Yesterday, my niece gave me a hug. She is a newly minted midwife, and we were discussing her next steps. Aside from landing a job, she had prioritized further training in nutrition and homeopathy to assist her clients in healing from the demands of pregnancy and birthing.

How, she wondered, was I sleeping?

Like so many things in my life, the answer was not a simple one.

When I described my sleep pattern, often disrupted by pain at night, my niece responded with a hug. I whispered into her ear "But at least I am here." Alive.

"I'm glad," she said.

So am I.

I am a "cancer survivor." In June 2012, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Treatment lasted until Feb. 2013. Thankfully, I am in remission. But I am not fully recovered from the impact of treatment. Currently, I exist in-between full recovery and treatment: living with chronic pain from nerve damage, I am trying to figure out the pathway to full health.

This blog is about living in the "in-between."