God’s Got This
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month as most of you know, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few words about my personal entry into the army of pink.
As a professional travel agent planning countless special anniversary trips, honeymoons and destination weddings, I had often thought about my 25th wedding anniversary this year on October 1st. I began the New Year by getting organized, social media calender filled out, other advertising and travel schedule laid out and then during my normal annual mammogram my world got rocked. I was diagosed with breast cancer and I immediately began to think about how this diagnosis would affect my husband and son and those around me. After many doctors appointments, second opinions and lots of prayer, my treatment plan was in place.
I chose to think of this as a journey, around each curve in the road another surgery or treatment, but just beyond the support and prayers of my family, friends and wonderful clients cheering me on. Never underestimate the power of a smile, a card, a text or prayer. I will never forget as I sat at Duke Hospital, waiting to see the doctor for a second opinion, receiving encouraging emails from my friend Neal, he will never know how much that meant. Countless others have done the same, and I thank them all. But then the dreaded chemo, you hear so many horror stories about what others have gone through, but Dr. David Eagle and the staff at Lake Norman Oncology have been such a blessing to my husband and I. Those that read this post know that normally I have a head full of beautiful blonde hair, but as usually happens when one has taxol as part of their treatment, you loose your hair, I did loose my beautiful blonde hair, but am happy to report it is coming back, by God’s grace alone I was able to go without my wig that I purchased and I found it opened the opportunity to share with folks, gave them an outlet to share what they personally or someone they know is going through. Today, I have my final radiation treatment, the staff at the Oncology Radiation Unit at Catawba Valley Medical Center have been amazing through this whole process.
I know those of you that read my post on Friday, expect a post on something fun to do with Hawaii or Travel, but I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a word of hope and encourgement to someone that will face the same diagnosis as I. Please choose to focus on the journey and not the diagnosis, the doctors all told me I would not be able to go to the gym to workout, that I would be too tired, but I chose to continue going my normal 3 days a week , and it has helped me mentally to stay strong, you just have to tweak what you would normally do, they told me I would be sick, they were correct but I chose to stay strong and keep going, I have learned from many that have gone through this before about new products that help, and have tried them all and amazingly they did work.
But the biggest blessing of all, is my friend sending me a simple button that says God’s Got This, I had to order more and have been blessed by giving them away to those needing a little bit of hope.
I hope that should you ever find yourself facing this situation that you are able to focus on the journey and not the diagnosis, to choose to share hope and inspiration to those that watch you go through the journey, it helps you go through the process easier.
Until next time,
Contact: Linda Dancer Direct Line 931-337-0770 Toll Free 1-888-811-1888 ext 331
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