Metamorphosis!

Greetings dearest loyal readers - I have been silent for several weeks awaiting the final news - and the news is fabulous: I am CANCER FREE! My Doctor told me Friday that there is No Evidence of Disease in my

system as of this week - I am grateful and humbled.

You my loyal readers and friends have traveled this journey with me - your support has provided me with life energy as I completed the 12 months of chemo and the surgery. It is truly a season of rebirth. As I reflect on this strange journey, I am so thankful for the amazing love and friendship extended to me. Together we have explored this strange anti life form called cancer, confronting mortality, finding healing powers in our unconscious and our imagination, examining the politics of health care. Knowing you are out there has helped me keep the gray matter active, even as the targeted poisons were confronting the cancer in my system.

I spoke at our Unitarian Fellowship meeting yesterday on the idea of rebirth - of meeting each new day, hour, minute as life renewed. I found a fabulous essay by Barbara Kingsolver in which she writes:

Every one of us is called upon, perhaps many times, to start a new life. A frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, loss of a job. And onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another...that is surely the basic instinct... crying out "high tide!" Time to move out into the glorious debris! Time to take life for what it is!"

So I am moving onward full tilt - into the glorious debris. I plan to continue this blog, at least now and then: I will keep all posted, but move on to other topics as my journey is no longer primarily a cancer journey. I hope to explore personal and political issues as my personal apoptosis continues: my cells living, dying, being reborn. Cancer cells - good bye: may we find a way to help you pass away, to experience your natural death and rebirth as healthy cells.

As the Indian mystic poet Rabinadreth Tagore wrote:

You have made me endless, such is your pleasure. This frail vessel you empty again and again, and fill ever with fresh life.

This little flute of a reed you have carried over hills and dates, and have breathed through it melodies eternally new.

At the immortal touch of your hands my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable.

Your infinite gifts come to me only on these very small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still you pour, and still there is room to fill.

And fill it up we will! xx to all in overwhelming gratitude. ApopSal