optimism

[cosc]

Prayers for a quick recovery. Your love, strength is reflected in all your adventures and pics you have posted !!

[rebeccaC]

Alex and I are signing up for the Tour de Pink in Oct. It starts here and goes north for three days on roads I know well. Gives me a positive focus on the future that feels good to have even if I end up not doing all of it.

This journey has given me a couple of new friends that are going through the same things and that is making me feel blessed and helps me in finding meaning in my own experience. We are also helping each other find strategies to deal with the stress, sadness, fear…actually the wide range of emotions, which are normal responses to this…and which also helps in giving positive results to our psychological well-being. Having the always-present supportive nature of Alex is also a wonderful blessing.

Wishing I could share ride reports now with you wonderful women but that’s still a ways off as my surgery is coming up. I do want you to know again, with my heartfelt gratitude, how appreciated your past words in this thread are to me.
And last but certainly not least…thank you Lynn….

Scars are tattoos with better stories

[Pax]

So good to hear from and I'm so happy you have people around you to share your journey.

[rebeccaC]

a belated thanks Pax!!

To add an ending to this thread…..i’m finally just about done with my initial surgeries and treatments!! I still have probably a number of years of targeted therapy though. Life changing is how I would describe this experience, although what this has put me through has strengthened me in many ways. Early on, this journey helped to give me a perspective that I didn’t always have and I do not plan to waste it. I now try to always look at every moment as a blessing and although in the back of my mind the C-word will always be looming, I truly believe that I am here on this earth for a reason that is much bigger than me and I plan to keep moving forward down that road in hopes that I truly can make a positive difference in this world. This journey has reinforced the benefits of looking for positive strategies when dealing with doubt and fear, accepting and embracing a life changing event and coming to a peaceful acceptance of whatever comes.

“She laughs without fear of the future” ..Proverbs

I’m very grateful to have the science background that helps in understanding the struggle going on inside my body and in all the learning I have to do to help my body fight as hard as I’m capable of. The caring nature of a medical team that always encouraged and welcomed me into any discussion and gave me some new friends too was also a blessing…. I’m keeping part of that team for a while because they are also part of the new team that will concentrate on further testing and getting my strength and endurance back. One of my motivations/goals on this journey has been wanting to ride Washington’s North Cascade highway in a day again….that may be just a dream but it feels like a good one to have. I WILL however proudly ride as far I can in the Tour de Pink in Oct. as a way of giving my appreciation and support to the survivor community!!

To anyone facing this…. I’d say seek out productive, life-enhancing experiences, accept yourself for who you are and spend time with positive people who affirm who you are, how you've chosen to deal with the cancer and who through inspiration and positive challenges make you a better person. Sometimes you just have to take it day-by-day, sometimes moment-by-moment….stay as strong and positive as possible in the fight. You can find people on the path through this, especially in the support community, that you never would have met otherwise and who will be true treasures in your life. You can also get to know yourself and your emotions a lot better. Surprise yourself with the strength of spirit you can reach. Use the way you are creative to give a place to go to when side effects, doubt, fear or depression seem like difficult obstacles. Any activity that you enjoy and requires focus and concentration helps. The medative movements of Qigong have helped me a lot, especially in reaching a peaceful healing state. My Aikido sensei has been a source of strong support even though I had to give that training up at the beginning of this.

“Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing. Bravely face whatever the gods offer.”
~ Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido

If someone comes across this thread in a search for breast cancer please read {this wonderful long thread} on this site. It starts with a mammogram appointment and is the journey of a compassionate, smart and thoughtful woman...and thanks to the other survivors whose thoughts inspired me and are part of this post.

For all women, when you feel a lump in your breast or underarm do not let the things that scare you about it keep you from insisting upon getting it looked at right away so that you can be 100 percent certain that it really is ‘no big deal'....early detection is life saving!!!!!

I feel sooooooo blessed to have Alex in my life. She was especially emotionally vulnerable because she had recently lost a close friend to breast cancer and was still dealing with those feelings just before I was diagnosed. Working together we have reached a deeper appreciation for all the good in our lives and each other. That is truly the best blessing to come out of this. Soon we are going to be with just each other, with no outside distractions, on the northern ca coast before I go back to full time work….looking forward to it.

I’ll end with these thoughts. No matter what it is that you are faced with in your lifetime or how hard it is for you and the ones who love you, it is still in your power to see the light in even the darkest of times and to accept the gifts that come from even the hardest and scariest of situations. We all have the ability to be who we want to be in this world. I am thankful that cancer gave me the wisdom to see and embrace the power in those thoughts.

“have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills you with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern for others”… Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


be the light….

[emily_in_nc]

Thank you for a beautiful post, Rebecca! It couldn't have come at a better time for me, as my step-father, who has been in failing health for awhile, just had an spinal MRI that revealed a growth of some sort on one side of his spine (in addition to the vertebrae fracture we knew about). He will have a biopsy very soon, and we are all very scared and nervous. Your attitude is inspiration to me!

Wishing you good health going forward...

[rebeccaC]

You’re there and that’s important. It can be something that’s certainly hard to go through. In my support group I’ve seen the being overwhelmed by the depth and intensity of the feelings that family members can go through. Alex, my mother and I have had some long discussions about it that helped all of us. Even though he may not be there yet, perhaps talking to someone in hospice care can help with the feelings you’re dealing with. Hoping you and others involved can find some measure of peace in all of it Emily....you've been in my thoughts since you first wrote about going there to help ……and thanks for the good health wish.