Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Today is a big day for me...Pi Day!

OK, not because it's Pi Day, but it is my remission anniversary! :) NINE years cancer-free! Go...ME!

Some cancer survivors call this their "birthday" or second birthday.  For me, this day brings a few different emotions.  Of course, thankfulness, relief...thankfulness...

It was a pretty surreal time in life and so weird to know I was only 27!  I'm glad I kept a journal so I could log the most "crazy, sad, exhilarating, joyful" time that included:

• Being diagnosed with lymphoma, going through 8 months of chemo and then remission (3/14/02!)
• Working in Manhattan and trying to get home to Hoboken on September 11 (1 month into chemo)
• Getting engaged to ProMo!
• Cheering him on a week later when he literally ran a marathon FOR me. I was supposed to run it with him (my second, his first) but I managed to get the first of many stress fractures when I tried to train while going through chemo (oops)
• Going to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade with my family
• Experiencing infiltration with a vesicant chemo drug which has left me with a physical scar that helps me never forget that time
• Studying for, taking, and passing the professional engineer (PE) exam
• Getting married, having a 5 week honeymoon and moving on with LIFE...!
  

At a friend's wedding 2 weeks after 9/11/01...and 1 week before we got engaged

Last chemo - March 1, 2002!  2 weeks later I was officially cancer free and I've never turned back!

Engagement party one month after last chemo! Lots of celebrating to do. :)

Coincidentally, this is also just about ProMo and my "dating anniversary" (14 years!!) which is even more reason why this time of year just reminds me to be happy and appreciate life and what you have!

Earlier today, we were looking at an old photo that a friend sent that was taken around that time (late 90's).  ProMo remarked how (a) young and (b) carefree we looked, and how it really was a great time in life.  And it really was.  Pure, unconcerned happiness.  We had no idea what lay ahead of us, and most of the time, we didn't care! :)

Spring Break and matching shirts - late 90's

So while there are many many things I could write about on this special anniversary day, I want to focus on truly living life for the moment and enjoying the small things that make you happy.

Which brings me to this blog title.  Around the time that the above photo was taken, one of the most popular songs was titled "Good Riddance" but was more commonly known by its parenthetical title "(Time of Your Life)." I found it to be a great theme for the time I was going through chemo and it was even on my Nurse Bari's mix CD of chemo songs (yes, she had one) that kept me entertained during those hours.  [In case you're curious, other songs included the Eric Cartman (Southpark) version of "Come Sail Away" by Styx and "Welcome to the Jungle" by GNR...escapism, anyone?] 

Anyway, if you haven't already noticed, I'm really into music lyrics so I will end this post with the lyrics to a simple yet great song that really summed up my feelings at the time.

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

by Green Day

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life. 

Last chemo with the mix master and one of my now good friends - Nurse Bari!