A Tale as Old as Time

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my diagnoses. My "Cancerversary" if you will. To say that it's making me nostalgic would be an understatement. It's hard to believe that one person can go through so much in such a short period of time. I have to be honest, I barely remember that girl. This experience has changed me in so many ways. Shaped the way I see even the simplest of things. I know it sounds cheesy but Cancer really does give you a new lease on life. When suddenly tomorrow isn't a guarantee, everything becomes brighter, fresher, more beautiful.

This trip down memory lane is the best opportunity for me to tell my story, to start at the beginning. While I promise not to inundate you with all of the dates and details. I feel it's important to share how it all originated.

Despite the way my life has transgressed over the past twelve months, I still remember this day like yesterday. Mom and I had plans to attend another concert. This time it was Cher, (yes I know, she was amazing). As most of you know, we've always shared a special bond. We often refer to each other as "theatre buddies," attending live shows multiple times a year. This occasion was no different, a night out for the two of us.

We had gone through testing a week prior, we knew results were impending but neither of us chose to focus on them. No news is good news right? For now, it was a chance for us to get out, forget about the C word for a few hours. Neither of us could really say it out loud. The idea was outlandish. I remember meeting up with our girlfriend Samantha, for dinner. I let her feel the lump in my chest and then brushed it off. Explaining how much I had been working out, that it had to be caused by muscle or something. Anything to take the focus off Cancer. It's funny the way our defence mechanisms kick in when we need them. In my case, it was always denial and humour.

It's hard to remember much past that moment. I know we had a fantastic evening with lots of laughs. But beyond that, I don't recall much. Like I said, when you receive news like I did, everything else becomes so trivial. I can't imagine what my biggest problems were that day. Probably something to do with my friends or work. Issues I would gladly trade for now in a heartbeat.

It was a year ago today, that I truly enjoyed my last "carefree" evening. I hope to get more of them in the future but as a Cancer survivor you can't help but always wonder and worry. I have moments, even hours, where I forget about the illness. Friends and family prove to be fantastic distractions. But for now I'm grateful for the milestones and memories.

April 7th 2014, still goes down as one of the best nights. I got to spend an evening with my favourite women watching a concert by an equally strong female. I barely remember the blonde girl that stood up and sang "Strong Enough." But as it turns out, those words would resonate with me for the year to come... And even though I'm not that girl anymore, I'm proud of the woman I've become.