Cancerversary of My Diagnosis November 19th

Happy Movember!


On November 19th, 2010, I went to a follow-up appointment with my GP (general physician) to find out my biopsy (fine needle aspiration) results. She told me the results were not what we had hoped for and that I had papillary thyroid cancer, a disease that I had never heard of. She told me that if there was any cancer to have, this would be the one. She told me that I would need to have a surgery, a total thyroidectomy (TT). This all sounded a bit surreal. I cried a bit and then proceeded to inform my partner and close family members. One chapter of my life had ended (BC- before cancer) and a new one had begun (AD- after diagnosis).


Tony! Toni! Toné! - Anniversary (I miss TTT. When will they make another album?)

On November 19th, 2011, I had my cancerversary. I was not sure if the cancerversary was supposed to be your date of diagnosis or the date that you are deemed "in remission". I decided to look up online and came across a website called Shop Cancerversary. They describe a cancerversary as "any day you want to mark your journey through cancer." I decided that November 19th would be my cancerversary since so much changed for me that day in 2010. Maybe as time goes on, other significant dates in my healing journey will become cancerversaries too.

I decided to reach out to my young adult survivor communities to find out how and what do they use to acknowledge their cancerversary. I asked:

Tomorrow, November 19th is my one year cancerversary. (1 year from date of diagnosis.) I'm feeling a bit conflicted. Is this an anniversary to celebrate? Acknowledge? Grieve? Pause for reflective moments of silence? Survivors, how do you acknowledge your cancerversary?


This is what they told me:

- Aknowledge and thank those who have surrounded me. But also do something positive with my day because I can (Meghan)

- I don't celebrate my diagnosis anniversary..but I think its a great idea and a milestone for sure. I do celebrate the day I got discharged from hospital after my surgeries, and I also celebrate the day I finished radiation :) (Nicole)

- I make my husband take me out not necessarily to celebrate but to prove to myself how strong I was to overcome such obstacles! (Heather)

- Why can't it be a time for all of those? For me, there are usually a mixture of these feelings. Its a nostaligic time for sure but also a time for celebration! (Stephanie)

- Mine passed three times and each has had different emotions. October 28th 2009 was so surreal to actually accept that my life was convoluted with medication, side effects and hospital visits. 2010 was full of resentment and frustration at my whole situation not changing. And finally 2011 was full of pride and gratitude for my entire journey and how far I had come with the decisions I made. To give you an answer would realistically be impossible. How you feel tomorrow will be genuine and something you, us, or anyone else can't fore see. Regardless of what answer you get here, you'll know in your heart tomorrow when you feel it. What ever that feeling may be I'll congratulate you for reaching your mile stone. It is something to acknowledge. (Ray)

- To be honest, I didn't even think about the 1 year mark of diagnosis until you just pointed it out. Once I finished treatment I only thought about the day that I completed treatment and anniversaries of that day. I guess it is a similar idea and usually there are moments of reflection and acknowledgement and I make sure to take the day to do something that makes me happy and helps me remember why I'm so thankful to be here. (Alanna)

- I went from the date of diagnosis. I celebrated with family and friends but also knew that there was still a long road ahead. Small victory til the big one hit - five years! Congrats and as you said it is different for everyone! (Laurie)

- I think we celebrate or reflect on the moments that effected our lives and the changes they brought, be they positive or not. If you have some victory, praise it, some loss, mourn it, some gifts, cherish them, some anxiety, explore it. The dates to you will not be the dates of another, just as our cancers are all different, so are our stories and pivotal moments. Acknowledge the days, moments, achievements you want/need to. And if you need support, we're just a click away (Julie)

- It is so normal to have mixed feelings on your anniversary date! It has been almost 12 years for me and my thoughts are all over the place on that day! One thing I started doing was every year on my cancerversary I write myself a letter. I write down my thoughts, feelings, fears and triumphs and just put them away in a special box. I like to think of it as my own little personal tribute, and in the times I'm really feeling down, I break one out and am reminded of my own strength and the things I've made it through before!! I should also add that I usually try to treat myself to a facial, take my self out to lunch, buy a new CD and hold my own dance party!! (Julie)

