Another day of infamy

December seventh, 2015 – a day that will live in infamy (for me at least).

With a great big wink at the irony at play, that was the day I got my cancer diagnosis. I met with my kidney doctor to hear the results of a biopsy I had undergone. I was not surprised: I knew it was going to be cancer.

It’s hard for me to recount all the ways my life has changed in three years: chemo drugs to take, foods to avoid, foods to focus on, weight loss (not a bad thing, in my case), avoiding retaining water, making sure I keep my health insurance active, the care I have to take to not fall and break any bones (my cancer can make them brittle), the importance of excellent dental care (ibid), the need to avoid sick people, the need to schedule work days of no more than four-hours (after which I’m too tired to continue). These things, and others, are now part of my life as if they had always been. I’ve managed to establish a routine with the understanding that my life can no longer be considered “routine.”

On the plus side (every cloud has a silver lining): my cancer is under control and my chemo side effects have been minimal, I stopped craving/eating most sweets, and I found a balance between how much salt I can eat and water I should drink in a day to avoid retaining water (that was a real challenge).

On the minus side (every silver lining has a cloud): my kidneys continue to fail (damage from the cancer before diagnosis), I’ll need to take chemo the remainder of my life, my cancer will never be in remission, and I’ll never be able to wear a T-shirt that proclaims proudly: “I am a cancer survivor.” 

One last “plus”: we just bought a new (used) car. We paid for a special add-on to the loan that will pay off the full amount if either I or my husband dies in the next six years. This is a great deal, considering how the average life expectancy of my type of cancer is five years from date of diagnosis. :-)