National Cancer Survivors Day!

It was brought to my attention that today, June 1st is National Cancer Survivors Day!! (as I finished writing this it became June 2nd.) According to Wikipedia, it is "a secular holiday celebrated on the first Sunday in June.  The day is meant to demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality".  The first National Cancer Survivors Day was held on June 5th, 1988.  

What I also found out from Wikipedia,  are that celebrations and events are hosted in cities, and local towns, as well as by some hospitals and support groups mostly around the United States, but also other places around the globe.  The events can include, but not limited to carnivals, and parades, as well as art exhibits, contests, and art exhibits.  Survivors also speak at these events and give their testimonials to the crowds. 

According to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundations official website "National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, treasured Celebration of Life that is held in hundreds of communities nationwide and around the world. It is a celebration for those who have survived, an inspiration for those recently diagnosed, a gathering of support for families, and an outreach to the community. Participants unite in a symbolic event to show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be meaningful, productive, and inspiring."

Why this day is especially important to me is because I am a Cancer Survivor.  As I have talked about before I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Papillary Thyroid Cancer in October of 2009, a month after I had turned 21.  My whole world was rocked and it set the tone for the events that followed.  I am happy to say that I have been Cancer free for almost four in a half years.  While my life aside from the diagnosis, treatment, and being told I was in remission has been a roller-coaster, as we all know.. I would not trade any of it for the alternative, which is not being here at all.  All the good times, the laughs, the smiles, the memories made, would not have been possible if I was not cancer free.  I am thankful and grateful forever moment on this planet, even through the bad times.. but mostly through the good, of course.

Being a Cancer Survivor is definitely something to celebrate, and I wish I would have known about this day, so I could have gotten involved with it.  I cannot believe it has been four years and I had no idea about this specific day.  So next year I will definitely be getting involved in one capacity or another, at least attend a local event.  So much as happened in these last four years, and I have gotten through it all with the support of my family and friends.  So to celebrate this day with them would be awesome, because, they are my strength, and they are why I am here right now.  I mean aside from the doctors and surgeons.. 

All I can really say is I am happy to be here today, and happy and proud to be a Cancer Survivor.  It has only made me a stronger person today.  I also use think that having Cancer was something that defined me, but it really is just a chapter of my story of my life, and luckily that chapter had a happy ending.  

On this day though, my heart goes out to those who have lost their lives to Cancers of any and every kind, and to those who have lost loved ones and friends to Cancer as well.  I feel for you because I have lost family members to Cancer and I know it is tough, but we have to just continue on.  Live life to the fullest for them, as well as for yourself.  

#ncsd2014

Peace & Love

Molly

Citations:  http://www.ncsd.org/index.htm, 

                   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cancer_Survivors_Day

Finish This #6

Welcome back to my 6th week here at the blog of the link-up Finish This!! I am a little late on writing/posting this blog post, so sorry for my tardiness.  If you follow my blog, you have seen the few posts.. It has been a big/hectic week. And to continue it tomorrow is my sisters birthday!

 If you are a returning reader, welcome back and thanks for coming back week after week to read the blog!  If you are new around here,  I joined a blog link up that four amazing ladies host- called, you guessed it "Finish This".  They provide the prompts and we finish those prompts with our responses and then add it to the link up for others to read and respond.  It is a fun game where all of us bloggers can "link up" and learn more about each other, find common interests, etc, in a fun and creative way!

Three 31 // The Java Mama // The Arizona Russums // Coastlined

This Weeks Prompts: 

The best mistake I ever made... As weird as it sounds marrying my first and only boyfriend.  Because of what has happened (we are now divorced).  When we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, there were a lot of people in my world that were totally against the relationship, and even more so when we got engaged and then married.  I would not listen to them, believe them, give any of them the light of day, because at the time I was happy, and thought everything was "perfect".  

From this mistake, I learned... I have now learned to really take peoples advice, because the people dishing out said advice, has my best interest at heart, and probably would have saved me from heartbreak.  But also getting married young, and it not working out, I have learned that I definitely do deserve better.  I thought he was the best I could do.  I loved him, do not get me wrong.  I did not marry him with any bad intentions, feelings, concerns, or for the wrong reasons at all.  But I know I deserve a real man who will take care of me and provide for me and our family one day.  Because of my lack of dating experience I did not know that I should have been treated even better, even when we were dating.  So now I can take all that has happened in the past six years of being with that one guy through dating, engagement, marriage, and now divorce, into my next relationship.  To do it better, and to really be more selective, because like I said, I DO deserve better, and better is out there waiting for me!

