SUE COX national cancer survivors day

I started thinking about what it meant to be a survivor, what other people might want to know about surviving and how not to come off preachy, then it hit me.. make a list.. make a list of all the important things that happened to me while I was surviving surgeries, drug therapies, steroids, weight loss, weight gain, hair loss to name a few. Show how many good things happened to me in the years I survived. So that’s what I’ve done, I’ve made a list of all the important things in my life that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t survived. I’m leaving them in a list format because it works. These events took place over 6 years from 2011 to today and speak for themselves:

 

  1. Went to our son’s high school graduation
  2. Went to our daughter’s college graduation
  3. Survived so long I don’t recognize some of the nurses at the hospital
  4. Learned how to be comfortable with CT scans
  5. Learned how to be comfortable with my scars
  6. Learned how to be myself
  7. Learned how to let go
  8. Hung wallpaper
  9. Bought a white couch
  10. regularly struck up conversations with strangers
  11. made people laugh
  12. told my friends how I really felt about them
  13. let people in
  14. made some new friends
  15. decided to go for it
  16. decided not to be afraid to try new things
  17. admitted I’m not the best at everything
  18. learned to fail gracefully
  19. bought a pink Vespa
  20. named her Miss Pearl
  21. Became a spokesperson for Melanoma Network
  22. Talked in front of cameras and microphones about melanoma
  23. Talked about being naive and using tanning beds
  24. Talked to patients about cancer
  25. Talked to patients about dying
  26. Faced my own fears
  27. Talked to patients about living
  28. Shared my own experiences
  29. Shared hope
  30. Raced through my bucket list
  31. Turned 50 and was thrilled
  32. Learned to cook a prime rib
  33. Learned to kayak
  34. Started a small business
  35. Negotiated and bought a fixer upper
  36. Got a mortgage all on my own
  37. Became a general contractor
  38. Became the boss
  39. Kicked ass
  40. Renovated, landscaped, learned too much about HVAC
  41. Felt adulty
  42. Felt proud
  43. Sold the fixer upper
  44. Felt accomplished
  45. Took some amazing holidays with our family
  46. Went on a Caribbean cruise
  47. Said yes to some speaking engagements
  48. Saw Amsterdam, London, New York, Maui
  49. Hosted a family reunion
  50. Made jerseys for the event
  51. Made some memories
  52. Drank a bit
  53. Ate too much
  54. Joined Airbnb as a host
  55. Cancelled my Airbnb account
  56. Chatted with a celebrity with confidence
  57. Moved our daughter to BC
  58. Joined a gym
  59. Hired a trainer
  60. Celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last year
  61. Bought a new property
  62. Hired a builder
  63. Hired an architect
  64. Going to design our next house
  65. Not going to be the general contractor
  66. Feeling grateful for all my wonderful experiences
  67. Feeling grateful for all my 6+ years
  68. Remembering cancer
  69. Remembering to be look around every day
  70. Remembering to watch my moles
  71. Remembering what having cancer was like
  72. Remembering I’m through it
  73. Being thankful

 

You may also like #notjustskincancer with Sue Cox