It has now been almost 2 weeks since my final treatment and I'm feeling fantastic. Almost all of the urges and/or discomfort has subsided. I'm ready to live a normal life again.
But wait, not so fast. I may feel like I'm cancer free now, but we haven't yet confirmed this. Hold the celebration. On Sept 14th, I'll go back to my urologist and have a cystoscopy done. They will examine the inside of my bladder with a tiny camera and then make the determination. I fully expect to be given a clean bill of health at that point. The majority of people my age, with my condition, have success with the treatment. Hey, the odds are good! If I'm clean, I will then be subject to only periodic check-ups. The duration between checks will continue to increase the longer we go. Eventually, it will be done on an annual basis.
Being a cancer patient really has given a somewhat different outlook on life. I've learned not to sweat the little things, be a little more patient, and enjoy the life God has given me. Yes, I've even felt like I've become closer to God and learned how to pray. In the back of my mind, I'll always know that this disease could return at any time and life could be shorter than I expect. For now, I want to live the rest of my days as fully as possible.
Some of those feelings prompted me to quit my job at Quicksilver. Instead, I've decided to pursue a position as a school bus driver, which feels like a much more meaningful job. The old job was just too many hours, little reward and not enough pay. Not enough pay is still going to be a small issue as a bus driver, but I'll have the freedom to add more hours as I want. The standard work week will be only around 20 hours. I'll have more time at home to cook, relax and work on my passion; running.
Thanks again to all my family and friends that have helped me through this. With your thoughts and prayers, I've come a long way.
