As regular readers of the Monday Night Cancer Club series know, I am fond of observing anniversaries. Lately, I’ve even begun to emphasize the good anniversaries over the not-so-good ones, and the one I’m marking with you tonight is definitely a good one.
I started this series just over two years ago, on October 3, 2011, when I was beginning the fight of my life against metastatic lesions in both lungs. Two years later, I am not only celebrating the beginning of our third year in community here, but also another clean scan, which means my NED status has been in effect for almost 16 months.
The support I’ve received from Kossacks as I continue to recover from advanced endometrial cancer has been invaluable. Today, during my “routine” 6-month CT scan, my Community Quilt covered my body while I held my beautiful Secret Santa gift, the White Hawk by Wings, in my hand.
But these tangible indicators of support have no more weight, in the end, than the intangible ones that we have offered each other during the past two years of the Monday Night Cancer Club. I started the group out of self-interest, thinking that I would be grateful for a bit of company during this lonely struggle. As it turns out, I have gained far more from the experience than I could imagine back then.
Let me recap the past year briefly, so that I can thank the other MNCC diarists one more time. I must start by thanking my co-administrator, ZenTrainer, for her steady presence and unremitting humor. She claims to be seriously anti-social, but don’t you believe it; she is truly a warm-hearted person to people as well as to dogs (and cats) and a wonderful hostess. Getting to knowTracy better is one of my very best gifts from the MNCC. And yes, ZT did write four delightful diaries this past year. I hope she’ll write even more this year, and that’s not just because it gives me a break. She’s a very fine and funny writer, and I am grateful she shares so much of her talent and time with us.
Here are ZenTrainer's diaries for the MNCC since last October 15:
2/11/13: Kids and Cancer
5/20/13: Why I need cancer support and what it means to me
6/3/13: Losing my religion
8/26/13: Best.Support.Ever
Following close behind this year in the number of diaries contributed is our friend DarkHawk98, who is in the middle of his own particular celebration at this juncture. His daughter was married last weekend, and at the moment DH98 himself is on the road, moving from California to Arkansas to rejoin his wife. He wrote three strong diaries this year, displaying his own admirable resilience and grace, and I hope that we can get more diaries from him too, once he settles in. If you'd like to revisit DarkHawk98's diaries for us, here they are:
11/12/12: Can Anyone Ever "Get Ready" for Surgery?
1/28/13: Social Security Disability. A Former Disability Examiner's Thoughts
8/19/13: Building a New You
(Yes, the diary titles by ZT and DH98 all do start with Monday Night Cancer Club. I figured it was OK to omit.)
Then we had six other diarists write one each for the MNCC. DrLori on 10/29/12, writing about a particular kind of humor with which she’s coped with cancer; Avila on 11/26/12, on how to survive holiday stress; Chacounne on 12/3/12, about her hair auction in memory of her mother, who died from ovarian cancer; PhoenixRising on 12/31/12, on the long-term prospects of young adults surviving cancer; remembrance on 1/21/13, about meditating on cancer treatments; and poguesrun on 9/30/13, on learning from the example of his young son’s recovery from cancer. This is really an astonishing array of writers we’ve had gracing our series, and I am confident that you join me in hoping that every single one of them will write for us again soon.
We’ve also had some moments of coming together over Community Quilts for our MNCCers, this year Carol in San Antonio and DarkHawk98. Though teacherken and Leaves on the Current are not regular MNCCers in diaries or comments, many of us were worried and then relieved to follow Leaves’ course from sudden diagnosis to promising recovery. (Links here are to the quilt diaries on their behalf by Sara R.)
Unfortunately, we have also lost some folks. AntKat died all too soon after her diagnosis with throat cancer; Serpents Choice introduced us to his lovely fiancée just as she was dying, far too young. And corvaire’s beloved brother-in-law died only a few days before his 50th birthday, leaving his family and friends to mourn his passing rather than join him in celebration of that milestone. (I still do not have confirmation about Commander Retired; if anyone knows how he is doing, please do let me know.)
Thank you all for your participation, your honesty, and your compassion toward each other during the past twelve months. Whatever the next twelve months may bring for all of us—though I do hope it is health and serenity—I look forward to being here with you.
Monday Night Cancer Club is a Daily Kos group focused on dealing with cancer, primarily for cancer survivors and caregivers, though clinicians, researchers, and others with a special interest are also welcome. Volunteer diarists post Monday evenings between 7-8 PM ET on topics related to living with cancer, which is very broadly defined to include physical, spiritual, emotional and cognitive aspects. Mindful of the controversies endemic to cancer prevention and treatment, we ask that both diarists and commenters keep an open mind regarding strategies for surviving cancer, whether based in traditional, Eastern, Western, allopathic or other medical practices. This is a club no one wants to join, in truth, and compassion will help us make it through the challenge together.
PS: A few days ago annan wrote a diary about the complicated choices she's now facing as someone who is a long-time cancer survivor and now seeking the best possible ACA exchange coverage she can find. Her decision is still open, and sometime soon she plans to write a diary for the MNCC to see what other issues that cancer survivors might be encountering with their state's implementation of the new program. Please watch this space for an announcement about that follow-up date, and in the meantime take some notes for us about what you're finding out yourself. Thanks!