Happy Roller Coaster Day

I call today Roller Coaster Day because it is a day of ups and downs for me. For decades, I celebrated May 5 because it was my last chemo day as a child and each year was a year of survival. Then in 2020, another high was include when I earned my doctorate degree, something that had been a huge goal of mine. Unfortunately, May 5, 2020 was also the day I was diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Two ups and one down.

As I sit here today in 2024, I have a lot to celebrate:

• I am 41 years out since my last Wilm's Tumor chemo treatment.
• I am a doctor for the past 4 years.
• I am still alive 4 years after my diagnosis.
  
• I am feeling the best I have felt in a long time.
  
• I am surrounded by an amazing mom, loving family, snugly fur babies, and fantastic friends.
• I am part of a great professional network.
• I am an active contributor to my community and my profession. 
• I am living every day.
• I am laughing every day, mostly at myself.
• I am looking forward to the future.
  

For a rare disease, whose survival rate is low, I am kicking its......

While I am battling a lot of different things, I have found a way to balance things in order to ensure I can do the things that are important to me and find ways to have fun. 

I truly believe attitude has gotten me to this point. I am a fighter who tries to see the positives and not dwell on the negatives. I believe this is the secret to survival.

To celebrate Roller Coaster Day, mom and I are going to see Steel Magnolias, which I think is fitting because it is a movie that causes a roller coaster of emotions. We have been going to the movies a lot lately, which is a good return to normal. It is the one activity I missed most during the height of the pandemic.

For tonight . . . I'm just sayin' XOXO