- For a few years, on the evening of my follow-up test, I would organize a Butterfly Soiree. Everyone was encouraged to wear purple and bring chocolate and we had live music and celebrated. One year we accidentally also had a fire, but turned out the fire chief was also a cancer survivor so he came in and got some photos with us after the fire was under control! Of course! And just to put it in context. I didn't start soiree-ing for years. I got diagnosed right before Christmas and actually spent the first few years of my cancerversary on that horrible low-iodine diet (prepping for annual follow-up) while everyone munched on delicious holiday food. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed. You're awesome at being aware of your feelings and accepting wherever you're at, which I really admire. Just wanted to throw it out there that the desire to celebrate the cancerversary will probably just happen naturally over time. When I organized my first one, it was on the same night of the day I got my follow-up results and I was so worried that I would get bad news and then have to deal with a bunch of people at my house. But I invited only people I really cared about and figured if I had a recurrence, they would be the perfect source of comfort (and chocolate). : ) (Shali)

- A day to mark however feels most appropriate to you. (Tal)

- I usually forget it. And there's really no single date to mark it -- there's the day I found out something was wrong and it was probably really bad, the day I found out that is almost definitely ovarian cancer, and the day two months later when I had surgery and found out it WAS cancer. Then there was my recurrence, which adds it's own list of dates. I generally don't acknowledge these days because I really don't want to think of cancer as being this super significant part of my life. It's all part of a continuum and shouldn't be marked as more important or worthy of remembering than other days in my life. On the other hand, I am not someone who places much value on anniversaries in general. This may not describe you. I have to agree with Tal, mark it however feels most appropriate and true to you and the significance you place on this experience/day. (Alicia)

- my canceriversary was November 11th (remembrance day, how crazy is that!) I didn't have a lot of time to acknowledge it on the day of, but I'm planning to celebrate this weekend at Breast Fest! For me, this past year has certainly been a challenge, but I've definitely grown and learned a lot as well. Getting through treatment was also a tremendous milestone for me, so I'm happy to celebrate that! good luck! (Linda)

- grieve, reflective moments of silence part of mine falls on my birthday and I know longer celebrate that. its not a day i feel like partying but rather taking stock of my journey, where its led me and where i still have to go (Josh)

- Hi all. I have been conflicted over the years, and this year, my five year, I have celebrated my surgery date (went out with friends), diagnosis date (got myself something to commemorate - a purse from the trip to Ottawa ), and my end of chemo date (got myself a spa gift certificate that I am using today; will be going out for meals with friends; speaking at the Cancer Community Forum; as well as beginning a new endeavor as Section Editor for an oncology website). Every year I also feel survivor guilt. There's such mix of things I would have to echo everyone's statement here. How did it go? (Jen)

So how did it go? I had not had a clear sense of what I was going to feel on November 19th before it started. I actually took my eleven year old car to get serviced. Unfortunately, $ 345 repair later (plus more roters that need to be replaced), I asked myself, "What am I doing at the garage on this day of all days?" I decided to meet up with some young adult cancer survivors for tea and conversation after the Young Adult panel at Breast Fest, an annual film festival organized by Rethink Breast Cancer. After this gathering, I think all of my emotions hit me at once. I was supposed to meet some of my friends for dinner but the details got mixed up along with my feelings. I started crying... a lot. I couldn't stop. I decided it was time to go home. Thankfully, when my friends got the sense that I was quite upset (and incoherent), they announced that they were coming over. I tried to protest, I didn't want to trouble them but being the good friends they are, they came over.







I tried to explain why I felt the way I did. It was nothing and everything. I felt like I was grieving but what was I grieving for? I am alive. I survived cancer. I emerged from the battle with scars to show for it. I should have been celebrating, right? No. I didn't feel like celebrating and I was quite puzzled by that.

I'm not your Superwoman.

Karyn White - Superwoman (Whatever happened to Karyn White? I loved her songs.)

The closest way I can come to explaining my feelings is to describe that I am grieving. When people grieve and mourn, it is typically because they lost someone or something near and dear to them. For me, it was my youthful ignorance (of living forever) but most importantly it was the Superwoman in whom I invested so much of my personality. I saw myself as the fearsome, pioneering warrior with a tenacious, ambitious spirit. I stretched myself to the limit and as one friend put it, I accomplished more before the age of thirty than most people do in their whole lives. If I had to go weeks on end, depriving myself of sleep and self-care in order to accomplish a task, I considered it done! There was very little that I limited myself to. I did it all. Even today, I look back in awe wondering how I managed to found and run a nationally touring film festival (6151 miles or 3822 kilometres from each Canadian coast) while attending teacher's college and graduate school and maintain a long distance relationship. Or teach at a new highly demanding school while being a patient advocate for a family member and taking courses at night. Or while I was in high school, be an honour roll student while being involved with several extra-curricular activities (band, newspaper, student council, etc.) at school and Classical and jazz music studies outside of school. Or get three university degrees including a Master's by the age of 27. Living this way was my normal and it isn't any more.

