"When my husband retired at the end of March, I thought our "golden season" had finally arrived. We weren't the type of couple who waited for retirement to live - we had already raised our kids with adventure, built traditions around sports and travel, and carved out time to make memories long before "someday." Retirement was supposed to be an extension of that, a slower, sweeter chapter where we could do even more of what we loved."
"Then, just weeks later, my husband was accidentally diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer. We were at the hospital where he had a scan for possible appendicitis. When they confirmed that, the nurse then said, "And you know about the massive tumor on your left kidney, right?" We did not. The news stopped us cold. One day, we were planning trips, and the next, we were sitting across from doctors, navigating medical terminology, surgery, and treatment plans."
"A cancer diagnosis is a roller coaster you never want to ride. Some days you cling to hopeful words from a doctor; the next, you're spiraling over the delay of scan results. The waiting, the not knowing, it's almost unbearable. We've lived in that constant back-and-forth since the day we got the news. Optimism collides with fear on a near-daily basis. You try to keep moving forward, but the ground never feels steady."
Her husband retired expecting a slower, more adventurous chapter of travel, traditions, and shared experiences. Weeks later, a scan for possible appendicitis revealed an accidental diagnosis of stage 3 kidney cancer, shifting plans into meetings with doctors and decisions about surgery and treatment. Daily life became defined by waiting, anxious scan delays, and alternating hope and fear. The couple navigates a near-constant back-and-forth between optimism and fear while trying to maintain forward momentum. A previous loss of her father before his retirement had already shaped their commitment to live fully and make memories.
Read at Business Insider
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