Friday, November 11, 2016

One Month Ago, One Year Ago



It's been a whole month. One whole month. Since I started back to work. A lot has happened in that month. I've learned a lot. I took a test for a promotional position with the state. Since I passed that test I have applied like crazy for that position. I learned recently that my co-workers are working hard at trying to keep me permanently. Trying to get the approval to create a position for me. I am there temporarily as long as my doctor wants me there since I am not able to go back to my normal job as a dispatcher. It would be so great to be able to stay there. It's a perfect location compared to home and the people I work with are amazing. We work well together and even the people who work in other areas in that building are welcoming and nice and all. Usually within a month at a new place I can see issues with somebody or in supervision. Here, I don't see that. And, the job itself helps me learn new and different things. Making it easier to get jobs to promote into. One whole month and I still like going to work. Now, if only there was a day care there. I mean, they have a lactation room, why not a day care? But, we finally found an amazing day care for Brandon and it's only 5 minutes away from home. Whew!




Now, for the last year. As of today it's been a whole year since I started chemo treatments. So much has happened in that year. I went from spending every week almost 2 days a week at Kaiser to just this past July going every other week. I did six 28 day cycles starting today a year ago of chemo and zometa. After those six cycles were done I spent most of May and June at Stanford for the stem cell transplant process. May was getting ready for the transplant and June was the transplant. All of that put me into complete response.

One year ago

Going back to work last month has even helped me put into perspective exactly how much time I/we have spent at Kaiser or Stanford. I went from rarely going to the doctor, to going once a month for prenatal visits, to twice every week for cancer treatments and now to twice every other week for cancer treatments. I have always hated hospitals. It's where the sick people go. Now, I am that sick person. I hate that going in for treatments is like another job. I don't have two jobs (regular Monday thru Friday one and raising Brandon). I have three. Fighting cancer and being a cancer warrior is another job. It takes everything from you. All your energy. But the fight is worth it when I look at Brandon and Eric. I hate that I was dealt the cancer card in life, but I have so many people around me who make fighting it that much easier. All these friends and family around me make me want to fight to be here. I will stay in complete response for many many years to come. I may hurt, inside and out, but it won't stop me from fighting. Brandon fought to have my cancer detected early on, it's the least I can do to fight to be here for him.


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