I cried because I realized that cancer has changed me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

My energy level since my surgery has not returned to what it used to be and I require daily naps to function normally. I also have to organize my day with less on my to-do list and a lot more downtime. I returned to teaching in September this year after eight months off but after much contemplation, reflection, and medical visits, I made the difficult decision to teach part-time. From a financial standpoint, this decision is insane since it means cutting my salary in half. From a health and well-being perspective, the decision makes total sense.

Another change for me has been my perspective on life and time. I wish to "make the rest of my life, the best of my life" (I am not sure who said that). So my priorities have shifted in ways I have not foreseen. My self-care has taken centre stage along with my writing so other things have had to "give way" and allow room for these factors. The result is a more balanced and authentic way of living but the change ain't easy. Nevertheless, I have an excellent support system and I have increasingly relied on my faith. Plus, I am excited at the cool opportunities, people, and possibilities that keep emerging. I am learning to "let go and let God".

So I am trying to embrace the new Blue Butterfly AD and it is taking time. I thank all of the survivors who shared and continue to share their wisdom, love, kind words, resources, and listening ears along the journey. I am not alone.

Farm Sanctuary

Look at this pig's cute little face?




Remember when you were a child and you sang songs like "Old MacDonald" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep", imagining some idyllic pastoral scene? The cows nibbled hay, the pigs rolled around in their mudbath, and the chickens pecked at seeds in the dirt. Sigh! What a beautiful scene? But that ideal picture of Canadiana is reserved for history books. Sigh! Most farm animals are not raised in such natural settings. Instead, they are raised in an industrial complex where pigs lose their "pigmanship" (origin in Farm Sanctuary) and become products of protein and consumption. Chances are Old MacDonald does not own his farm any more and is on contract with a mega-billion dollar agricultural giant to grow thousands of products (read: animals) to industry specifications. He does not own his means of production and had to take hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to transform his farm into a high-tech operation, loans that he cannot repay, and now he may also be depressed and contemplating suicide. "Old MacDonald's Farm", a family-owned business, simply does not exist any more (or at least becoming extremely rare).

Sometimes I must admit that I feel discouraged being a vegan. Walking from restaurant to restaurant, searching for vegan options, asking a million and one questions about food preparation, bringing my own vegan cheese to an Italian restaurant, going to specialty stores to buy vegan basic essentials, spending extra money on going plant-based ($7 for a microwave dinner, c'mon)... it can feel downright like a hostile environment. So when I read a book like Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food by Gene Baur, my commitment to veganism was renewed. Farm Sanctuary tells about more than thirty years of activism for animal rights, fighting against factory farming and slaughterhouses, rescues, and legislation reforms at all levels of government. Baur begins describing his roots growing up in California of German immigrant parents and his agrarian ancestry. He felt moved to animal activism as he began to examine compassion at all levels and pursued studies in animal sciences. In 1986, Gene, and his wife at the time, founded the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY to "to combat the abuses of factory farming and to encourage a new awareness and understanding about 'farm animals.' At Farm Sanctuary, these animals are our friends, not our food" (source Farm Sanctuary website). Backed with the support of its sponsors and a number of Hollywood celebrities to boot, Baur's efforts have resulted in two farms (a 175-acre shelter in upstate New York and a 300-acre shelter in Orland, California), rescue and adoption programs, and educational resources. What is also really awesome is that you can visit this place in real life which I plan to do (Funky Sexy Manifesto #38).

Unlike my parents who grew up in rural Jamaica, I was not brought up with animals around me (aside from a few pet fish). Until about four years ago, my fiance and I adopted two cats. According to me, "cats are people too". Until I lived with Marcus and Makeda, I was totally unaware of the diverse emotions, vocalizations, uniquenesses, longings, and personalities of cats. Animals are sentient (feeling) beings and somewhere along the line, I think many people, myself included, got disconnected from that fact.

