I AM a survivor!

Just cutting to the chase.......

I AM CANCER FREE!!

It has taken over 8 years to get here... but I'm here... 5 years cancer free!!  (Well if I'm gonna be absolutely accurate - it will be 5 years on Nov 9th - but as I do not have another screening for a FULL year - I am declaring it 5 years NOW!!)

I have the most wonderful doctor  honestly!  from the first visit where I had a total meltdown.. to this last visit where he told me if he could "he'd hug and kiss me - but ya know social distancing and all that!"

He told me I surprised him a little bit -- the type of cancer I have usually continues to reappear - doesn't spread BUT it keeps coming back.  BUT I seem to have beaten it.  I smiled and bit my tongue. You see 8 years ago along with bladder cancer I also had precancerous growths in my uterus.  and no they refused to remove my uterus - just the growths.  Finally I had a new gynecologist  tell me quite firmly and not very diplomatically (cause I was whining about the growths reappearing) that if I lost the belly fat the tumours wouldn't grow back.  She explained that belly fat especially in post menopausal women creates hormones .. and hormones in post menopausal woman can create precancerous growths.  "Lose the belly fat" she told me.  So I did - 75 pounds of it!!!

AND guess what happened........ the uterine growths stopped coming back.. .and I had my first bladder cancer free appointment.  After 3 such visits I suggested to my bladder doctor that maybe the theory of belly fat and hormones might apply to this cancer.  He smiled and said "no! absolutely no correlation".  EXCEPT ....... I am now 5 years cancer free with no real explanation.  Just in case he might be wrong - I'm gonna keep that belly fat off ya know?!

OH and the one other thing that happened yesterday - I asked my doctor if he could recommend a really good doctor - preferably a clone of himself - in my home town.  He grinned and said 'there's no one quite like me - BUT I know two great doctors..." So he has transferred me.  No more 2 hour drive there and back.  YAY!

Today I am having a quiet day.  Sir Steve has gone to town to pick up the lil one from her mother and they are gonna spend the day in town - give me a chance to heal up a bit.  (this cancer screening is a bit invasive and always leaves me with bladder spasms and feeling like I have UTI for a day or so)

Tonite there is gonna be a BIG celebration here and you're all invited (grinning) pizza and wine and maybe a fire (if we can bear adding to the heat register) eldest daughter and SIL are coming.........

Life is good when your cancer goes into remission.