[2021-07-06] A happy birthday

I turned 55 today.

It feels great to reach that milestone. It wasn't a given, since my cancer diagnosis last July. But here I am, almost 12 months later: still smiling, still writing, and still learning.

I received many birthday wishes today, for which I am very grateful. One of my favourites was this one:

Happy, happy birthday Jennifer! I think the word "epic" may be used too lightly, but your year has been nothing less than epic—you and your world changed entirely, and you helped us grow from your experiences too! I’m sure I’m speaking for many, many people when I say that your birthday feels like a celebration and reflection point for all of us.

It has been an epic year, and today does feel like a celebration of how far I've come in the last 12 months.

This time last year, I was oblivious to the cancer that was in my body. Just a few weeks after my 54th birthday, I received an unexpected diagnosis of ovarian cancer. So much changed for me in that moment and in the subsequent months. I stopped working at my job, and started focusing on my health. I got married. I launched this blog. I underwent surgery, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy. I learned that I have a faulty BRCA2 gene. I began taking a maintenance drug designed to suppress new cancer tumours. At just about every stage, I needed to trust the process and adjust.

And through it all, I reflected and wrote and shared—about my cancer journey, for sure, but also about life in general.

Today's post (#335) comes exactly 11 months after the first. Writing this blog and engaging with readers has brought meaning, purpose and joy to my life. It has been the basis of connection with old friends, new friends and family.

This evening, my family organized a surprise party with my mom, my siblings and their partners. It was the first time we'd all been together since August 3, the day I broke the news to my family that I had cancer. Tonight, we gathered under more hopeful and celebratory circumstances. We met in the gazebo at the Walter Baker Park in Kanata, a beautiful venue where we could physically distance but feel together at the same time.

I'm so blessed to have had the support of my family and many others over the past year. If I have had an epic year, it is because of all of you. I feel like we've come a long way. Together.