Quality vs Quantity: A question of balance

Once you know you have cancer, your view point shifts radically and time collapses into a shorter spectrum. The now, today and next week are prioritized more than you ever have. Tomorrow, next month, next year and 20 years from now are no longer a certainty but rather a goal. I guess this is the way time works for all of us, but it unfortunately takes a marshmellow-sized tumor in your left boob to force you to face the reality of time--your time--and prioritize accordingly.

I have been thinking about time a lot, and I have come to the conclusion that the quantity of time I can remain cancer free is not as important as the quality of my life during that time. This is not to say that I am not willing to go through hell to achieve cancer-free status, but simply to clarify that once I get to the promised land, I still need to be able to enjoy the things I love: triathlons, travel, drinking, eating, dancing, writing, adventure, friends and family.

Of course, there are side-effects I will willingly accept: loosing my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, boobs and maybe even my ability to procreate. Cancer does and will leave its mark. The trick is to be able to fully re-engage while bearing these battle scars. I refuse to sit on the side lines. And I have told my doctors this. Whatever treatment they recommend must render me able to live, really LIVE--otherwise, I will happily pack my bag, laptop, camera and passport and go roam the world until I keel over.

From my perspective, a few years of fabulous far outweight a life time of blah.