Sunday, October 24, 2010

What is your prognosis?

Today at church I ran into my friend, who just lost her husband recently to cancer. She is holding up well, or at least so in public. She really is a strong woman and I admire the way she continues to get up each day and keep going, when I am sure there are days, she doesn't feel like even doing that. We spoke about how she was doing and holding up. We spoke about how hard this has been on her grandchildren, to lose their Grandpa all of a sudden, and then we talked about Angie (my granddaughter) and I making some of our RECNAC MONSTERS for each grandchild. (If you haven't heard or seen our Monsters that we created, just put the word RECNAC MONSTERS or MONSTERS in the search engine at the top left hand side of my blog and it will pull them up. We have loved making them and giving them away.
As we were getting ready to leave she asked me a question that startled me a bit. She said "Lynn, what is your prognosis?" Now that isn't an odd question, of course I have been asked it many times... but for some reason today, it hit me differently. It has been almost 2 years exactly, since I was diagnosed again with Breast Cancer, yes this was my second time. I had it 7 years prior to that. And at that time, the prognosis was a fearful one. I didn't do the ( normal procedure in getting rid of cancer ) so they gave me scarier numbers.
I however felt strong and good about the road I have chosen to take both times. I still feel good about it, but for some reason when she asked me that question, for just a moment....I wondered how do I answer that?  The truth is... no one ever really knows IF or WHEN your cancer will come back, I chose to believe that it is completely gone, and that gives me the hope and strength to get up every day and no be scared. However if I listened to or put any credibility on statistics, I guess I would have answered different, like with a percentage or something like that?  But I didn't, I said my prognosis is good and I left it at that. The truth is, I have left that up to God. He knows how long exactly I will be here on earth, I on the other hand ...don't know, and so each day I cherish and try to do my best...and for that I am grateful, so grateful! 

My daughter took my picture this weekend, so that I could update the one on my blog, which is a pre-cancer photo. At first, I was disappointed at how much I have aged, but then I realized that in the short two years since that photo was taken, a lot has happened...I had a mastectomy, I had Radiation for 3 months, I have had pneumonia and mono... multiple times, my Dad passed away, we lost our job, had a new granddaughter and have started my blog, working on a book, done a few Motivational Speeches and also we got a new daughter-in-law. Yes, lots has happened in the last two years...both bad and GOOD!

As I look at my photo, I realize that I need to quit worrying about my age, or areas on my body that I would like to change. I need to remember to keep smiling, and keep doing all that I can to keep my body and spirit healthy. It has been a hard and yet enlightening two years, one that I would have never chosen, but will never forget and will be always grateful for! Yes, I am a survivor and I am going to try hard to keep it that way!

Mom 4[1]

"The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it."  ~C.C. Scott

"Don't count the days, make the days count."  ~ Muhammad Ali

"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death."  ~Author Unknown

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