It’s February 4 (at least on my side of the world) and it’s recognized as World Cancer Day. I wrote a blog post last year today that dealt with the weirdness of having yourself in the group of “cancer survivors”.
Another 365 days later, it’s still weird. Sometimes, I forget I was diagnosed with melanoma, skin cancer, and then I see the scar on my leg. Despite my willful ignorance, I am scarred by cancer – in my case, quite literally. So I had cancer, but now, right now, I don’t. So, am I part of the community today? Or am I thrown out of the group by my current “noncancerous” status? I’m only a year into this status. Do I get to feel like I have breathing room? Or am I really not out of the woods until my 5 year mark? From some of the literature I’ve read about melanoma, it likes to pop up just when you think you really are truly clear of the danger of it returning.
So, should I relish my noncancerous status and ignore World Cancer Day – or at least look on from a safe distance and send positive thoughts to people actively battling cancer at the moment? I wrestle with categorizing myself because I don’t know how far away from the danger I really am, except that for at least the last year or so, I’m considered “cancer-free”.
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