Cheers to my Seven/Three Anniversaries ✨ Whippleversary Whimsy ✨

Today is my Whippleversary — January 24th — a day I’ll always remember, and a story I’ll always carry with a full and grateful heart.

Seven years ago, in 2019, I rolled out of surgery with more tubes than style points… and still managed to throw up my arms like a tiny-but-mighty superhero. Then came eight rounds of chemo, long days, long nights, and an 18% five-year survival rate staring me down like a bad Dr. Seuss villain.

But y’all know how this story goes.

I thunk my thoughts.

I used my thinker-upper.

And I refused to let cancer tell the ending.

Fast-forward through grit, grace, and a total pancreatectomy January 26, 2023 — yes, I’m an insulin-dependent diabetic now — and still living a big, bold, wildly active life that feels richer than ever.

The Glunk may have thunk up the diabetes bit, but I’ll take it.

There is truly nothing I can’t do.

Nothing that can slow me down.

And absolutely nothing that can dim my joy.

Some nights, I sit with my thinker-upper still, remembering all of it… and whisper a very poetic, very adult “F-U” to cancer — the Seuss-style version, of course, with sparkles, sass, and a wink.

Here’s to the next many decades.

To the laughter still coming.

And to someday meeting my 93-year-old self… the one who will giggle at the fun, the adventures, and the stubborn, joyful way I chose to live.

Cheers to life — every bit of it.

💛🐝 Honey (MaryNell)

P.S. I’ve got a whole new chapter calling my name… new trips to take, new food to taste, new stories to tell — and maybe even a little vlogging in my future, if I’m brave enough to follow my daughter’s nudge. Who knows? I’ve learned I can contribute just as much light and laughter as anyone else. And goodness knows I’m not afraid to be a little silly along the way.