Husbands cancer free anniversary ideas ?

[Carol1980]

Hi.

So this September is my husbands 5 year cancer free anniversary.

In 2016 he had bowel cancer which was diagnosed at the age of 38. Thankfully the tumour was removed as well as 1 and 1/2 ft of his bowel intestine and joined back together. It's been a worrisome 5 years as the same cancer took his mother.

I'm trying to search to see what I could do to properly mark this occasion, every year that passed was one step closer to that 5 year mark, so I really want to make it special.

I'm not loving the whole t-shirt ' I kicked cancers ass' type of thing, as he's looked at them before and cringed.

Does anyone have any other suggestions ?

Plant a tree? Trees symbolise life and hope.

Congratulations to you both, my own husband has bile duct cancer, a five year cancer free anniversary is very special

@bloodywhitecat excellent idea, thanks

Yeah it's always been about the 5 year mark, I asked him the other day if there was anything that he would really really like to mark the occasion and his response....

' My CT scan and colonoscopy' 🤦🏼‍♀️

He should be getting one more to confirm that all is ok but with covid I'm bit sure if the colorectal department will be sorting out appointments.
His last set of blood tests were 6 months late last year, I'm just hoping that it's not that late this year as I don't know if he will properly believe it until he gets his scan and colonoscopy 😫

I second a tree or perhaps visit somewhere special to mark it - could be hard though with restrictions

Someone I know had a small star tattooed onto the inside of their wrist to mark something similar

Are you sure he wants something? I had breast cancer two years ago and would hate anything like that.

@CatAlice

Yeah I'm not throwing a party or anything. I wanted to have ideas about what would be nice to either get or do ?.

Getting to the 5 year mark is monumental for my husband, he has always talked about just getting past the 5 year mark as the chances of recurrence for bowel cancer once you have been in remission for 5 years is smaller.

But cheers for your input 👍

If it was me I'd want the CT scan & Colonoscopy (as he said) before I could even think about something to mark the occasion, planning something beforehand would feel like tempting fate. Any chance he's feeling like that?

It's probably a very individual thing, but planting a tree would be great, I'd probably choose somewhere public so I could always visit it rather than in our garden at home (because we might want to move).

I don't know though, I think I'd just want to enjoy life rather than mark the 5 years as such, maybe plan a holiday or extension or whatever, something in the future.

Best wishes for the tests to be on time and obviously, for them to be great!!xx

I'm with CatAlice

Only after I got the all clear did I relax enough to allow in the thought of 'what might have been'.
It isn't a celebration day for me, it is a 'time of quiet reflection' when I think of those that didn't make it.

I know we are all different, but, I certainly don't want to 'mark it' in any way.

I'm not sure if it's coming across as I have intended.

I was looking for ideas by way of a small token gift ? Not a full on let's celebrate?

All I have seen online if t-shirts which say ' I kicked cancers ass' etc and candles. I was looking for something like a male version of the Pamper pack......

I must be missing something though if the general consensus is don't bother...

I apologise if my comment offended you, it was meant genuinely. I just wanted you to be sure he would appreciate the idea.
Maybe a day out to a beautiful place?

I agree with the day out idea, or a week end somewhere where you can both relax and be spoilt!