Why am I writing a blog?
Because a cancer diagnosis at age 26 was one of the last things I ever would have guessed would happen. Cancer is not something you can control, and that does not jive well with my personality - I like to have things organized, I like to plan, and I like to know what's coming next. So in an effort to regain some control, I decided two things. The first hit me very quickly: I'm going to make myself a cancer quilt. I love to craft and I find it very cathartic, so I can channel my energy into making something that will later serve as a testament to what I've been through. The second thing was more of a logical progression: I've found that so far, the most exhausting thing has been telling people what's going on. I want all my friends and family to know what's happening, but I don't want to have to keep rehashing all the details. Which meant it made perfect sense to keep a blog. I'm hoping that this will also be a good way to channel my energy, especially in the times when I have less of it and sitting is all I can manage. And I realized that as an added bonus, I can show the progression of the quilt here too.
What's with the blog title?
I'm holding onto the old adage that laughter is the best medicine. As I was searching online for some swag (because every situation calls for some good accessories!), I came across this:
It just made me laugh, so I'm just holding onto it for now and I'll get it for myself when I'm done treatment. It's only half true right now, but after October 30th, I'll be completely sans thyroid.
What about the tagline?
Initially, I wanted the blog address to be thyroidnotincluded, but that was already taken. I ultimately decided that this was a good thing, because maybe something less cancer-focused would be good. I settled on something that comes from one of my favorite quotes of all time (a line from Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan), and I just modified it slightly for the tagline.
The Result
And so this blog was born. Maybe it will be helpful for someone else, but if not, that's okay. Even though my initial intent was to write this for other people, I realized that it's mainly for me - to help me organize my thoughts, to chronicle what I'm going through, and to help me remember that "We are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect."
And so this blog was born. Maybe it will be helpful for someone else, but if not, that's okay. Even though my initial intent was to write this for other people, I realized that it's mainly for me - to help me organize my thoughts, to chronicle what I'm going through, and to help me remember that "We are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect."
oh my goodness, Emily... I don't even know what to say. you have a really positive attitude and that is wonderful. I miss you so much!
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