the Strength in Sharing

Recently I have made more friends via facebook, friends whose lives have been touched by melanoma. Some people are old hands at dealing with this foe, like me, and others are brand new to the terror of cancer. I think it is very important for people to discuss their feelings about cancer. I am not a therapist, but I can tell you how cancer affected my family.

At the end of my treatment (which I mark after the surgery that removed a large area of dead tumor under my left armpit including large margins, leaving me with limited mobility in my left arm) I cried and cried and cried. I actually cried for the entire summer of 2011. I felt as though I had just escaped hell. I was so thin and weak. People in my community avoided me or did not recognize me as I looked like the quintessential cancer patient that I was.

Then the unimaginable happened...my daughter's life was at risk. She developed major depression as she somehow thought she caused my cancer.Without giving too much away of her personal story, we almost lost her. Allison is the light of our lives. We love her so very much.  She is now involved in a suicide prevention group at school.

The point in sharing this is that cancer is not only a physical ailment. It messes with your mind and those around you. It is important to talk to your kids, in an age appropriate manner, about the disease. My heart was broken when I had to leave Allison to get well.

I share this to let everyone know that we are on the other side of this hell!  My family is stronger than ever and we beat cancer together!  I always thought of my daughter and husband and fought like hell to survive the treatments.I prayed that if God meant to take me, then he needed to comfort my family.

To all those melanoma warriors, FIGHT LIKE HELL!  to all the families supporting patients, WE LOVE YOU! Keep fighting the fight! 



Happy New Year!!
"I will go in this way
And I'll find my own way out"  Dave Matthews Band  (I found my way out!!)