Every year, on May 5, also known as “Cinco de Mayo”, I celebrate my cancerversary. This year I am celebrating 15 years of being cancer-free. Wow! Let me take that in just a few more seconds – 15 years! – What a blessing. Fifteen years is a big milestone for me. It is a milestone that I thought I would never reach, but here we are.
I was diagnosed with cervical cancer stage IIB just 3 months after I retired from the New York City Police Department after being a police officer for 20 years. After I retired, my husband and I were ready to enjoy our lives. However, some plans do not happen when we want them to happen.
My world went dark as soon as I heard “You have cancer”. I did not see the possibility of being here 15 years later. My journey was difficult, to say the least. After 7 treatments of chemotherapy, 35 treatments of external radiation, and 2 treatments of internal radiation (brachytherapy) I was lucky enough to come out on the other side.
I must be honest and say that even when my doctor said I was “cancer-free” I felt lost. Everything was still dark. I did not know what to do. Yes! I was grateful, but I did not recognize myself. I did not know the woman staring at me in front of the mirror. She was not the woman I was before.
Cancer for sure changed my life forever. It took time to put the pieces back together. It is definitely a slow process. Most people think that when you are cancer-free you can pick up where you left off. This is further from the truth. You become a different person.
It has been a journey of highs and lows while re-inventing myself. I can look at the negative side and say my body has changed, and even after 15 years, there is still the fear of cancer coming back. I live with the physical and mental scars this monster left me. I deal with the many secondary effects of my treatments, and I can go on with so many other things, but I will not.
I focus on being positive and grateful for every single day. I choose to live every day like it will be my last, but if it is not – I drop to my knees and give thanks. I embrace the good, the bad, and the in-between. It is all part of my gift of life.
Today, I am grateful that I am also part of an extraordinary cervical cancer community. A community of women woven together. We lean on one another, learn from one another, celebrate together, and grieve together when we lose one of our own. I have met women who are courageous, strong, determined, and supportive. Women who have personally inspired and motivated me to make my survivorship count by becoming an advocate of this disease to help other women.
Therefore, before I end this– I want to remind women to get their cervical cancer screenings and to vaccinate their children (both boys and girls) with the HPV vaccine to protect them from six different cancers linked to the human papillomavirus. Let us protect the next generation.
Now, let us celebrate today – have a margarita in my name if you wish, but my true wish is for you to consider donating $15 to Cervivor. Please support our mission to educate, and support women with this disease, and end cervical cancer. This is within our reach.
Patti Murillo-Casa is a Cervivor Ambassador and Cervivor’s Health and Wellness Coach who manages the Survivor Slimdown Facebook Group. She also co-leads Cervivor Español. Patti is a retired NYPD police officer and a 15-year cervical cancer survivor. She resides in NYC with her husband of 25 years where she is a Group Fitness Instructor, Cancer Exercise Specialist, and Health Advocate.
