[2022-03-22] The other side
Today, a friend sent me a video of her ringing the bell of hope to mark the end of her chemotherapy treatments. I was so happy for her.
I rang that same bell of hope in January 2021 after I had completed chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
My friend acknowledged that she had one more week of "yuck" and then she would "come out the other side."
"Exactly!" I replied. "There are so many of us on the other side, waiting to welcome you."
Just writing those words brought tears to my eyes, as I recalled the mixture of pride, relief and hope I had felt when ringing the bell.
It can be hard for the newly diagnosed to imagine that there is an "other side" to cancer or for the cancer patient early in their treatments to envision the end of active therapy. And then, one day, they are ringing the bell, and soon after, they are welcoming others coming behind them.
Congratulations my friend. You did it! Raise your arms in triumph. Then make purpose of your pain by wrapping your arms around the next person who joins the other side.
