cancer #thankyou #remission #cancersucks #bloodcancer #cll #leukemia