1705593743
Why this number?
“This song is like my motto: Always look at the sun. Even the shittiest day has a silver lining, as long as you want to see it. That’s what I try to live by. Six and a half years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The whole fun package of chemo and amputation was gone. Just a year later, it turned out that I still had metastases everywhere. My world collapsed. When I heard the words “incurable,” I thought I wouldn’t make it to Christmas, even though my doctor didn’t put it that specifically. When you think of incurable people, you think of very sick people. Five years later, I’m still here, thanks to years of maintenance chemotherapy.
I have a whole list of songs I like for goodbyes. My husband always says he rents the hall for a whole day because I want so much. That’s what friends are for, Tomorrow is today from Soldier of Orange and I know about twenty others. I hope everyone sings along – or hums – and leaves the room with a smile along with the tears. And then have a drink to my life.
What does the song say about your life?
“I notice that my body is now having a hard time with all the chemo. My liver is starting to respond, so it’s really exciting now. But so far things are going well. Last week I had surgery on my vocal cords. Because one of the metastases was pressing against my vocal cords, I sounded like a frog. I have to go to the hospital once a week, go to physical therapy twice a week to stay in shape, and I also go to weddings regularly. This is seriously the best I’ve ever done. Unless the results are very bad soon, I will continue with this. Yes, it costs me energy, but I get at least as much energy back.
I also mainly make time for nice things. Traveling in a motorhome, alone on holiday in Malaga, having fun with the children. I’ve been in a music club for ten years, in the ensemble, where we rehearse for a year and have three performances in April. This year the time has come Catch Me If You Can, the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It will all be so cool. A few years ago we did Monty Pythons Spamsat there Always look on the bright side also in. It spoke to me even back then. “Some things in life are bad” That’s what it sounds like at the beginning and of course it is.”
“Last summer it turned out that my husband was also sick. He has metastatic melanoma. I didn’t see that coming. Children, for example, I’m getting married and I’m no longer here. That he would give them my letters and everything I thought up for them. But suddenly that was no longer a certainty. That was mentally very difficult.
He is now also on immunotherapy and fortunately had very good news in December. Now we can both take things a little easier. At the beginning of my illness, we agreed with the children that we would not talk about cancer every day; if it gets really difficult, they will definitely be the first to know about it. I just want them to be able to be teenagers and have their own lives.
Same tattoo as children
“I had the same tattoo of a sun and a wave done on my two daughters. I’m going to get a similar tattoo of a moon and a wave on my son soon. I never thought I would do that because I always said I didn’t like an old lady’s face. But hey, I’m not going to be an old lady anyway, so it’s okay now.”
What are you dreaming about?
“Very cliché: getting much older than currently expected. And that my children become and remain happy people. That they are rich with their lives and the people around them and not so much with money or things.”
What is your guilty pleasure?
“What is guilty? I love everything more in the public. It’s no secret that I love musicals and real-life children’s movies, and I don’t think I love oysters and weird Dr. Pimple particularly likes popper videos. But is that so? guilty? I don’t click away when someone comes in, so I guess it’s not that bad.
Even though I’m sick, I really enjoy the life I have. From going out for a luxurious meal to simply staying at the campsite. The illness cost us a lot in terms of performance and life expectancy, but it also gave us a lot. We feel so strongly what it’s really about. For love, for each other. We always look at the positive side.”
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What song should be played at your funeral? And what does that say about your life? If you would like to take part in this section, send your story by email to [email protected]
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