What a Difference a Year Makes

So today is the anniversary of my surgery and diagnosis. It feels so surreal. When I awoke from surgery in Mercy Hospital in Des Moines one year ago, I had no idea how profoundly my world would change over the next year.

This is the week that everyone begins to act on their New Year’s resolutions. I, too, am focusing on my own 2009 resolutions. Thanks to the timing of my diagnosis, I now have an "anniversary" which will remind me of the most important resolutions I can make - to stay healthy and focused on what truly matters.

One year ago today, I was lying in a hospital facing my own mortality. This year, I started the day with acupuncture and will end it with some exercising. Last year, I was researching chemo treatment options. This year, I’m trying to figure out what vacations I can talk Pat into taking. Last year, I was wondering if I would live to see another winter. Today, I am confident that I will live to see many many New Year’s celebrations.

Yes, it's cliché, but what a difference a year makes.