On the map, but off the trail
Within the confines of the small examination room, Shannon and I nervously await the arrival of my oncologist. Although there’s always plenty riding on...
I’m not Just a Tourist
Nine months ago, I wrote a reflection called Am I Just a Tourist? after thinking about my relationship with illness as it relates to...
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better!
If you've never been to a cancer centre, I hope that your streak of luck continues.
It's not that the experience is bad, it's just that it's always interesting.
The annexation of my liver
Friday morning I met with my oncologist to discuss the results of some scans that took place the previous evening.
I have a recurrence of colon cancer in my liver.
See Spot. Run.
“You’ve done this before?,” asks the CT Technologist. I nod, making a classic white-people-making-eye-contact-by-mistake face. You know the one: The spiel begins. “So, you...
Semicolon
It's been 365 days since a surgical resident stood over my masked up face awkwardly holding cutting instruments.
Here's how things are going a year later.
Happy Cancerversary to Me
An entire year has elapsed since I was diagnosed with colon cancer.
The cancer experience is esoteric in nature. Only so much can be conveyed through storytelling and art, but I will do my best to share why this day is not a joyous one for me.
2022: A Year in Review
With 2022 coming to a close, I'm feeling reflective.
It's difficult to paint a picture of the year's ups and downs. I can only liken the year to a sine wave; my level of enjoyment rising and crashing as the complexities of cancer ebbed and flowed. The frequency shifting—sometimes hourly—as the year progressed.
But life itself tends to be unpredictable, anyways, doesn't it?
No Evidence of Disease
For my 35th birthday, the Ontario healthcare system gifted me an oncology appointment: my first since finishing chemotherapy less than a month ago.
I officially received word that I'm in the NED stage of my my cancer treatment. No evidence of disease.
The Pressure of Survivorship
Heading into survivorship is an interesting thing.
It marks the end of treatment. yes, but it comes with some new pressures. When your job through treatment is to focus on getting better, what do you do when there's nothing left to be done?