Farm Sanctuary had a lot of details about animal rights laws, legislations, and court cases-- a little too much for my taste. I do not find this information interesting but I think without them the book would not be complete. The legal battles and activism have been a part of Farm Sanctuary from the very beginning.

What I appreciated the most were the animal stories in this book. I felt that Gene Baur creates the picture of an animal's soul. Like us humans, animals have an innate desire to live, avoid pain, and attain its basic needs with as little effort as possible. Through personal stories at the end of each chapter, Baur tells about the various animals rescued and brought to the Farm Sanctuary locations. Each animal has a unique journey back to health (reminds me of someone I know, ahem) and a special name. There is even a sheep named Persia, after one of my favourite vegan animal rights activists, film producer/actress/musician and former star of "Girlfriends", Persia White.


I think one of the reasons that these animal stories speak so much to me is because I am a Black person and I know that not too long ago, there were numerous corrupt institutional systems of power which deemed me and other people of colour as "products" for consumption and unfeeling in nature. When I read about slaughterhouses, factory farms, transportation of animals, forced breeding and confinement, crowding, mutilation, separations of offspring from families, lack of sanitation, drugging, denial of basic care, and other abuses to billions of animals each year, I think of the wrongful capture, enslavement, splitting of families, trans-Atlantic crossing of ships packed with kidnapped people, slavery, rapes, forced breeding and feeding, amputations, executions, unethical experimentations, unhealthy living conditions, unsafe practices, and countless other horrors that have happened to my ancestors and people of African origin. Blacks and other people of colour were also called animals, undeserving of basic dignities and treated in cruel and inhumane ways. Now, the wrongful treatment of people in society has come a long way and laws and regulations have been reformed to reflect this evolved consciousness and compassion for humankind. I think there needs to be a change in the way animals are thought about not as just mere products for human consumption but as sentient conscious beings. I have found that a number of other writers and researchers have found parallels between forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism) and the modern factory farming industry as well and I have begun reading one such work which I hope to review shortly.

In August 2011, I had the pleasure of meeting Gene Baur. Here is a link about that encounter. In the meantime, read Farm Sanctuary and be prepared to feel a compassion for animals that you may have never felt before. It will enhance your understanding of the unsustainable and negative impacts that the current practices are having on our environment and health and may cause you to want to do something about it.



Coming up next: Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans speak on Food, Identity, Health and Society by A. Breeze Harper (editor)

Vex in the City: Part 15 Loving Hut

Taste of the food >< >< >< Good, it was nice but nothing too spectacular
Look of the food >< >< >< >< They made this look like food I wished to eat. A little effort goes a long way.
Environmentally-Responsibility >< >< >< >< >< I think Loving Hut ranks high on this one. Besides having reusable cutlery and literature on environmental responsibility, their slogan includes the line "Go Green!" and "Save the Planet".
Health Savvy >< >< >< >< Organic, non-GMO, no MSG food is great. They did have some health literature as well. Showing the benefits to going vegan on their menu or board would have given five butterflies.
Hospitality/Warmth >< >< >< >< The staff was very friendly. My waitress seemed very sincere and so happy that I thought she could not wait to share the bounty of vegan cooking.
Décor/Vibe >< >< The decor was a bit drab and boring.
Added Perks I did not put a rating here since they did not know I was conducting a review nor did I receive any freebies.
Ethical and Community-Minded >< >< >< >< >< Loving Hut is reaching out through its online presence, message, and connection with the Toronto Vegetarian Association. There is a lot of literature in the restaurant and since Loving Hut is an international chain, it has a worldwide community which is evident through Supreme Master Ching Hai's broadcasts with a gazillion different subtitles.

Price (for a main course including appetizer)
$ 10-19 >< >< Very reasonable especially for organic non-GMO vegan food.

Loving Hut: Restaurant or cult? You decide. (Mwahaha.) When I learned that my friendly neighbourhood Loving Hut could be both, I hesitated on visiting this establishment. I read about Loving Hut being an alleged cult in the September 2010 issue of VegNews (one of my favourite magazines) in an article called "Mysteriously Supreme". When I tried to find the article to site, I could not but what I did find was a lot of criticism and objection to VegNews printing this piece. This controversy piqued my interest further especially so many Loving Hut-philes defended this business. Loving Hut, founded by Supreme Master Ching Hai a spiritual leader and entrepreneur from Taiwan (born in Vietnam), is the world's largest chain of vegan restaurants now at around 200 locations.

