Thanks for the Mammories....

This is a poem I wrote in Bonnie Maurer's "Healing Power of Writing" breakout session during the Cancer Support Community's Survivors Symposium that I attended a couple weeks ago.   We were given about ten minutes to write a poem using "I am" to begin each sentence.  Ready to Fly I am suddenly a changed woman. I am breast cancer woman. I am a HER2+ and ER+ woman. I am a surprised woman. I am a scared woman. I am a tough decision making woman. I am suddenly a changed woman. I am a humorous woman. I am a strong woman. I am a tough woman. I am a don't need help woman. I am superwoman. I am suddenly a changed woman. I am a scarred woman. I am a woman without breasts. I am a woman with little hair. I am a woman who doesn't feel beautiful. I am a woman whose body has changed. I am suddenly a changed woman. I am an accepting woman. I am a woman who had cancer. I am a woman who grew new wings. I am a thriving woman. I am read...

     Cancer Survivor ...not something I ever dreamed I would be calling myself, especially at 42 years old.  But here I am...a survivor joining a group of over 13 million Americans other survivors .  Now while that is a large group of people, it is actually only about 4% of the population.  So now that I am a survivor , what do I do?  Because the journey certainly doesn't just end here.  Somehow the survivor now needs to become the sur-thriver .      The first thing I decided to do was attend the 9th Annual Cancer Support Community's Survivors Symposium in Indianapolis .   On June 15, I had the privilege to share my day with about 100 other cancer survivors .  It was on this day that I realized how important other survivors are to my journey.  It is such a powerful moment when others confirm your feelings, isn't it?  The reality that you are not the onl...

   Two weeks ago, I was so happy to be finished with my chemo treatments!  Wow, what a relief!   I went to get that chemo infusion every week while keeping my family's schedule together and going to work...somehow I pulled through it. You can walk away with a real sense of pride, because you did it!      I knew the 12 weeks of chemo would be the worst of what I would go through. So I thought that even though I wasn't finished with everything else, I could still get my life back to normal . And of course, I felt like everyone else was waiting for me to get my life back to normal .  But I am quickly learning that what we are really talking about is a new normal .  How do we establish this new normal in our lives after the cancer is gone?  I know that this is a question that many of us are struggling with right now.    I just want to...