This Year In A Quick Recap, One Word

As we come to an end of another year, I’ll take this moment here to reflect a bit on it before I put it in the rest view mirror and look forward to 2023. First I just realized that the past post was number 80, not sure if that’s a lot or too little, but hope that everyone got something out of every post, even if its humorous at my expense. The word I would use to describe my 2022 year I guess is “stable” not a very exciting word if I may say so, in terms of living. In terms of my disease that’s about as good as it gets.

I guess even with the trips I did, say to Florida that word suits it as well, they were a lot of fun and we had great weather. Going there is the usual trip for us and the surroundings are all familiar and we are comfortable with them. So stable? My camping and canoe trips were generally in some of the same areas I’ve been to before, always fun and I managed to finally get a lake trout this year, but again knew the areas, sometimes so well I didn’t even need to refer to a map, although I always bring one of coarse. Stayed on some of the same campsites used before, so once again stable? It kinda sounds a little boring doesn’t it? When I run and I have gotten right back into it again, I tend to use the same route, sometimes I shake it up by going in the opposite direction, I know, I know, how much more of this excitement can I take?

Back to the real reason we are here and why this blog exists, my battle with cancer. This was one of those weeks where the stars align and I get treatment, lab work and a CAT Scan all done within a two day period, fun, not! Both are an hour plus drive for me to get to and in different cities. The treatment went well, the regular sore butt, lab work is pretty simple except filling a urine jug for 24 hours during the holidays trying to follow strict diet isn’t the easiest task and well, traps you at home for a day. Ya I don’t travel well with thee old piss jug, or as the oncology nurses jokingly refer to it as “liquid gold”. So in the new year we’ll see how the results come back, this is the first time I’ve been a little nervous in quite some time as I’ve noticed more mental lapses, fatigue (that I rarely ever had) and my guts have been giving me more of a hard time over the past couple months (upset).

After a couple days of being down and out I wanted to make sure I got this last post out before the end of the year, December 2022 has been the best month for views and visitors since my very first month back in April of 2021. Maybe when this blog is posted we can even pass that month and carry momentum into next year. In the meantime until I see the Doctor on January 13th, I will keep my mind and self busy while I wait the two weeks for results. Running, reading and writing helps to fill those voids and stop the negative thoughts from rolling in, although like any other Cancer patient I’m far from immune from that happening, it’s just not letting those thoughts consume and cripple you to the point where your paralyzed and life is just put on hold until the results are in. I’m sure everything will be fine and if there’s a bump in the road we’ll be able to deal with it.

Onto the next year

Until then I’ll start to think for the way I want to describe the upcoming year, I already have some plans in place and guarantee the word for next year won’t be “stable”, at least outside of my cancer world. This year has been like no other, being off work long-term has been a bit of a struggle and still kind of is, but I have found plenty of things I love to do to fill that gap. Moving again early in the year back to my hometown where I lived until the age of nine. Being part of a short documentary that detailed my life and the disease I live with. Having the opportunity to speak publicly to a group of people about not only my type of cancer, but how I choose to live my life now that it has changed so drastically and how important it is to cherish every moment you have, something I, myself still need constant reminding of. I’ll include again a gallery of pictures I consider important and just like from the year past. I look forward to sharing many more in the new year just around the corner.

As always please consider subscribing, like and throw me a comment. Cheers,

Steve