World Cancer Day is today, Feb. 4

So today, as I was browsing my Twitter feed, there was a notice about today being World Cancer Day. I see these types of things all the time on feeds, today is… Sister’s Day, Best Friend’s Day, Bizarre Food Day…

I actually looked it up. It really is World Cancer Day today. And it feels kinda weird to include myself in the whole thing. I never expected to have any type of cancer. I mean, who does, right? I kind of always assumed that it would be something cardiac related or lung related that would get me, based on family history. Literally no one in my extended family has had cancer except my two grandpas – one was in his 70s and the other died very young from what I believe was leukemia. But other than that, heart disease or lung diseases are the only ones that crop up in my family (and I’m sure the rate of smoking in my family helped contribute to that). Even though I’ve never smoked, I just kind of assumed that it would be the same for me.

So how does one celebrate World Cancer Day? Do you do something based on the type of cancer you have/had? Should I be out buying sunscreen and making a cake in the shape of a large hat? Do I give thanks for only having melanoma and not brain cancer? Do I get to feel more smug than people with basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma – my cancer’s more cancery than yours? (By the way, I’m totally being sarcastic about that last statement. Any type of skin cancer is not something you want to have on your medical records…) Really, what is the right way to acknowledge World Cancer Day?

I think for me, I’ll add an extra helping of scar treatment gel on my scar, and be thankful that today is really overcast. And hope no one today gets the diagnosis of cancer – no matter what form it is…