October 23, 2019….this is the day that I was told I had breast cancer. I can’t believe two years have gone by since that date. In those two years, I have completed 16 treatments, had 3 surgeries, lived through a pandemic (still ongoing), and learned of way too many people with cancer. I have also grown as a person, trained for 2 half marathons, started a new role at work, grown my Disney business, and so much more.
How has my life actually changed since that diagnosis? That is a great question.
- I have been able to support friends that have sadly been through a similar journey
- My hair has grown back, although much darker than before
- My body is finally comfortable with my implants although it took a very long time and who knows if the scars will ever get smaller
- I have learned to accept that my body may never be as physically fit as before and that I should embrace that I am still able to be active and do what I love. I still struggle with it at times, but I am focusing on the activity and not on the time it takes to do it
- I think about cancer less each day. That sounds crazy, but I used to be reminded every time I looked in a mirror. My hair was gone or extremely short. My scars were fresh and visible. My body was learning to function in the new normal. Nowadays, I am not reminded when I look in the mirror or when I roll over in bed. My body is finally at its new normal. People don’t look at me differently either since they cannot identify me as a cancer patient anymore, which is nice.
- I am way more emotional than I used to be. I blame it on the drugs I am on (and those that know me know that I hate being overly emotional)
- I have joined the American Cancer Society Team Determination RunDisney Committee to help in any way I can. Seems like a great way to volunteer and put my Disney love to use. I have been able to donate over $1000 to ACS thanks to donating a portion of my commissions. I will continue doing this through at least 2022.
- I will always be a survivor.
Finishing this part of the journey
In less than two weeks, I get to finish part of this crazy journey. When I was home over Christmas in 2019, I was struggling with everything going on and I had just shaved my head as my hair started to fall out. I sat in bed one night looking at American Cancer Society’s Team Determination website and starting to think about doing a race with them late 2020 to keep myself motivated. I stumbled upon the Disney races and knew I had found what would motivate me for the next year.
It is no secret that I love Disney and running. I have done many runDisney races since it combines my love for both. I have convinced my friends and family to start running just to join me at runDisney races. Raising money for American Cancer Society while running at Disney seemed like the perfect end to 2020. Well…we all know what happened in 2020 so I didn’t get to finish that goal. I did go to Disney and I did run a virtual half marathon and I did help raise $13,000 for ACS with my team, but it wasn’t the same.
In less than 2 weeks, I will be at Disney running a 5k, 10k, and half marathon with ACS at Disney’s Wine and Dine weekend. I will be joined by 12 of my friends and family, some who started running to join for this weekend. I cannot wait! This weekend will mean more to me than any of the previous races. This is a chance to close this chapter of my life. This goal started almost as soon as I started my cancer journey and I finally get to close it out. I cannot wait! You can follow along with all of the fun on Instagram or Facebook (see info below)
Do your checkups!
At this 2 year anniversary, I will also remind everyone again to please do your annual checkups and speak up if something doesn’t feel right. Catching cancer early is the best way to beat it. Schedule that mammogram, pap smear, colonoscopy, skin check, and more. They are not pleasant, but they may save your life.
Social Media
Want to follow my Disney adventures, especially my runDisney weekend in 2 weeks? You can follow me on Facebook: Sam at The Vacationeer or Instagram: @samthevacationeer.
Want to donate to my ACS fundraiser?
Donations of any size are always welcome to help fight cancer.