Cancer Survivors Rock!
Courageous? Resilient? Resourceful? Not ‘fraidy cats? Yes!
I am a breast cancer survivor. I had a lumpectomy, port insertion, chemo, radiation- the whole nine yards of treatment.
Here’s some of the great friends I have, know and love.
Joyce, breast cancer survivor, endured infusions for one year. Walks and takes the bus everywhere. Knits like a dream. No car.
Hanna, on her second recurrence of ovarian cancer, and on her third medication to shrink the tumors. Walks four miles for exercise, no car, either. Has some terrible side effects from the medication, including fatigue and mouth sores.
Denise, uterine cancer survivor and has had neck and hip surgery, is an amazing person who has a million friends and will take the PACE bus to visit me so we can go out and hear jazz. No cars, either of us. No worries.
Cindy, breast cancer survivor, lives out west where it can get to 110 degrees. Swims, sews costumes for her grandkids, meets people for socially distant picnics. A trooper. Has a car but where she lives can’t walk anywhere!
Marion, breast cancer survivor, lives in a senior community. Reads to the 90
year old friend who is visually impaired, practices Jin Shin Jyutsu, a Japanese form of healing, with friends and family.
Kathy, metastatic kidney cancer, on her third year of experimental treatment at MD Anderson in Houston. Her Christmas decorations and gifts for the family are House Beautiful photo-shoot worthy. Also, she is a camp counselor for her church.
Gwen, breast cancer twice, double mastectomy, breast reconstruction, walks five miles without blinking, generous, fun and a friend to many in the building where we live. Proud grandmother.
What is the common denominator?
We are not afraid!
We have not stopped living because of cancer, COVID, weather, social protests and riots and the state of the world.