As 2018 was drawing to a close, I was forced to confront an unexpected bump on the never-ending road that is my cancer journey. In October I went to my family physician with some symptoms that I feared might indicate a recurrence of my ovarian cancer. While she was reasonably certain that my cancer had not returned, she wanted to be safe and made some arrangements for me to see my principal oncologist. It had been nearly a year since my last appointment and I’d almost forgotten the prevailing stress and uncertainty associated with visits to the Tom Baker Centre. When I arrived my eyes scanned the building’s vintage 1980s interior, finally resting on the rows of chairs occupied by anxious patients.

Ultimately the resident who examined me was reassuring, she quickly explained that the medical team would like to order a CT scan as a precaution to rule out the possibility that my malignancy had returned. On a Thursday afternoon, just a few weeks before Christmas, my oncologist’s office phoned to inform me that my procedure had been scheduled. Three days later I was at the hospital checking into diagnostic imaging, it was as if I was walking back into a nightmare that I thought was over. As I positioned myself in the scanner, I prayed that I would soon be facing the culmination of The Great Recurrence Scare of 2018 and not confirmation that cancer had invaded my body for the second time. Rarely have I been so painfully uncertain about what a new year would bring me.

To cut to the chase, my test revealed no evidence for tumor recurrence or metastatic disease in my abdomen or pelvis. I’m still cancer free after six years! I’m filled with gratitude when I think of the women who aren’t as fortunate as I am, there are too many of my teal sisters who never achieve a complete remission from their ovarian cancer. Obviously, as I think ahead to how I want to spend 2019 I’m more determined than ever to make the most of each day and not squander the precious moments of life that have been granted to me.

One of my goals for 2019 is to live in the present and not spend an excessive amount of my time regretting the past or worrying about what will happen to me in the future. About six years ago, soon after I was diagnosed with cancer, I discovered a technique called mindfulness. Jon Kabat-Zinn pioneered using this method with cancer patients and other groups battling chronic pain or illness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as follows:

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of the present-moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our lives unfold only in moments If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation.”

Whatever transpires this year, I promise to treat myself with kindness and compassion. I pledge to be less critical of myself and to focus more on why I am a special and worthwhile human being. I’ll attempt to concentrate on my positive qualities and the valuable contributions that I am able to make while I’m in this world. Kabat-Zinn stresses that we should nurture our sense of self-esteem and self-worth. At the same time, he acknowledges that many people need help or reminders that they are worthy and deserve to be loved.

“Perhaps we just need little reminders from time to time that we are already dignified, deserving, worthy. Sometimes we don’t feel that way because of the wounds and the scars we carry from the past or because of the uncertainty of the future. It is doubtful that we came to feel undeserving on our own. We were helped to feel unworthy. We were taught it in a thousand ways when we were little, and we learned our lessons.”