The Bright Side

I will be the first to admit it, I am a bit of a Pollyanna. Maybe even more than a bit. Today I got some more health news that is not so great. I guess a focus for this blog could easily be my health concerns and how I deal with them--live with them. Since that is at the forefront right now, here we go. Buckle your seat belts, it s a bumpy ride.

To quote my oncologist today, at my 5 year, "Yay! I'm cured!" appointment, he said, "You've hit another speed bump. You hit a lot of speed bumps."

Yes. I do.

Today's speed bump, and this is an ironic analogy, is that I should not be driving any more. This has nothing at all to do with being a 5 year cancer SURVIVOR (yay!) I also saw my new liver specialst today. I spend more time than I would like to in doctor's offices, though my doctors are all lovely people--I would rather see them socially than in their offices.

Back to the not driving... You see, I have been diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. It is a bile duct disease that causes cirrhosis of the liver. It is most common in people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I have had Crohn's Disease since 1970. The reason for not driving is that my brain is a little fuzzy and slow because of the toxins that my liver can't properly filter as well any more.

So, what do I do with that? Wow. I am a professional organizer. I do a lot of driving in my job. I am also a single parent. Of four children. Yup. A BIG lifestyle change is going to happen in short order.

The other thing my liver doctor said is that I should just go on living my life. Stay active, stay involved. That is very good news. I am active and involved, even when I don't feel great. I would miss my life if I just couch potatoed it when I don't feel well. So, life goes on.

The bright side? Yes, there is always a bright side....This is the one that popped into my mind shortly after my visit with the liver doctor--I won't have to insure a second car when my 16 year old son gets his driver's license! I will save buckets of money by only having one vehicle with him being an "occasional" driver.

Oh, and I am a cancer SURVIVOR now. Did I mention that?