For Breast Cancer Awareness
Month….If I had the luxury of hindsight here is a letter I would write to
myself about my breast cancer journey:
Dear Haralee,
Today is a Monday in 2002 and
it is not going to be a normal day or a normal week. In fact your life will not
be the same again. Your yearly mammogram looks like textbook perfect breast
cancer. Your Doctor is going to send you to a surgeon.
You are going to feel numb, mad,
impatient and go into denial. That’s OK. Realize you are lucky because there is
no gray area. No need for a biopsy, no need for a second opinion, no waiting
for additional results, it is very clear breast cancer.
By Thursday of the same week
you will find yourself in the hospital having a lumpectomy. The outcome is not
great. The tumor is big and the cancer is invasive to the lymph nodes. This
isn’t what you wanted to hear and you will cry a lot. That’s OK.
Your doctor recommends an
oncologist that she thinks you will really like. He is smart, has a sense of
humor and nerdy. This is great advice.
You will really like and trust him. Taking advice from Doctors is something
that will help you in your recovery. You have been in pharmaceutical sales for
decades and you can speak medical jargon. You are familiar with medical
protocols. You are lucky to have this background and this knowledge and it will
help you in dispelling stupid comments and myths from people who think they
mean well.
I know you want to maintain
semblance of your normal life but taking a leave of absence from work would be
helpful. Part time work while it seems doable will wear you out. The
chemotherapy will knock you down. You will be thrown into menopause at age 48 with
drenching night sweats and horrible hot flashes. Your coping skills will be
tested.
Yes it sounds horrible but
there will be some major positive experiences. Your husband will be with you on
every appointment. Your sister will call you every day. Your friends will take
you to lunch when foods don’t taste like metal. You will feel loved. You will
be able to maintain your sense of humor when your drawn on eyebrows are heading
south down your face or when you notice your wig is sideways. You will help
friends with their breast cancer diagnosis. You will become a breast cancer
advocate. You will crave fish and yogurt.
You will become thoughtful
about your future. You will take your strength from facing down cancer to a new
career path. Your cancer experience will lead you to become an entrepreneur.
You will start your own company helping other women cope with night sweats. You
will give your company your values and you will donate a percentage of every
sale to breast cancer research. You will use other cancer survivors and their
daughters as models. You will build a career legacy. You will survive. You will
still crave fish and yogurt!
Sincerely Cool,
Haralee
CEO Haralee.Com Sleepwear
Monday in 2013.
2 comments:
I love letters like this, from someone who traveled a road to someone who is scared to be just starting out. It's so full of wisdom and perspective.
Thinking of you this month, Haralee!
Thanks Lori! Really no need to be scared.
Post a Comment