Our Double Anniversary Party - Part 2

My surprise gift to Dan was the fact that the party was ACTUALLY a celebration of his 5 years in treatment for cancer. I couldn't let the anniversary go by without encouraging him! And what better way than a surprise party of family and friends! I had a secret invitation on Facebook and everyone who could came from near and far to show their support. The fun part was telling him what the real party was --- We had Raine give him a large 5 balloon while I made the announcement. 

I want Dan to always feel loved and supported. It may seem strange to throw a party about cancer, but when one has lived with it and surpassed a prognosis like his, or really made any small gains or victories, I don't think there is anything better than ackowledging it with a group of people and having fun celebrating! Cancer should always be whispered about and hidden away...It is a part of our lives. Allowing this helps us cope better than if we tried to ignore all of it.

See all photos here!

Our Double Anniversary Party - Part I

  

We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary with friends and family at the 905 Room, owned by our neighbor and dear friend, Amy.

In true Herzing form, we both managed to surprise each other with special gifts. Dan had secretly rounded up letters from our beloved wedding party and put them all in a book for me. How incredible to read what they had to write us 15 years later! It was also a cool way to incorporate them...They live all over the country and couldn't be there for the party.

Dancing to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Willie Nelson and Paula Nelson.
It was a shorter selection compared to our wedding day song - Rain Song by Led Zeppelin - a good 7+ minutes

Our cake (we didn't have one on our wedding day...Just cupcakes and desserts) by Amy's mother Deb

 

See all photos here!

Guest Post || Two Year Cancerversary by Dan Herzing

I have always thought that I would have one anniversary; the one to celebrate the marriage to my beautiful wife of 12 years.

Little did I know that I would be celebrating another one. Today is my anniversary. My two year anniversary, to be exact.  The anniversary of the diagnosis that I have been living with since. 

To hear that news presented to you in a cold and grey hospital room, and then to speak it to your wife … is something that I hope no one needs to go through in their life. 

But we had to move on.

Two years. 

In the life of Raine, two years went by in a flash. 

In the life of living with cancer, these two years has crawled at a glacial pace. I feel like it has been double that amount of time. Dealing with the doctors appointments, treatments, and weird health things that pop-up; it seems to never end. 

I can watch and enjoy the growth of Raine’s vocabulary, penmanship, and charisma, and it is amazing to see the changes in two years! 

In the life of cancer, there is more “waiting” than experiencing, which is probably why it seems to drag on.

I am happy that I am currently stable.  Key word – stable (not cured). 

I can walk Raine to school, I can play golf (in a cart), and I am in good spirits most of the time; however, I sometimes feel a loneliness creep in.

We had the most amazing outpouring of love, donations, and visitors when we let everyone know my diagnosis. It is impossible to put into words the amount of love we felt toward our family! 

Now, two years later, things have calmed down. Which in a way, is nice. 

I do feel like I am now going through life being perceived as the “normal” Dan

but I know the cancer is still there lying in the weeds……

I am always around to talk. Some of my favorite things are when I hear from old friends, or get a quick check in from someone on Facebook, or share a beer with a friend at a local establishment. I don’t want to come off as needy, or self-absorbed. I just want you to know that those little things–they make my life happier. It shouldn’t just be me either! Tell those friends in the virtual world, or real world, that you love and care about them every once and awhile. We get our blinders on, and sometimes miss what has shaped us into the people we are today.

Let’s end this on a positive note! I am stable. I have other treatment options at my disposal. I am the “normal” Dan at the moment. I have made it two years already, and no one knows how long I can go. Even if it is at a glacial pace, I am enjoying taking in all the moments at this snail-like pace.

Raine's First Day of Kindergarten