happy birthday to me

One year ago today I was waiting for a phone call.  That phone call told me that my melanoma was showing up in my liver, bones, and under the skin in lots of places. 

My doctor's last words after we had discussed stage IV and its treatments at length:  "The median survival from a stage IV diagnosis is one year."  And I had the bad prognostic factors that could put me leaving possibly much quicker.  "I think you'll still be fighting."

Last year on my birthday we were waiting in the mall for our buzzer to go off to get my favorite appetizer.  I got the dreaded phone call right outside of H&M.  It was one of those moments where I physically couldn't stand.  They scheduled me immediately for a brain MRI.  We gave the buzzer back to the Cheesecake Factory and took off.  Today on the way home from the hospital I said..."I think I'll have those avocado egg rolls."

 I love that the American Cancer Society calls themselves the official sponsor of birthdays.  “Happy Birthday” is a victory song for the 11 million cancer survivors celebrating birthdays this year.  

 And so it was for me tonight as my beautiful boys sang it to me.  This year they even included the "happy."