This body got me through cancer, and I am proud of it. By being vocal and sharing my story and images I hope that surgery without reconstruction becomes less of an outlier, and more of a viable choice for young women.
To tell or not to tell, is the million dollar question as it relates to when you believe it’s the perfect time to share your breast cancer diagnosis with family or friends. Even more importantly, when do you share with your children?
Day in and day out, putting on this facade with my family and friends was wearing me thin.
Caregivers are real life superheroes who just don’t wear capes. They trade their capes for silent tears, sleepless nights and mental fatigue.
It didn’t matter I was lonely, scared, broken and confused. I had to do the work if I wanted to get better, so I did just that! Cancer, one-sided relationships, burdens and unhealthy habits have been removed from my life. I have stepped into new business ventures and put that well used ambition and tenacity into motion.
There’s just something about walking into an office covered in a color that’s almost synonymous with the disease you’re trying to discover you have. A disease that will change the course of your life as you know it.
I’m hoping to learn from all of this — each and every day moving forward, letting the universe do its thing, as I understand my purpose. I’d love to be able to speak to other women and help in any way I can.
I wasn’t quite sure of what that really meant because somehow I always thought love was supposed to come from somewhere or somebody else. But during my treatments, I came to realize I could love myself more. I could love the me that was hairless, weak and scared just as much as I could love the me who is fierce, strong and driven.
Many times I expected people to know what kind of support I needed. But I realize now, I didn’t know what kind of support I needed. As soon as I was diagnosed, people would offer to help, but I never knew exactly what to tell them. I lost myself. I never truly knew the extent of help I would need.
Trust your child can handle it. They are more resilient than you think. Also, when you see them shutting down, get them help to deal with their feelings. Lastly, you are doing your best with your kids. Adding cancer into the mix is just another opportunity to get it right.
Your voice, your story, and your support can make a difference. Join For the Breast of Us in our mission to empower, support, and advocate for women of color across the globe. Together, we can create a future where every woman has the resources and support she needs to overcome breast cancer.
On the Web:
www.breastofus.com
www.breastofusfoundation.org
Email:
hello@breastofus.com
Welcome to our community—where hope thrives, strength is found, and sisters in the fight become family.
