Life before cancer - SSMDesign

Life before cancer

January 11, 2021

Life before cancer

I've always been a glass half full, independent, go getter.  Grateful, mindful, positive and healthy, I generally try to be a good human.  I meditate.  I’ve never been hospitalized, broken a bone, or been seriously ill, well except for that one time when I was 2 years old and had pneumonia.  I eat healthy and mostly vegetarian, organic, non-gmo, nothing hydrogenated, no refined sugar, no MSG (unless naturally occurring) and I try to avoid hormones and preservatives and all the other garbage they put in "food" these days.  I’m active kayaking, biking, walking, hiking, elliptical, weight lifting etc…  I have no family history of breast cancer.  We’ve been editing our lifestyle for over 15 years to avoid this!  I mean our primary care physician always tells us we are his healthiest patients, so I was completely blindsided when I heard those dreaded three words “you have cancer".  How???  How did this happen???  TO ME!!!  I blamed myself searching for a reason, a possible cause, and while I now realize and have to accept that I may never know for sure, but when the receptor tests came back I did learn that my cancer is 97% estrogen dominant.  So that voracious sweet tooth I constantly battle must now be stifled even further among other things.  I have no one close to me with breast cancer, so I had no prior knowledge of what having cancer is like let alone treatment other than what I've seen on TV and in movies, and let me tell you they are SO NOT ACCURATE! 

I found a lump. Oh god, another lump!!!  The whirlwind begins - testing, education, and treatment...

 

Guess I'm that one. Taking one of the team.
Image Credit: NNHopes.org




1 Response

Angelic
Angelic

February 22, 2021

Hi Stephanie. I wasn’t sure I wanted to sign on for a doom and gloom ride with everything else going on in these crazy times…I mean we have never even met…but I wear a ring that you made for me every day, and in a weird way, that kind of connects us. As someone who is a complete stranger, reading your story, here is what I see…an otherwise healthy, vibrant and strong woman who has been training for the fight of her life without ever knowing it. You are in the best shape to fight this, and you can, and you will. Stay strong. Keep doing you. It will be a long battle, but you are ready and I am routing for you every step of the way. I send to you positive energy, love and prayers.

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