Five years ago today I was told, “You have cancer.” I had been looking forward to the possibility of this 5 year mark, holding at “no evidence of disease.” I had a mammogram recently that was normal. So, I am at “no evidence of disease”.  Unsurprisingly, having had two heart attacks in the past four weeks has dampened the party a little bit.

Nonetheless, I am going to give my 5-years as a survivor its well-earned appreciation. There were a lot of highs and lows packed into the last five years. I’ve written about nearly every one of them in this blog, which I started immediately after my diagnosis. My blog turns five years-old today, too.

When I chose the title for my blog, “My Eyes are Up Here”, in part, I was just trying to be clever. But I was also communicating the fullness of my life. When I got breast cancer, the rest of my life didn’t just stop. At times this was a great burden. At other times, it was the best thing about my life.

I have learned in these five years that I am not completely defined by my cancer. I am also not completely defined by my heart problems.

My eyes are still up here.