How do you celebrate a cancerversary?
It’s been a year since that fateful day when my doc called to tell me I had a brain tumour. How should we commemorate the occasion?
On the one hand, it was a terrible day. Why would I want to remember it at all? On the other hand, I got to spend a whole-nuther year in this wonderful life. That’s gotta be worth a celebration, right? Opinions vary.
I never had an official expiry date (I never asked) but everyone I know who had a brain tumour died quite quickly. I expected the same and yet here I am still. When I thought the number of my days were few, I felt compelled to tell my story to anyone who would listen but some bad experiences made me doubt this strategy.
Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched
With a woeful agony,
Which forced me to begin my tale;
And then it left me free.Since then, at an uncertain hour,
That agony returns:
And till my ghastly tale is told,
This heart within me burns.I pass, like night, from land to land;
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,
I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach.
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
There was one time when I had just come back from a consultation with the surgeon and my friends took me to the Broken Dock for a debrief and a friend-of-a-friend tagged along. I was in mid-story when friend-of-a-friend interrupted to ask what we were talking about. When I explained, she ran screaming from the restaurant.
[epilogue: I later learned that her husband had just died of a brain tumour and her emotions were still raw. We had a coffee together a few days later and we swapped stories. We both cried and we both felt better.]
Another time, I told my story to my favourite barmaid at my favourite pub and she just broke down crying. I felt so selfish for putting the weight on her. After that, I stopped telling people unless they asked. Mrs Clown thinks I don’t need to tell anyone unless they are close. I like telling my story though. Like the Ancient Mariner, telling my story helps me to process it and lifts some of the weight of the albatross from my neck.
As my cancerversary approached I felt the pressure of the story bursting up out of my chest but I had no one to tell so I kept it inside. It couldn’t stay there forever so here I am. If you are close, you probably know the story already. If you are new to my adventure, you can read more about it here. I’m always happy to tell my story again if you want to know more.
Anyway. It’s an important question: How does one celebrate a cancerversary? I chose to spend it drinking sangria at the beach with my lovely wife.
I think that was an excellent choice 🍷🍷🍷
Happy 1st Cancerversay, and cheers to many more!
Sangria emojis came out as 🍷🍷🍷 🙂
Congratulations Kevin.
I can think of nothing better.
I was so pleased to hear about a new treatment, it was using Polio to treat tumors.
Good luck my friend
Johnboy France
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w-vL0J4JOjg
There are no rules, regulations or traditions for a cancerversary. I am happy for you that you felt like celebrating and included the most important loved one in the anniversary. To many more of these wonderful celebrations!
I, for one am happy to hear that you are celebrating. Each day of life is a bonus. Good to be reminded ….. love to your lovely wife and to you, of course, Kevin…. R XxX
Hope you’re enjoying the sangria. (Happy anniversary doesn’t quite seem appropriate!? I just want the best for you!)
For me, I’m ‘celebrating’ by getting a tattoo to cover one of my scars. Reading your cancerversay post spurred me on to call the tattoo artist so thank you Kevin. Hope you’re enjoying your hols.
Best wishes, Marianne
You’re always an inspiration Kevin and I love reading everything you post. Hope your trip was just as wonderful as it looked in your pictures
Spent 7 wonderful days with you talking about everything and nothing from Philosophy to Eastenders and everything in between. The holiday may be over, but the celebration will continue…
It was a good one, missus.
Glad you are still here 😊 I hope it helps that your story has reached one more person and the weight of the albatross is perhaps a tiny bit lighter. Plus sangria always helps too.
Thank you, Justine! It is.
Congrats!
Brilliant use of Coleridge. You have changed—improved, enriched, opened up that passage for me. Thank you for sticking around.
Urgh my smiley emoji has turned into a question mark. I’ll redo it: “Glad you’re still here!”