Hotcoupe,
Firstly, great news on the main issue here, your health. Health is wealth and all that !
Secondly, well done for getting your life of track again.
I was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease at the grand old age of 25. 3 day before my 26 birthday, actually. It took 9 months of Chemotherapy and 1 solid month of radiotherapy to get rid off the horrible thing.
I don't know about you, but it never really sunk in for me. Even to this day, 5 years in remission, it's just a big blur. Now, it just feels Like it never happened....despite still having visions of how ill I was from the treatment at the time. I remember being brought home by my brothers after every cheamo session, unable to walk - then not eating anything for days and suddenly stuffing my face with bar after bar of chocolate. I remember that horrible smell in the ward...which wasn't actually there. The nurses calling me a terrorist, because I used to walk in with a scarf full of expensive aftershave - just so I didn't have to smell the none-existing smell.
I remember my mum and dad not know what was wrong with me - we just told them it was an immune problem, I was terrified at what it might do to them. I remember my mum sitting next to me on my bed, asking me every 5 minutes about how I felt; me assuring her that everything would be fine, praying that everything would be fine. Once my hair staring dropping off - she knew, but never said. I know she knew - but daren't bring it up.
I remember the days I would feel better. Full of life. I would call my mates and we would go for a drive in my nearly new silver E46 330cd M sport. It was the fucking dogs bollox. Fully loaded with every option and I was so proud of it
- Outside of my amazing big family, it was the one thing that kept me going. Seriously. Some might find that daft - but this is what cars do for some people. I used to sit in it at 4-5am, when I couldn't sleep and think about all the great adventures we were going to have together.
Very few people knew about my illness. I liked it that way. I didn't want special treatment or sympathy. I just wanted to get on with it and get my life back on track.
I was given the all clear 9 months later. I married 4 months after and the rest, as they say, is history.
Enjoy your life fella. I saw it as God giving me a new lease of life and I try and thank him every day for it - no matter how shit of a day I've had. Some of them people at the same hospital(s) weren't as luck as you and me.
Sorry for the bollocks above - but it brought allot of memories back for me.