Shabnam Gujadhur, Australia

On World Cancer Day, I reflect on my journey with ovarian cancer. I was diagnosed at the age of 30 with no family history of any sort and I was pretty healthy and fit. I am now 27 months in remission and it has indeed been a harrowing one.  There is no returning back to your pre-cancer self and cancer changes everything in your life.  Whilst I once feared cancer would steam my precious time with my loved one, instead it did gift me an appreciation for it. Before my ovarian cancer diagnosis, I was always planning ahead, driven by endless to-do lists and unrealistic deadlines. I stressed about the future. I was racing through life. Cancer taught me to the art of living in the moment (as cliché as this sounds). Every scan, medical appointments and challenges brought the value of time into sharp focus. Now, almost three years post-diagnosis, I am still surprised by how time is passing. At times, I wish I could slow it all down to truly soak in the beautiful moments with the people I love. But I have realised this is an impossible task. Cancer has taught me to accept that all I can do is to cherish those moments, to appreciate the fleeting nature of life, and to always stop, breathe and be present. It’s easy to take life for granted when all is well, but when life wreak havoc whether through a serious diagnosis or confronting mortality- the value and beauty in every little moment is revealed. And that, for me, is the most unexpected and treasured gift my cancer diagnosis has given me: the gift of time, not in its abundance, but in its preciousness.