Supreme Master Ching Hai


A few theories surround the origin of Supreme Master Ching Hai and depending on who you listen to (in this case wikipedia)), she is "a poet, painter, musician, self-published writer and entrepreneur who heads the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, a business group with worldwide interests in restaurants, fashion and jewellery design". Influenced by Buddhism, she developed the Quan Yin Method encouraging people to look within to find their own greatness. All this aside, Supreme Master Hai is an entrepreneurial genius. With her chain of restaurants, she has spread the vegan message worldwide with the slogan: "Be Veg! Go Green! Save the planet!" Sounds good to me, indoctrination aside.

So what was it like to eat at the Loving Hut , one of three such restaurants in Canada?

Loving Hut reminded me of a lot of Asian restaurants I have been to. The interior decor is very simple and the food is great. There is a "Vegan Wall of Fame" which I appreciated. There are tons of pamphlets and books that promote the Toronto Vegetarian Association, plant-based foods, and veganism. This mini-library was right at the front of the store. There was just one thing, actually two. There were two flat-screen televisions hung at both ends of the small restaurant that displayed Supreme Master Ching Hai delivering a speech to a group of onlookers. I could not hear her speech since the volume was off but there were about twelve subtitles on the screen as she spoke.

The Loving Hut-- where dogma and palette collide




Vegan Wall of Fame featuring such celebs as Alicia Silverstone, Gandhi, Coretta Scott King, and Pierce Brosnan.


Screen #1 in operation


Screen #2 was also in operation


I was craving some serious fried food. These spring rolls were really good.


This Savoury Crisp was breaded deep-fried TVP with two dipping sauces.


They also came with fries. Ugh, my arteries. All this fried-ness is a rarity in my books but SOOOOO good.

Three Mouthkateers Food Blog

This is my 200th post on Blue Butterfly.

Funky Sexy Manifesto #11 Attend the YACC Survivors' Conference

One of my survivors' resolutions was to attend the Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) Survivors' Conference 2011 held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada this year from November 3rd to 7th. After attending the YACC Retreat Yourself East in Newfoundland this year, I knew immediately how much I wished to attend. The retreat was so healing and such a growth experience for me, I knew how much I wished to attend the conference. I also know a lot of my fellow cancer warriors did as well. Out of the 14 of us who attended the East retreat as participants, 7 of us attended the conference. This number does not include the supporters, staff, and facilitators who were at both the retreat and the conference. It was a YACC Reunion of sorts. Also, I had done some active fundraising for this event. The weekend prior, I organized a vegan bake sale (Funky Sexy Manifesto #36) which raised over $ 200 for the Climb, a 5 kilometre trek up to Parliament Hill. The proceeds help to cover travel costs for young adults all across Canada to attend YACC events.

I must admit that when I arrived I was a bit stressed out of my mind. It was report card time and I felt sleep deprived and a bit "off". (I've been going through a difficult transition and decision making process.) During the conference, I also had some weird stomach issues which I could only chalk up to anxiety and eating too many desserts that weekend. Nevertheless, I am so glad that I attended the conference. The conference consisted of a series of feature presentations, workshops, small group check-in/check-outs, social events, and the Climb. I truly appreciated the very relaxing yoga session which helped me to become more present and mindful in my body. The opening night mixer and the closing night dance were awesome. I was soooooo ready to shake my booty on the dance floor. I requested Work It! by Missy Elliott which was the song I woke up with in my head that morning. (Don't you love the high production value of Missy videos.)


I also appreciated the very inspirational talk by Geoff Eaton, the founder of Young Adult Cancer Canada (formerly known as Real Time Cancer), and his personal experience with recovering from leukemia in 1998 and his relapse a year later. Geoff left me with plenty of wisdom nuggets. He said that 1% is not 0% which were basically the odds he was given for survival. So he beat the odds. Also he said that remission is not healing. The way I take this to mean is since I am technically still in remission, I need to realize that I am still on the healing journey. I believe for thyroid cancer to be called technically "healed" is five years of remission. So Geoff's statement reminds me to be gentle with the demands that I put on my body, schedule, and energy. Lastly, he states that you need to make ample time for living and healing. To read about Geoff's amazing story, click here.

