It’s my 9th cancerversary today, 15 April. But I should really call it my 9th primary cancerversary, since I was diagnosed with secondary (terminal) breast cancer last July.
Not a happy event for sure, but I see it as a good milestone. I am still here, so I celebrate that.
I have a cake every year, because cake is good. And I am glad to be alive, especially since my latest diagnosis.
Hopefully, I will get to celebrate my 9th secondary cancerversary one day too, in July 2032.
I am grateful to be alive, and that my children and husband haven’t had to deal with another early death in our family and the never-ending grief from that.
So, am I full of joy and thankfulness, skipping along and singing to the birds? No, not usually. I know that a (hopefully slow) decline awaits me, before a painful death. Although, the thought of being full of morphine and blissfully unaware does help.
What makes it harder is that my local hospice, Prospect Hospice, are really struggling with a lack of funding and donations. Like many hospices, they are fighting to keep going. When the time comes, I don’t want to die in a grim hospital room or at home (my poor family, having to deal with that!) So, I am extremely invested in Prospect Hospice thriving for many more years.
If you have the luxury of a few spare pounds, please do consider donating to them? It can be a one-off or regular donation, or you could enter their monthly lottery.
Many local people already know what a wonderful place it is.
Even though I am fairly well and able now, I have already benefited from their free massages and visits from their social worker. If I needed a spinal operation, even last minute, then they have promised to make a hospital-style bed available for me at home, or I could stay at their beautiful location in Wroughton while I recover.
Palliative care is so important, and means a lot more than dying with dignity and not in pain, although that is obviously vital.
Just another blog 