It seems like such a long time ago since my last blog on May 28. In some ways, it is.

For those of you who have checked in for blog updates and have persevered in your waiting, there is a lot to share with you.

Life as a surviving cancer patient has me living my “new normal” reality--full, rich, rewarding, and at times busy.

In June, we celebrated my husband’s retirement, my mother’s 80th birthday, and family visiting from Alberta.

July was filled with finishing re-landscaping of our back yard. In between, there was work, work travel, and new work projects to develop. For a good mixture, there was a couple of family friends’ children’s bridal showers and weddings, spending time with adult kids and hearing stories of their European and San Francisco vacations, and a week’s vacation of our own to end the summer.

Some disconcerting health problems also arose. At my annual oncologist check-up in May, the doctor switched my cancer blocker anti-hormone drug (a form of oral chemotherapy) to another hormone blocker—supposedly it gives a few percentage points increased benefit to prevent cancer from returning.

True to form, as with other cancer drugs of my past, my body did not tolerate the new drug. After battling with allergic side effects and being treated with steroids to eradicate them, I was put back on the original drug. All is now well again with the chemo maintenance drug, except that with the switch, there has been more muscle and joint pain and increased frequency of “charley horses” in my lower limbs and feet.

My sister, the nurse, tells me this occurs because the hormone blocker chemo drug reduces estrogen in my body, which acts as a natural lubricant. So, I’ve been put on an anti-inflammatory to enable easier movement, reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep. Regular exercise helps somewhat to also reduce the pain’s intensity--all the more reason why skipping out from the gym has its consequences.

Then there was a concerned phone call in late summer from my family physician about elevated protein levels in one of my cancer markers blood work tests. The fear of cancer returning was back once again, albeit briefly.

After some scurrying on my doctor’s part with the oncologist and my liver specialist for a consult, it was determined that the elevated markers were not a concern. I will continue to be monitored closely (breast cancer can metastasize to the liver), as has been the case since markings on my liver were found with MRI scans while in treatment three years ago.

I am lucky, and particularly blessed with the care I receive from my family doctor who continues to be vigilant in my health care monitoring and acting on my behalf. I am confident that I am in goods hands with her care. It was a scary few weeks until the specialist consultations on the test results were reviewed and ruled upon.

My volunteer life as a cancer patient advisor continues with the Ministry of Health and CancerCare Manitoba’s five-year appointment to the Manitoba Cancer Partnership Steering Committee. The provincial government’s $40 million+ initiative to improve the waiting times from suspicion to diagnosis to under 60 days has been an interesting volunteerism and learning opportunity.

I share this volunteer role with another cancer survivor as Co-Executive Sponsors on the Steering Committee; Co-Chairs of the Patient Participation Advisory Committee (six cancer patient survivors) associated with the initiative; patient advisors on the cancer patient passport working group; and occasionally deliver a presentation/lecture to health care professionals, medical students, or the public, speaking on the cancer patient experience.

Through the volunteering, I am learning so much about the complexities of health care, the background behind the complicated webs of treatments cancer patients experience, and where improvements can be made in the healthcare system. Halfway through this project, change is starting to be seen. It is rewarding to see how the voice of patients can positively impact health care reform.

To date, our patient input has resulted in the formation of a cancer patient advisory committee; improved communication of healthcare professionals with cancer patients through the development of communication guidelines; cancer patients telling their stories at Steering Committee meetings as reminders about whom we are serving; improved practices in emergency departments requiring after hours care of cancer patients who develop complications including dangerous febrile neutropenia (infection with low blood counts); open letters to various health care providers commending them on their treatment of cancer patients; the beginnings of a cancer patient passport to use as an information guide for medical appointments; and regular feedback to 10 working groups under the Steering Committee umbrella who are addressing various improvement areas to reach the goal of 60 days from diagnosis to first treatment.

A few months ago, upon recommendation of my breast cancer nurse educator, I undertook training to be a breast cancer peer volunteer for other women who are dealing with their diagnosis. Peer volunteers generally are placed on a provincial registry, where they are matched with other breast cancer patients with similar life or diagnosis circumstances.

In my case, because my form of breast cancer is so rare—0.1% of all breast cancer diagnoses in the world (23 out of 23,000 annually in Canada), my name has also been put forward as a peer volunteer on a national breast cancer peer registry.

Within two weeks of completing the peer volunteer training, I was matched with my first client. It is an interesting experience to walk alongside other breast cancer patients, to listen to their stories, and to find ways of supporting them that are meaningful. It is an experience I wish I could have had when I was in active treatment, but unfortunately there was no peer match available for me anywhere in Canada. So, this is important work to ease the burden of others who follow behind me.

And in between all of this, there have been several sessions with a personal trainer! Hard as they have been, I have enjoyed every minute of them. There is a deep satisfaction in knowing that despite how deformed my body became with surgery and radiation, I can make it stronger and rise up to the challenges my trainer poses.

The workouts have been fun, grueling, and have taken me to progressively higher levels of fitness. I am doing workouts I could not imagine before the trainer sessions started. In the not too distant future, after I muster enough courage, I will join the “hard core” gym folks in a TRX boot camp or spin class. Stay tuned.

Life is good. The gift of a second life is a daily blessing. I continue to greet each day with Strength, Courage, and Determination!