YACC founder Geoff Eaton, man can he dance


I also appreciated the guest speaker and workshop about Brain Fog by Dr. Heather Palmer, a researcher who talked about cognitive strategies to overcome this situation. I did not think I would benefit from her talk because I did not think I was a candidate for brain fog yet when I heard her describe the symptoms, I realized that many reflected my own current experience-- feeling of being in a fog and overwhelmed and difficulty with multitasking.

Here is a copy of my facebook status summary of the four days. I have also included the photos I took. You will notice some food photos. Well, this wouldn't be a healing journey/wellness/food blog without the vegan food that I had in Ottawa over the weekend which ranked pretty good.

Day 1 November 3, 2011
What a morning! Slept in 80 minutes (through my alarm), went all the way down to Union and still missed my train to the YACC Survivor's conference. Have to catch the next one. Came back home for breakfast. 48 views away from 25, 000 on my blog. Sipping my green tea. Really in need of a nap right now.

(By the way, I managed to exchange my ticket for a later train. I narrowly caught that train by 5 minutes due to a subway delay during rush hour. Ugh!)

Yay, my Blue Butterfly blog has had 25, 003 views as of 11:16am and I'm finding out while on a train halfway between Toronto and Ottawa. Isn't (some) technology wonderful.

Conference vegan food



Day 2 November 4, 2011
Day 2 of the YACC Survivor Conference. Feeling less anxious and tired and more invigorated and excited. So much to learn and to share.






Day 3 November 5, 2011
Day 3 and completed the 5km Climb to Parliament Hill. It's nice to be in Ottawa. I've had some amazing conversations and getting more "food" for the journey. Tossed some pennies into the Centennial Flame fountain and made a wish.




Josh and I having a philosophical talk. I met Josh at YACC Retreat Yourself East. He is a lymphoma survivor and was my resident plant-eater who was in my corner.
























Making a wish before throwing my pennies in the Centennial flame and fountain.





The Ottawa Parliament Buildings at night


Day 4 November 6, 2011
Day 4 of YACC Conference. Finally woke up refreshed and went to the pool. Getting connected with other cancer survivors. Feeling synergy and ideas of great things to come. Tonight we dine and boogie.

The Thy'Ca Posse The only person missing was Shali, a YACC staff member, who also survived thyroid cancer. Here, I am pictured with Kourtney from Edmonton. She had medullary, a rare form of thyroid cancer, which is hereditary and traced by a gene. Being my roomie at the conference, I hope I didn't scare her over the four days.


All decked out in our regalia... Nicole, Julie, and I. We first met at Retreat Yourself East in Newfoundland this year. Nicole is a chordoma survivor who is mature beyond her years and genuine. Read her story here.


Can I get in on the Movember (November awareness for cancer's that affect men) action? If I don't wax, my upper lip, do I qualify? TMI (too much information)?


I am so glad that this restaurant allowed for BYODVC (Bring Your Own Damn Vegan Cheese). No, I'll change that D to Daiya cheese. They made the pizza with my own cheese from home, 5 hours away. I walked back to the hotel to get it from the freezer. No way, I'm going to go to Johnny Farina (Italian restaurant) and not eat cheese, even if I have to bring my own.




Julie and I tore up the floor that night. Julie is a breast cancer survivor who was inspired by my blog to start her own called Silverlups: life thru cancer and other hiccups. You can check it out here. I admire Julie for her creativity, genuineness, and fierceness. She walks to the beat of her own drum and is a great advocate for young breast and other cancer survivors in Nova Scotia.




Day 5 November 7, 2011
I left the YACC conference with an increased acceptance for myself and my circumstances as well as a renewed sense of purpose and what I need to do. Had some lovely company travelling with Bonnie and Julie. Back in Toronto. Nice to be in my own bed. Remission is not healing... Need to make time for living AND healing. Sooo much to think about and ponder. I am grateful for my teachers on this journey.

Bye bye, hotel suite.






I realize how much advocacy is needed for young adult cancer issues especially since this age group (15-39) is the only group not to see an increase of survival rates in 40 years. In addition, Although this year's conference had the most delegates, 80 in all, I know that there are thousands of young adults diagnosed with cancer each year in Canada. In addition, I was the only Black person in attendance which indicates to me that a lot of folks still do not know about YACC. I also realize that YACC is still a very young organization and outreach costs money so this is why I have chosen to use my blog as a space to promote and share information with you my readers.

I also realize how beautiful and genuine each of the survivors I met were in their own way. You never met a room full of such REAL people until you come to a YACC event.

Until the next main event. Bless.