When I'm anxious, I tell myself... In theory, I tell myself to count down from 10 and to just breathe in and breathe out in hopes that will work, but honestly.. I am awful at talking myself down.  I have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and even with medications, at times I have a hard time controlling my anxiety.  I have even gotten rushed to the hospital because I could not get out of my anxiety attack.  So if it is bad, I usually call my Mom or my best friend Jennifer though to try and talk me down.  My Mom is good at being there if part of anxiety is causing me to have a good cry and she gets to me stop somehow, and my best friend is good for giving me advice on whatever is causing me all the anxiety.. and you know what she is usually right and makes me feel better!  I don't know what I would do without either of them!

 

All I really want to do is... I have goals for sure, so if that is what this is asking here they are.  I have a lot of medical debt because of my numerous medical issues in the past few years, and couple that with some credit card debt that I need to get rid of from my irresponsible teenage years, I unfortunately have to file for Bankruptcy.  Once that stress is off my shoulders I want to start the process to do the Gastric Bypass surgery, and once I am healthy enough and can afford it I want to go to Cosmetology School and end up working in a salon doing hair.  I actually already dye my own hair as well my sister and my Moms, and I do not have any formal training, but I would love to learn all the ins and outs.  So either do that full time or have it as a side job and be a stay-at-home Mom, because I really want to be a Mom.  I have an amazing one, and I want to be just like her!  All I ever want to do is make people happy.  I always do for others, and then circle back to myself last, which has its pros and its cons, but I am giver, and I just want to make sure those I love and care for are happy and taken care of.  Obviously all I really want is to be happy and make others happy, so if I succeed in that over the course of my life, that my life was worth living and it was a success! 

(Can I just say, these prompts were the hardest for me to answer since I started participating in this blog link up.. did anyone else have like serious writers block when it came to answering these?)

Now its your turn!  Don't have a blog?, don't fret.. just answer the prompts in the comments section below!!  Then come back next week for another round of Finish This!!! Hopefully I won't be sooo tardy with next weeks post!  

Here are the prompts for next week (June 4) if you are following along and posting your responses! 

I conquer fear...

I follow my heart...

I feed my soul by...

I used to worry about ____ but then I...

Look forward to a blog post on my sisters 17th birthday this weekend!!

It is currently 12:28a.m. on May 31st as I write this, so it is officially her birthday!

Happy Birthday Nicole!!!

Have a great weekend all!!!

Peace & Love

Molly

We officially have a diagnosis!!!

As some of you may know I had to have an MRI on Friday. It was an awful experience because it took wayyy longer than it was suppose to (2 in a half hrs), they couldnt poke me because my veins were not cooroperating.. it took 6 tries to put the contrast in, and it cost me 1200 bucks because I had not met my deductible.. sure did now though. So basically they own me for 6 months lol..

I called my doctor on monday and my MRI results had come in so I went and saw my Doctor this afternoon. After 3 ultrasounds and an Mri we finally know that it is 100% a dermoid on my left ovary. They are going to call me to schedule me for surgery probably in the next few days and obviously I am gonna wanna do surgery asap!!

I feel a sigh of relief knowing its not worse. And just knowing what it is. The unknown is so scary and the waiting and the worrying was not helping at all. Unfortunately I am still scared, and my anxiety is getting the best of me.  I mean its not like having a tumor and having surgery is fun times!

If you know me well, you know all that I gone through in the past and everything that I am currently going through.. so my feelings should be nothing new. I am trying with all my might to stay positive but Im tired. Emotionally and physically exhausted. Between the medical and non medical problems I sometimes wonder how I get out of bed.

I am hopeful that one day I can put all of this behind me and move on with my life. Not just move on, but really enjoy life and the good things that it has to offer me, not just the bad that I have been dealt thus far.

I want to say thank you for everyones continued thoughts and prayers for me. It is so appreciated and I am so thankful to have the support system that I do.  It truly means the world to me. Xoxo

I know this post was kind of heavy so here are a few funnies to make you laugh. They sure made me crack up!!

Peace & Love
Molly