Cancer Anniversary and a BFF

Five years ago today I had my first surgery for cancer. Like this week, it was the first week of school. Only then, the day before school started, I was told that I had cancer. I'd spent a very long day at the doctor's office, having a mammogram, an ultrasound, talking to a surgeon and a radiologist. It was the radiologist who told me that he was 99% sure that I had cancer and it would have to be proven to him that I didn't. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery the very next day. Bruce was on the road. My family was 5 hours away. It was just the boys and I and I sure didn't want their first day of school to be taken over by surgery for me. We delayed the surgery until the 25th, when Bruce could make it home.

I had found the lump in my breast a few weeks before the long day at the hospital. On the day I found the lump, Peg, who had been my friend since I was 11, told me that she had cancer. She'd had a mole removed and it was Melanoma. Now, Peg and I have done a lot of things together over the years, but having cancer together wasn't something that I really had ever thought that we'd be sharing. But, there we were. Me with breast cancer and she with melanoma. Some friends share recipes or car pooling the kids. Not us. We shared cancer.

So, with me in the flatlands of NW Iowa, and she in the river hills of SE Iowa, on the same day, we had surgery for our cancers. It doesn't matter, after that, who had what treatment, or what our scars look like, or who did what. What matters is that, 5 years later, we wore those shirts at my daughter's bachelorette party. What matters is that, 5 years later, we both were able to go to our 30th class reunion. What matters is that we are both healthy and cancer free and able to enjoy life to the fullest. That is what matters. We went through it together, even all those miles apart. We have those scars and those stories to tell. We shared that.

And, here we are, 5 years out. What do you do for an anniversary? You celebrate!!!!! Peg and I are going to celebrate. It's been darn near 30 years since we've taken a road trip. So, we are going to take a road trip. Take the weekend of our 5 year anniversary and explore. Celebrate. Laugh and laugh and giggle and enjoy our anniversary. Two friends, who have been friends for almost 40 years, who've shared a lot, and gotten through a lot, who have survived and are here to celebrate. Happy Anniversary Peg. Love ya! : )

I'm sure there will be road trip stories later. Or not. Either way, it will be a better milestone than cancer, though cancer has helped to make us who we are today. And has given us a reason to celebrate. Cheers!