The Journey Begins
This is the story of my breast cancer journey, and how gluing magazine pictures onto mat board led me back to my spirit.
In December of 2001, breast cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. I was busy. I had a loving husband, a nice home, three beautiful stepchildren, a good job. Then my perfect little world was suddenly turned inside out and upside down.
A routine, suspicious mammogram. A phone call. Mammogram #2. A stereotactic core biopsy.
My diagnosis: breast cancer, stage 2, infiltrating, ductal, HER2.
All of the above happened within the fearful, anxious, unbelievable time span of 7 days. And my life has never been the same.
The next nine months held a most strange quality of disbelief and exhaustion. It also held two surgeries, four chemotherapy treatments spaced three weeks apart, and 47 radiation treatments (spaced daily, over the course of 9 weeks).
Fears of the Cancer Returning
It's been three years since my life was turned upside down and inside out.... Three years. My prognosis is very good. I hear this every three months depending on which doctor my appointment is with: breast surgeon, medical oncologist, or radiation oncologist.
Three years have passed. I look good. I feel good. And yet nothing has been able to quiet the storms of fear that threaten to overwhelm me from time to time. The insidious fear that the breast cancer might return. The intimidating fear of another potentially deadly diagnosis.
I have meditated and prayed about this. I have talked about it with my wonderful therapist and with other breast cancer survivors. I have tried guided imagery, journaling, and art journaling. These have all tempered the fear to some extent, but only for a very short while.
Oncologist, Chemotherapist, Anesthesiologist, Family Doctor, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer
http://www.natamcancer.com
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