Well, hello there! Today I received an email notification of a new post from a blogger whom I followed during my bout with cancer, and it inspired me to dust off my own blog and post an update.

First of all, I am doing really well. I’m now eight years removed from my breast cancer diagnosis and being declared NED. If you’d told me in 2016 that I’d make it to this point, I’m not sure I’d believe you. Yet here I am. Health-wise, I’ve had pretty minimal issues over the past year. I had an unexpected appendectomy last December (appendicitis is no fun), and I’ve also come to realize that the four-day headaches I experience on a semi-regular basis are likely migraines. Luckily, I have an appointment with a neurologist in January to remedy that.

Career-wise, I’m still a full-time freelance writer and editor, and loving it. I’ve had a pretty good year, work-wise, including having an essay featured in Wildfire literary magazine, a publication for and by young breast cancer patients and survivors. Wildfire also featured me on their podcast, The Burn. I also started writing essays for Business Insider, working with an editor I’d long admired and wanted to work with.

As I look back on this year, I feel mostly good about 2024. I certainly weathered some difficult moments (hello, election), but overall, the good outweighed the bad, which is more than I can say for the past few years. I’m nervously optimistic for 2025. I know everything won’t go the way I want (ahem, election), but I also know that I’m equipped to ride out the storms. Isn’t that the silver lining for all of us in this incredibly shitty cancer club we never wanted to join? We’ve faced one of the scariest, worst things that life can throw at a person, and somehow we found a way through it. We know how hard life can be, and yet we’re determined as fuck to hang onto and enjoy every single minute we get.

So, that’s where I’ll leave you. I wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful 2025, and even on the days when things utterly suck, know that each and every minute you get on this planet is an absolute gift.