I met my GYN oncologist exactly 24 months ago. Our first appointment with Dr. Puls was filled with fear, uncertainty, dread and sadness…probably a pretty typical first appointment in his line of work.

But despite the heaviness of our conversation, when he basically told me that even if I were to go along with his recommended treatment — total hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiation — there was only a 50% chance that I would be able to beat the cancer, I found myself focusing in that other 50% and vowing that I would be the patient who beat those odds..

Fast forward to today. Here I am, 16 months after finishing my treatments, and I am still cancer-free (according to blood tests and CT scans).

In my visit with him today, Dr. Puls gave me a wonderful Christmas gift: He told me that I was doing so well that he was “graduating” me to a 4-month check-in and annual CT scan schedule.

I consider my remission a miracle, and one that could not have been possible without the vast body of knowledge that cancer researchers have assembled over the past century, the love and support of my family and friends, and some extra help from the universe at large.

I am so blessed.

I am so grateful.

I have a little plaque that a friend gave me when I was undergoing my treatments early last year. It says:

“How to find happiness:

1. inhale
2. exhale
3. be grateful
4. repeat”

It is so true. On days that I find myself stressing over little inconveniences, I remind myself that I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge, shoes on my feet and clothes on my back…and an 8″scar on my abdomen which is a small souvenir of what I went through in early 2018.

So as we start to wind down from the frenzy that is the holidays, and turn our minds toward celebrating the love and joy of Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice and the New Year, may we all take a few moments to breathe in, breathe out, and be grateful for all the gifts we have been given.

With love and joy to all this holiday season,

Susan