It was a solemn day for obvious reasons. September 11th carries a weight that is both collective and, for me, deeply personal.

In 2001, I was living in Los Angeles and working for a broadcast company on the traffic side; yes, actual traffic and weather reports! We were told to go home and stay safe. I remember being unable to reach my friends in NYC and watching the news in absolute horror and disbelief.

Fourteen years later, on September 11, 2015, I was lying on a table having a core needle biopsy of a mass near my underarm.

Cancer wasn’t even on my radar. Breast cancer? Absolutely not.

But I knew the doctor saw something because she took nearly 20 tissue samples.

Little did I know how dramatically those results would change the course of my life.

And then there was September 11, 2026.

After developing excruciating pain in my right eye seemingly out of nowhere late Wednesday night, I found myself at the ophthalmologist on a day when I was already on caregiver duty, taking my mother to her eye appointment.

By some miracle, they were able to squeeze me in and in-network too.

I had to laugh. Another unexpected mother-daughter date, with our vision taking center stage.

I also learned a new word: scleritis. It’s an inflammation of the white structural wall of the eye. It’s much LESS common than conjunctivitis (pink eye) and can cause severe pain. In some cases, it can threaten vision or signal inflammation elsewhere in the body.

Because apparently my body believes I need continuing education credits in medical terminology.

Here’s what struck me that night: “surviving” breast cancer has never meant simply getting through treatment and returning to life as it was before.

Survivorship continues to be challenging.
It continues to be exhausting.
It continues to be expensive.

And now I’m balancing my own health surprises while being a caregiver for my mother.

There are days when I can laugh at the absurdity. There are days when the weight of it all hits differently.

On Friday, I held a little of both.

Until next time,

Warrior Megsie

Featured image: IG @emotionally.perfect