National Cancer Survivors Day

In the fall of 2011 I was told I had Leukemia (APL). I spent a month in the hospital. I bled out when they tried to put in a pic line in my neck and spent 4 days in CCU. When my platelets were extremely low my eyes hemorrhage and it left me mostly blind for about 4 months until the clots dissolved. Once I left the hospital I spent a year and a half on 3 different forms of chemo, never spending more than a week or two between doses.

If I wasn't in the outpatient clinic with an IV in my arm I was at home. My immune system has been so weak that I have had to keep myself away from people as much a possible so I didn't get sick. Needless to say, this left me with a lot of time online.

During my treatment I found out 2 people I knew from my college years passed away from cancer, one this past December. This really hurt me a lot. I didn't understand why I was alive and these other people who have impacted a lot more lives than I have were taken. I told myself I can't fuck up and not do anything with my life. I can't just sit here, go to work, come home and sit in front of the tv like 90% of the rest of America. I had to make my life worth saving.

During this time I have found Anonymous. I have always been active in charity work and volunteering and there were certain Ops that really hit home. With the structure of how Anon runs it was easy for me to be helpful relaying information and use the resources I have from my computer.

Some Ops that have really helped me over the past few months has been AnonFM, OpELE, and OpAntiBully. I have gained a lot of really good friends and have been helped through a lot of really hard times. In the real world my husband and parents have been the only ones who have seen me really sick and up for days on end. The people in these groups have also seen me this way and have helped me through some really shitty days and nights. Thank you so much for all you have done for me. I love you all. You are family to me.

Today I am in remission, last week was my last week of chemo and today is National Cancer Survivors Day. I couldn't have made it without the love and support of those around me.