The long and winding road

Fighting cancer is, I guess, rarely a straightforward road.  Charlotte's journey has been more easily navigable than many, but there have been twists and turns aplenty.  Having had life changing and (God-willing) life preserving surgery 3 weeks ago, she is now free of the drains that resembled tendrils and life can begin to return normality - whatever 'normal' is when you're living with cancer.  The new school year is due to start in a week's time, and whilst this hasn't been the summer she might have envisaged, it has been summer nonetheless.  The inferno like heat in recent days has been both a blessing, as a natural mood enhancer and spirit lifter, but has made for uncomfortably sticky weather for post op healing. 

Charlotte's hair, when not concealed under hats and headscarves, is benefiting from the turbo charged boost of Vitamin D, and is a wonderful sign of her body's inner strength and wisdom.  Whilst energy levels have been zapped, and she continues on a nauseating concoction of antibiotics, things are progressing and her recovery from surgery has been swift, whilst not without a few hiccups, now thankfully behind her. 

Life really is to be taken a day at a time.  The oncology results weren't exactly what we might have hoped for.  They revealed a less than perfect outcome - chemo is good, but there can never be any guarantees.  The alien has been evicted from her breast tissue, but the weaponry will need to be enhanced to blast this devious enemy who has made her mark on Charlotte's lymph system and has not yet disappeared for dust.  And so the journey continues. 

Whilst not easy news to take in and fully absorb, things could be an awful lot worse.  This changes everything and this changes nothing.  The original plan remains intact.  Radiotherapy awaits.  As do a new timetable and new students.  Much remains unknown.  No one could have foreseen the discovery of the hostile invader, and no one can predict its departure date.  Cancer must be faced head on, and fought on its own terms.  Charlotte is an admirable opponent, who is bravely keeping her eyes open and her spirits up.  I live with a daily reminder that life is short.  Life is precious.  Life is unpredictable.  Life defies plans.  Life is for living.  Cancer doesn't change any of that.