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!
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!
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