Skip to main content

My cancer manifesto

My friends! I love that you're here. Thank you for caring. 

A few things you should know 

I've got this.

I'm going into this at the best point in my life to fight this thing! Supportive friends, family, and coworkers. Benefits and savings. Access to amazing doctors. Knowing how to ask for help. Knowing how to activate a support network. Knowing how to pivot to move forward. Being healthy. Having an amazing cuddle dog. Faith. What more do you need? 

I do NOT go to doom and gloom. I know of way to many success stories. I refuse to dismiss them in service of worry. 

Instead I imagine how cool it would be to do a triathlon coming out of treatment just over a year from now (stretch goal but fun to consider!). And maybe I'm even more toned, thinner, and my new hair isn't giving me the sass that it was before this shit went down! Who knows.

I'm a friend, a lover, a writer, a triathlete, a dog mom. I'm a person. 

I just happen to have a cancer diagnosis. It's not my identity.

Everyone's cancer story is different. 

Which means I'm less interested in hearing others' stories. 

This is similar to divorce (which has actually prepared me a ton to go through trauma). This means I'm less interested in hearing stories of people you know. 

I appreciate knowing I can connect with others and that you're looking out. You can add those ideas to my support sheet, and I'll turn to them when I need. 

"Why not me?!"

That's what my aunt said when she started her breast cancer journey and began learning how many women go through this. That's how I think too. What would make me so special that it wouldn't affect me too? 

I'll use my site to keep you updated on my journey kicking breast cancer's ass. If you're wondering how I'm doing, please check the site before reaching out. I might link to here sometimes when I feel like writing more. 

Now let's get on with this. :) 






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sara's playbook for dealing with cancer

My care team has commended my playbook for managing symptoms and dealing with cancer treatment.  I can't compare my cancer experience to others', because everyone's cancer is different. But, I can say that I'm coming out of this feeling like a better version of myself, and I didn't experience the intensity of symptoms that most people experience.  I'm a firm believer in doing what I can to manage what's thrown at me and take control where I can.  Here's my playbook for dealing with cancer in case it's helpful.  Note: If you think it might help to share with someone who has a recent diagnosis, I recommend first asking them if they're open to a perspective on managing life during treatment, sharing only if they say yes.  I treated food as fuel. I learned which ingredients reduce inflammation and which ingredients help the body recover, and I chose foods with them instead of comfort foods as often as possible. These ingredients can be found across c...
1 comment
Read more

How I'm feeling: Warmth from returning to work

I went back to work this week, and the best word I can describe it is dreamy. You read that right.  I had the best welcome back from teammates and others. The best. I truly felt joy seeing them, and I received so much warmth and even love back, it really makes me count my blessings. The only triggers I had were problematic, institutional terms in our work that we haven't solved yet!  I also reviewed final content from a big project I had been working on before I left, getting to see how the team finished the foundation we started and how they applied the content guidelines I drove. I couldn't tell the difference between what I wrote and what they wrote, which is amazing! This is what you want to happen! It was also dreamy because my directive from my new manager and partner lead recognized my leadership and strategy skillset, versus a more tactical starting point of, "Can you write this line of copy?" Like I said, dreamy .  There was a weird part I got through. I re...
1 comment
Read more

How I'm doing: Positive reflections as I head back to work

My Florida trip brought paddle boarding, crystal clear waters, tequila, sunshine, and laughs with friends. My final few days before work are a wonderful balance of downtime, long walks with Monty, rest, and fitness. I was also asked to be one of the speakers at the hospital cancer center's Survivors' Day of Celebration this year. Yes, there's so much to celebrate!  And, it's fitting to share my reply to an e-poll question that I answered in a group of former colleagues. The question was, " If you could relive one year of your life, which would it be? "  Here's what I wrote:  " My first thought was age 26. I just remember it as coming into my own and having so much fun. Then I saw [so-and-so's]  mention of studying abroad, and my 2001 experience changed my life in so many ways. But my final answer, if I were to pick one year, would be this past year, actually!  "A year ago at this time I finally, finally just felt so comfortable in my own skin...
Post a Comment
Read more