Rebuild

The first phase of cancer treatment is complete: chemotherapy—fifteen weeks of it. Oncologists chose the neoadjuvant route, and now we wait for the scans to show how the cancer responded. Those results will determine the type of surgery and what comes next.

I didn’t have much motivation to write during treatment. It felt like I was suspended somewhere between an incubator and a prison cell—just waiting for release. That release came on Friday, and it was a powerful feeling.

Now, I turn toward phase two: surgery.

Someone once compared this journey to a triathlon. If that’s true, then I’ve finished the swim. Next is the bike, followed by radiation, the final run. It’s a fitting analogy. This hasn’t been a pleasant experience, but I’m deeply grateful for the support that carried me through.

Today, I’m calling it Week One of The Rebuild.

Why rebuild? Because in these past weeks, I gained ten pounds, lost my hair, and lost my ability to run. What used to be an easy three-mile jog now takes real effort. But chemotherapy is behind me, and this is where I begin again.

We’ll see what comes next.

For now, the focus is simple: rebuilding.