Friday, May 15, 2009

TODAY is my "NEW BIRTHDAY" !

WOW....one year ago today was my actual Bone Marrow Transplant! They call it your "New Birthday" as literally all of your blood, which is, of course, our true lifeline, was totally replaced with brand new baby stem cells which knew (aren't our bodies truly miraculous?) exactly where to go and what to do. The stem cells can turn into anything and go anywhere once placed in the body. Even though these stem cells didn't come with their directions attached, didn't know what they where being used for when infused into my body, they took a look around and went straight to my bone marrow and began making brand new blood for me. As per the Grateful Dead......"what a long strange trip it's been". I have so many things to be thankful for in this past year (and more before that, of course), but my focus right now will be on where this last year has taken me. A year is just a measurement of time, yet it seems to become significant often throughout that one year period of time. We tend to look back, think about and make revisions to life, at that one year mark. We think in terms of the the past year on our birthdays (real and new ones!), family member birthdays, particularly our children's, we think of them on anniversaries, we think of them on New Year's Eve, and we also think of them on other such "important personal dates" that have happened in our lives, be it a graduation date, a death date, and I've even gone over "year stuff" on vacation dates etc!
A year can go by oh so very fast, as we know, especially as we grow older, and then on top of that, when you live with an incurable disease or cancer, it even adds that much more to the "thinkings" of going over the past year. Again, even though I have an incurable cancer, my overwhelming feelings of gratitude are enormous. I have a great life full of hope and optimism that I will live a long healthy life, despite this cancer. Every day you get to make that day the best you can.....even when shitty things happen, you have a choice in what way to process, see and feel those things and turn it around in your mind and remind yourself it's just a bump in a very long road you are traveling, and that at some point you will overcome. Nothing can get you down unless you give it permission to do so.
This last year has definitely had it's ups and downs for me......but mostly ups! Hey, I have cancer.....I had and lived through a bone marrow transplant, I've done well overall in this past year....so hey...I can handle any and all of the other petty little life stuff that comes my way, because it "ain't nothin" compared to what I've been through this past year. I will post soon as I have some other things to share, but gotta get goin for now. I did post some new photos taken a few days ago, so check them out. Yep.....shows you how much even hair grows in the last year! LOL

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Well Happy New Birthday dear Jan! We are now only one month apart as far as new birthdays are concerned. A month ago it was my new birthday. I was up north in Darwin (very hot and humid) catching up with a friend. We were doing some roofing together on his house. As I was standing there, in tropical heat, sweating heavily and doing some building work, I stopped and thought "Hang on, a year ago today I was having high-dose chemo for a stem cell transplant!" So much has happened in that year.

Glad you are in good spirits Jan. I will email you too, to give you an update for this side of the world.

Susan said...

Happy 1rst bday...what a proud day. I'm glad that you are in good spirits and only one who has walked in these shoes knows how exciting it is to have these special bdays....hang in there and keep in touch..xoxo... Susz Q
ps. I have my 2nd bday coming up in Aug...

Anonymous said...

Happy 1st Birthday Jan....
You and your hair look fabulous.. Girls are so pretty.

Love and Prayers, Tam