The New Year 2013

I’m totally looking forward to this year. Last year was such an interesting, turbulent one with lots of learning experiences; cancer being one of them. I almost feel like it was a bad dream I had. I am now back to my routine without being interrupted by daily doctors appointments that interrupted my life for 2 or 3 months. Most of the time I feel so good that it’s as if I never battled cancer at all. Every so often, my monkey mind reminds me that I had a terminal disease that is hopefully now banished forever due to strong chemotherapy and radiation treatment. So, I push down the thoughts about that and go about my life. I am occasionally bothered by sore and stiff hips and pelvis, weird and sometimes painful bowel movements, and slight tiredness. I have to admit that I marvel that I feel a lot less tired than I did prior to finding out I had cancer. I think I did have symptoms that I ignored for a long time due to the growing tumor and I must have known in the back of my mind that something was wrong even before I scheduled that colonoscopy at 49, before I even needed one. God works in the most mysterious ways.

Thank goodness for a new year, a fresh start, and a new view. We got a puppy on Dec. 1. His name is “Rio”. He’s a beautiful Doberman Pinscher. He was born on July 25, 2012 which is 2 days after my last day of treatment. That makes him 6 months old this month. It’s nice having a cute little puppy around again. Although he already weighs 48 pounds so he’s really not so little but he’s still a puppy and tons of energy and fun. We haven’t had a dog of our own for 8 years. He fills a missing void in our lives being so soft and sweet as he is. We used to babysit our grand-dog “Byron” when my daughter and son-in-law traveled and from April 2008 – March 2010 he lived with us while they hiked the Pacific Crest Trail for 5 months then moved to Australia for 2 years after that. Sadly, Bryon died of cancer last July. We all miss him badly.

The new beginnings continue though. We got Rio on Dec. 1 and my daughter announced she is pregnant with my first grandchild on Dec. 3. I have to admit, I’m really glad she waited until I was 50 to make me a grandma but I’m pretty excited about it. I can’t wait to see, hold, and hug him or her. The due date is August 9, 2013. Today is her 10 week doctor appointment, her first one, and the one where she can hear the heartbeat.

2013 holds many great things for me, and I hope all of you. I’m so glad the world didn’t end on Dec. 21, 2012 so that I have such a beautiful year to embrace. I know it will be a healthy, happy and prosperous one.