remission

Another Wave

Spring seems hushedthis year. I’ve becomejust another they’ve usedto grow silence.They point at us,we who are abandoned,they say, Lookwhat comes from speaking.Better keep quietif you want to live. The thing about rageis its autonomy.It climbs, a separate being,from rib to rib, cracksthe bone to enter my sternum.Even on my best days,I can feel it risingupContinue reading “Another Wave”

Chemoversary

This time last year, I received my sixth and final cycle of chemo. And earlier this month, I learned I’m still in remission. During chemo, having this much time felt impossible. A whole year. An eternity. A moment. I’m surprised, daily, at how far I’ve come, how much better I feel. While looking at myContinue reading “Chemoversary”

Remission: a diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; a temporary recovery. -Oxford Languages Treatment: 6 cycles of R-CHOP, 15 fractions/30 Gy of radiation, pug loveOriginal tumor size: 9.8 X 10.4 X 15.4 cmResidual tumor size: 10.2 X 7.2 X 8.5 cm On Monday, I learned I’m in remission, and I’ve hadContinue reading “Remission”

The Bad Guy

Tomorrow is my birthday, which means I’ve survived a year since being diagnosed. Despite the best efforts of Trump and his cult, COVID-19 and pandemic-deniers and anti-maskers, and, oh yeah!, cancer, I’m alive. For now. Yesterday, I finally had the shot of whiskey I was going to celebrate remission with, since remission seems a fairytaleContinue reading “The Bad Guy”