Life, Interrupted

Some of you know I had uteran (endometrial) cancer a few years back. Most of you know I also deal with chronic endometrial pains and extreme fatigue. Finding out I was in remission only 7 short months after being diagnosed was truly the gluten-free, vegan cream on top of the unsweetened carrot cake I wasn't allowed to have. But even after cancer, I had a restricted diet and a whole new lifestyle I had to adopt and adapt to. The only easy thing about all the changes I had to make was that this really was life or death for me. I was more scared into health and fitness rather than wanting to actually make the necessary changes for myself to be healthier. I was in complete denial that my body and health needed a revamping. I mean damn, even the day I was told I had cancer, I was in denial that anything bad could even happen to me right now, I was only 21. Life was my pearly-oyster and other than some mensi-probs throughout my adolescence, I was a healthy bean and achieving the life I thought I was creating for myself. I was in my last year of college, working part-time as a preschool teacher nearby campus, and on a full-ride scholarship to graduate without any debt! (This is where I use to pull out my world's smallest violin and play myself a sad song).... but honestly, cancer saved me. I am a better and stronger woman because of it. Having cancer was the easy part; all the aftermath and side effects were the real struggle. And even today, I still struggle with the side effects of my radiation and chemo treatments from years back. I still spend an hour or two a week heaving over my porcelain friend, I still have daily pain that stops me midtrack and sometimes makes me fall to my knees. I still notice lack of luster in my hair and how it grows off sides. How my skin complexion and hormone levels are all out of wack and are probably one of my biggest reoccurring side effects that I get treated for every week for the past three years.

All this to say, I don't want to hide behind my medical history because although I may still be in remission (woo hoo!), my health is very current and very real to me. It affects my work, my clients, my relationship with my family and close friends, and obviously has a huge impact on how I feel about myself. This past week, they found cancer in one of the tumors growing in my uterus. Several days, multiple blood tests and biopsies, and a lot of crying later, they were able to stage the found cancer at Stage0:(TisN0M0), which means the cancer was only found in one tumor: no spreading to lymph nodes, no metastasizing anywhere else. So they were able to do a small procedure on me to remove that tumor and completely eradicate the cancer giving me another chance at a healthy life and foregoing another cancer scare. Even having had cancer, I still get to chase my goals and dreams, I don't have to be on a feeding tube, or hooked up to fluids at the hospital, and I get to keep inspiring others, and especially myself, through my story. I wouldn't change a thing. With the support I've received from many, I can now say that I am confident I will beat this battle and keep thriving from it.