2 Years

July 13th went by very quietly for me. Two years ago I received my initial breast cancer diagnosis. I know many breast cancer patients who celebrate each year on their cancerversary to mark that they have managed to beat the disease for another year. I am so thankful that at 2 years I am stable, my treatment is tolerable, and a can lead a somewhat normal life.
At the same time I wish I didn't have to celebrate this anniversary. Truly an anniversary that is a double edged sword.

Ian and I are now officially living in Victoria. We emptied out our condo

and put most of our stuff into storage as we have taken over my parents' condo. The pets are having a wonderful summer at Pender, and Jasper looks pretty impressive with his haircut

At the end of August we will be moving into our new to us house.  We have found a place out in Central Saanich so we are close to the ferry and the airport. It's not an 18 minute train ride to the airport like it was in Vancouver, but it is close enough. Our front window looks out over a horse farm with a red barn so it will be a big change from downtown condo living.
I wonder how long it will take for Jasper to stop barking at the horses.

In the mean time, Ian and I drove down to Manzanita, Oregon for a wedding.  The weather was pretty horrible on the way down but the rain went away in time for the beach ceremony.

We are now settling into island life. It is definitely more relaxed than Vancouver and even going for treatment is different. In Vancouver the chemo unit was divided up into about 15 rooms containing 2 to 4 infusion chairs per room. In Victoria the infusion area is one big room with 12 or 14 infusion chairs.

I have my own volunteer that I share with a couple other patients. My volunteer meets me in the waiting room and points out which chairs are empty for me to choose from.  The volunteers also get us patients coffee or warm blankets or magazines if needed.

I apparently made an impression before I had my first treatment. When I went to chemo reception to get checked in for my first treatment in Victoria, I got an "Ohhhh.....the lady that just moved here from Vancouver....." That didn't sound promising. Turns out the Vancouver Centre was very slow in sending my chart over and the receptionist didn't receive it until the afternoon before my scheduled appointment. I was warned the receptionist and clerk will be keeping their eyes on me to make sure I don't cause more trouble. :-P

I have also been enjoying the beautiful weather and the Songhees Walkway

 and I have been visiting the inner harbour, the Parliament Buildings,

the Empress,

and the random totem poles.

The next big thing is a bone scan next Friday. I am aiming for another stable result.