Thanksgiving and Heather's November Blues

November is typically a somewhat antsy month, right? The excitement is building up for Christmas, everywhere you look Christmas decorations are up, yet it's not Christmas yet. The lead up to Christmas and countdown to new year always gets me excited. And for mostly Americans, there's Thanksgiving. Whilst I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, there are a couple of things that I am really thankful for:

• Bradley - the most amazing, incredible thing that happened to me. 
• DH - without him, I wouldn't have Bradley. Without him, I wouldn't have come so far. I love him so much. 
• My family - as with every big families, there are bound to be conflicts, misunderstandings, unhappiness. Mine too, but its through all these that made my family extremely close and bonded
• Health - what's wealth without health? (Although, health plus wealth would be a big bonus!)

Jokes aside, I've always taken my health for granted. Even after losing my father to renal failure that was brought upon by diabetes and hypertension. But now that I have Bradley, I try to make sure DH and I eat healthy by cooking at home more. I cannot imagine having to care for B if I'm down sick, worse, I cannot bear to have the thought of B losing his parents at a young age. Any parents will feel the same. So I cannot imagine what Heather von St James went through when she was first diagnosed with mesothelioma when her daughter was just three months old.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, affecting the membrane lining of lungs and abdomen. There is no known cure but chemo and surgery have helped to improve prognosis. Typically, someone with mesothelioma is given 15 months to live, but Heather beat the odds and is one of the few survivors of this cancer.

As she was diagnosed in November, every year this month Heather gets the "November Blues". Could you blame her? But she has made what, in her words, started out as a tragedy ended up in triumph. She has since embarked on a mission to spread awareness of mesothelioma by sharing her story.

Have you heard of mesothelioma before? I haven't. Sure I've heard of lung cancers, ovarian cancers, cervical cancers, and even have a good friend who is diagnosed with breast cancer. But mesothelioma? No. So when Heather contacted me and asked if I would share her story and help create awareness, I did a little reading. It is extremely sad to read things like "at some point, the management of the disease will shift from trying to cure the disease to trying to keep the patient as comfortable as possible for as long as possible". Yet on the other hand, you read about Heather beating the odds and coming out as a survivor.

Whether you know of anyone who has cancer, be it a friend's friend, or you just happen to be the curious passerby, spend a couple of minutes to watch this video and help spread the word. 

Lastly, think about the things that you are thankful for. The simple pleasures in life.

xx