Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...

The other day, I saw my oncologist again. Yearly checkup. Year 9.

And although everything is fine, I always get nervous seeing him.
And although I love the man, I always get nervous seeing him.

And although everything is fine, seeing him snaps me back to reality. About what is important, and what isn't.

I get introspective when I see my oncologist. Time heals all wounds, but some things change your life forever. The bad, and the good, and sometimes even the indifferent.

My doc made an important point the other day. He said that for the first time in history, we - as a society - have more cancer survivors than those with malignancies. Now, we need to understand the long term effects of the treatments that have allowed for so many survivors.

And though I am tickled to be one of those survivors, I need to be cognizant of potential issues. Add my chick disease - Sjogren's - on top of that, and there is more to be aware of down the road.

March will be 10 years since my original diagnosis. And although my oncologist keeps reminding me that I've got things I need to keep an eye out for, a man has gotta live his life. A man has got to make the most of the time he has ahead of him. And although there are things that we may have to worry about as a result of being a survivor, there are things we need to worry about being alive.

Why do we look both ways before crossing the street? Why do I need to get yearly CT scans?

If we have a lesson to learn, it must be that we have to live life to its fullest.