Reaching the end of treatment brings with it a strange mix of emotions. We feel sadness for the past, a deep sadness at everything that was stolen from all of our lives, but especially Romy’s; we feel gratitude for living in the Western World, in a place where we could seek help and treatment; we feel fear for the future and will always live with this undercurrent of worry; but we feel happiness for today. I read a quote once about how at the end of treatment, the cancer is toast (hopefully), but so are you, but that everyone goes home because they think the war is won, just when you need the help the most. Adjusting to life after treatment has definitely been a challenge for us as parents, but Romy has taken everything in her stride. We have tried to ‘get busy living’. We gently eased ourselves into this living so as to not overwhelm ourselves, but Romy and Zephyr have definitely lapped up what it means to be alive. Chips on the beach, a bouncy castle, friends with babies, trying tap lessons again, water play, parks, swings, the trampoline, the chair-o-plane, cousins, grandparents, outdoor cafes, picnics, going on the bike, gardening… These are things that don’t really need an explanation, just a selection of photos to share and some words to explain how we are embracing life as much as we can on a day to day basis.
Helen & Tom
