For those with a front row seat to my life, it's no secret I've struggled to find my bearings since completing treatment.
Like the still-standing ruins near the epicenter of an earthquake, delicate cracks - both physical and psychological - lace through my foundation. And though many are invisible to passersby, the damage can at times be overwhelming.
This has not been the victory lap year I imagined.
Ghosts of what I have endured haunt my present and make surprise guest appearances at
And they dance, tauntingly, each time I am asked if my battle has been won.
Active treatment may be finished, but my battle with cancer will never be over. Or at least not in the way most people assume. What I could not have known when I began this journey is that survivorship has its own set of trials and perils.
With a required followup schedule charted out over the next 10 years, treatment acquired co-morbities such as premature menopause, osteopenia and risks of cardiomyopathy to contend with - combined with an ever-present possibility of recurrence, I live with near constant reminders that "normal life" is something of the past.
Though not always discussed in "polite company", I've learned that nearly all cancer survivors suffer some degree of PTSD (In this case - Post Treatment Stress Disorder). And due to unique issues faced when diagnosed at a young age, survivors in this age bracket may have a more difficult time post treatment. In fact, a recent study published in a leading oncology journal found young people diagnosed with cancer have a nearly 60% increased risk of committing suicide or attempted suicide as compared with non-cancer population - with the greatest increase occurring the first year post treatment. Which is why organizations such as Stupid Cancer, Young Survival Coalition and First Descents - all of which I am involved in to some degree or another - are imperative to supporting this population.
But embracing the "new normal" after cancer - even with help - is easier said than done.
In the Japanese culture, ancient ceramics artists once filled the cracks of their broken pottery with veins of gold. These Kintsugi masters believed that when something has suffered damage, it adds character. It is, in fact, the flaws that give these pieces their true beauty.
Since learning about this ancient art, I've become rather obsessed with the practice and the philosophy behind it. And recently, after a long and cathartic talk about life and the art of mending broken-ness, my talented friend Marci, herself a ceramics master - though she would never describe herself as such - gifted me with a beautiful piece of her work that I couldn't help but share.
The lovely, botanical-inspired mug is laced in gold and serves as a tangible reminder that although I cannot erase what happened to me or ignore the damage that's been done, I will learn to fill the cracks left in cancer's wake with a mortar crafted from humor, honesty, grit and grace. It is all that I have - I'm fresh out of gold. But it is enough.
More importantly, the gift is a gentle reminder that perhaps there is beauty yet to be found after all - which is something I needed to hear right about now.
Marci - Thank you so much for the lovely piece - and for understanding. Your friendship is such a great gift. Let's have a glass of something bubbly very soon.
And for those of you interested in owning one of her pieces for yourself - message me. I might have a connection.
And for those of you interested in owning one of her pieces for yourself - message me. I might have a connection.
