Wednesday, December 23, 2009

This Wonderful Journey Called Life After Cancer

As weird as it sounds to say & hear myself think this, I do enjoy this wonderful journey called life after cancer. I have been through so many experiences in my life, but nothing, and I mean nothing compares to this life, these adventures, these moments that make life truly worth living. Life after cancer, the life of surviving the "statistics", of beating the odds and really living is amazing.

Now I do admit, that there are some sad times that come and go. Like the amazing people I have met in my life after cancer journey, who have lost their lives to this disease. Those people, are part of who I am today. My dad for example - Melanoma got him, when I was very young, and though I don't remember everything about him, I do have the pictures & the stories from my mom about him and his wonderful life. I know that even though I lost him at such a young age, that it gave the realization that I can be strong, I can fight this disease and I can make a difference, no matter how small or big. My friend J who was not only a husband, a father, a friend, a survivor, & an adventuresome man who loves to fly and enjoy his life to the fullest, lost his battle over a year ago, but I still have the wonderful memories of him - how he made me laugh for hours while I got my chemotherapy, how much he talked about his family & people he had met since being diagnosed, how he was inspiring, and loved living his life.

Even the people that I never knew, but that touched my heart in other ways, the celebrities that I know have touched all of our hearts - like Farrah Fawcett, our "Charlie's Angel", Bea Arthur, our "Golden Girl" comedian & actress, & even Patrick Swayze, our "Dirty Dancing" favorite. All of these people left a lasting impression on our hearts & in our minds - even though they are no longer here, they will always be with us in our memories!

Whether you are newly diagnosed, currently relapsed, or finished with treatments & trying to move on, you need to remember that you are not alone, there are others like you, others who have been through what you have, and there's always someone to talk to about things, to talk about life after cancer and to share the experience with. :) Remember that this is your journey, it's up to you how you not only approach dealing with it, but how you find a way to work through it and continue to live & love your life after it. We all deal with this differently, and for me, I find the best way to deal with life after cancer is to live my life, spread my positive energy & thoughts to others with the disease & their families & friends, by inspiring others and spreading awareness.

The journey can go either way, it can be a wonderful one, or it can be a dull one - It's really up to you! Which Cancer Journey Will You Choose??

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

An Unexpected Meeting







The other day, as I was getting gas at my
local Chevron, I walked outside with change in hand and was stopped by a woman. The first words out of her mouth were: "I know you!" I looked at her with a smile and a look of uncertainty, I didn't recognize her, and couldn't for the life of me figure out who she was. She smiled at me and said "I saw you in the newspaper." I knew just what she was talking about - the local newspaper had written an article about me and my 1st fun-raiser for my organization back in September. I was still confused about who this woman was, but appreciative that she recognized me from that article. We started talking and she told me "I just saw your cancer ribbons on the back of your car and noticed the 'Cancer Sucks' one, I knew it was you!" As we chatted, she soon said to me "I'm Shelly." My eyes immediately lit up and I smiled even bigger. "Shelly L?" I asked her, and the big smile on her face was just enough to confirm that. So, there Shelly & I were, talking in front of the gas pumps about life, and how we were doing, what we were up to and how we were recovering.


Now, so you understand this story, I should give you some background about Shelly. I received an email from her which included her phone # several months back, and she had a similar story to mine, and she really wanted to talk to a fellow survivor that understood. So, I called her that night. We ended up talking for over an hour, about our experiences, and I provided her with my advice on things, my thoughts and encouragement. She is a busy woman, married, 3 teenage kids and cancer to top it all off! I told her about the local Wellness Community and the support group that I attended monthly - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Support group that was designed for survivors and their spouses. I encouraged her to attend, when she was ready, that it was a great group and it's amazing to talk to people with similar cancers, treatments and experiences. What transpired from that conversation was, that I didn't hear from her again, or get the chance to meet her - until recently. :)
It was amazing to finally put a face to the voice. I gave her the biggest hug, and told her what I was up to.

The Fun-Raiser in September was a huge success and we had raised more than enough money to pay for a portion of starting up my Non-Profit Organization United Cancer Advocacy Action Network. I told her what I was working on and the future of UCAAN. And then she said something that I was overjoyed to hear: "I can't even begin to tell you how much you helped me Rachel. You helped me so much!" My heart melted, and I was filled with excitement - it was almost like a pure rush of adrenaline. It was nice to hear that when I spoke to her, that I provided her with hope, strength & drive to overcome what she was going through. Shelly continued to tell me how she was progressing, we talked about the medications that we both took - one of which she suffered a brain tumor while taking it and was immediately put on another drug.


She still has more treatments ahead of her, including chemotherapy & possibly radiation, but she knows I will always be here for her - through her journey - to lend an ear, and talk it out.
Before I left, I grabbed the UCAAN button off of my shirt and handed it to her. "This is for you. You truly are Surviving & Thriving!" It was awesome to finally meet Shelly after all these months, and to see that she is looking absolutely fabulous and despite the bad treatments & adverse reactions, she is doing an amazing job!
Above is a picture of Shelly & I. Truly Surviving & Thriving @ it's Best!