I am a breast cancer survivor.
That's a status that you never want to achieve, but also, I'm proud to have achieved it.
What I mean is, nobody ever wants to face cancer, period. But if you do, you want to hurry through the "fighting cancer" stage and achieve that "survivor" status.
On April 25, 2018, I had a mastectomy to remove the tumor and 4 lymph nodes. After that, I had chemo, radiation, and targeted therapy. Then reconstruction surgeries. I still take a daily hormone blocker, and I go in quarterly for an injection to induce chemical menopause.
I am a survivor.
What I guess I never realized is, even as a survivor, the fight goes on, but it looks different. I'm fighting to stay well. I'm fighting to keep the cancer from coming back. I'm fighting to keep my sanity, because this chemical/hormonal yo-yo will make a girl crazy. I'm fighting to make my body work properly. I'm fighting to figure out what this body is capable of, because it's so unfamiliar that I'm not always sure.
I am a survivor. But I'm still a fighter.
And I'm going to celebrate with cake.
