Six months have passed. I am still on chemo, trying to lose weight and with the help of friends have started water aerobics (not a small feat for someone who hasn’t had a swim suit on in 20 years) joining friends and family for more activities than before and generally loving each and every day.

This spring I passed the five year mark after surgery and chemo for triple negative breast cancer. The doctors are not at all concerned about the endometrial cancer because the surgery took care of everything. However, there is always the specter of lung cancer and I was due for my PET scan. It is always disconcerting. I know how easy it is to assume everything is fine and then get blind sided by test results. I had the PET scan and saw the radiologist’s report – and I show no sign of cancer at any place in my body at this time. I don’t see the oncologist until next week – and almost feel guilty about “getting the news early” because he does delight in telling me that I am fine – but I prefer to know so that I will be armed with the next round of questions. Meanwhile, yet another drug – from Japan – has been approved for the type of cancer I have. I told the radiologist some years ago that I was afraid they would continue to keep me going until the next med became available. His response was “that’s the plan.” I have never been so grateful for science and medication. It will be three year this fall since I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and my primary care physician said yesterday that I am in better health and spirits than I was before all this ocurred. There is nothing like a crisis to get one moving. I continually feel the support of friends and family, prayers and kind words. I am aware that this will most likely recur and I will need new treatment but in the meantimeI have changed my six month plans for a five year plan. I’ve shared an interest in photography with my oncologist and he has hung a series of photos I made of the changing seasons in the hallway in his office suite – and we talk about the “awe” of this world and life. It’s wonderful to be alive.