I had recently moved to Inuvik, Northwest Territories (200km above the Arctic circle) from the east coast when I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma. My only symptom was blurred vision (subtle, easy to dismiss- and it was).

Seeking answers required leaving the North. I flew roughly 1,000 kilometres to Yellowknife to see an ophthalmologist, and then another 1,000 kilometres to Edmonton, where an ocular oncologist confirmed the diagnosis.

I’m originally from Newfoundland, and when I received that news, my family travelled across the country to be with me. At the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, I underwent brachytherapy, followed by two years of intraocular injections to preserve my vision.

Hearing the words “you have cancer” created an immediate sense of clarity. I felt if I was fortunate enough to move forward, I would not return to the life I had before cancer.

I didn’t.

In the years since, I have reshaped my life entirely. I changed careers, went through a divorce, and moved to New Zealand. I married an Australian and moved to Brisbane. Together, we’ve travelled widely, and we welcomed our daughter through IVF.

This September, I will begin a Master’s degree in Public Health (my second degree post cancer)

Cancer is still part of my life, though. I have scans every six months to check for metastasis, as ocular melanoma most often spreads to the liver. And in a few weeks, I’ll be having vision saving laser surgery, followed by a lens replacement- thanks to radiation.

But in between those scans and procedures, I try to live my life fully. Facing my own mortality lit a fire in me. It made things clearer- what matters, what doesn’t, how I want to spend my time.

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