Rhubarb is considered a weed by some gardeners in Cheyenne. It thrives here and can’t be eradicated very easily. Mine came with the house, and I’ve found that it is one of my favorite plants because of its large leaves and the delicious sorbet and chutney I make with its tangy stalks, not to mention that no matter how hard the winter is it reliably returns each spring.

A year ago today, June 9, I harvested a few pounds and put them in the freezer for later use. I had to keep busy that morning since I was fasting. At 1pm Fred took me to the hospital to have surgery to remove my ovarian tumor, and so began my cancer adventure.

The rhubarb and I both had a bit of a rough summer last year – it got pummeled by a couple of massive hailstorms and I started chemotherapy. Both of us were really beat up and didn’t look too good once autumn rolled around.

But we’re back! We both look pretty normal again (except for my surgery scars) and no one would ever know what we went through just by looking at us. I’m not quite as strong and energetic as I used to be, but I hope to get there.

Maybe having the resilience of a weed isn’t such a bad thing after all.