In 2010 I moved 1300 miles for a
job, saw the end of my 25 year marriage, started a business and was diagnosed
with breast cancer. It was a year of new
beginnings to say the least.
When I felt the lump in my
left breast it was a little concerning however I had had a lump in my right
breast several years prior that turned out to be benign. I assumed I would go
in, have a biopsy and find out the same again.
Unfortunately this was a 2cm tumor that was malignant. Just to give you a point of reference, it was about the size of
a nickel. I can’t begin to explain the thoughts and feelings that went running
though my mind.
Not only were my emotions
reeling but now I was faced with making life altering decisions while in a
state of shock. I did have the support
of family and friends but this was one time I really wished my husband would
have been there to support me.
I had to decide whether to
have a mastectomy (remove breast) or
lumpectomy (remove the tumor and some surrounding tissue), both having pros and
cons. I was blessed enough to have been referred to a good surgeon that I was
comfortable with. Additionally my Mother and my aunt, who is an RN, were there
to help listen and understand the day I went to see the surgeon.
I opted for a lumpectomy and
my surgery was in August. They removed the tumor, surrounding tissue as well as
14 lymph nodes under my arm. In
September I began 6 months of chemotherapy.
I lost my hair, my eyebrows and even my eyelashes. The up side was that I didn’t have to shave
my legs or underarms, that part I could get used to.
During my treatment I
continued to work as a business consultant, traveling about a 3 hour radius around Punta Gorda, Florida as well as taking a 10 day business trip to California, which landed
me in the hospital for half of that time.
However, for me, continuing to work was my lifeline.
After finishing chemo I
continued with radiation. The treatment definitely took it’s toll but I
realized early on that my attitude and my mindset had everything to do with how
I would make it through this. If I
allowed myself to think about and focus on all the bad things happening I would
drown in a sea of self-pity, it would have been so easy. But, I’ve never been known
to do things the easy way, just ask my parents.
I decided I was going to focus on the healing happening
with God’s help and many prayers.
I finished my treatment in
May of 2011, my hair grew back and yes, I own a razor again. I am coming up on 2 years of healthy results
and I plan on continuing with many, many, many more years.
My journey with cancer taught me that I am a strong woman when I lean on
my faith and focus on moving forward.
This year I created Alive in You, my coaching venture to empower women through major life transitions as a result of my experiences the past 5 years. There are so many women dealing with cancer diagnosis every day and most of them feel very alone in their journey, I'm here to change that, I want to make sure they have something I didn't have, support from someone who has been there to listen to the good, bad and ugly.
I would like to share a quote from Winston
Churchill :
The courage to continue every day is essential when battling any type of cancer. There are many resources out there, don't be afraid to reach out.
