Having breast cancer is really a learning experience. You’re not limited to learning lots of medical information. You learn about life in general and about your relationships. You learn a lot about yourself and how you react to a stressful situation.
Before I had cancer I never…
Now that I’ve had cancer I have a new appreciation of my mortality. I still wonder if I will be here to watch my second son get married. I wonder if I will get to see any grandchildren from either of my boys. I even wonder sometimes if I will die before my parents, who are both in their 80s. But these are fleeting thoughts and I don’t dwell on them. The issue is that those thoughts are always there in my subconscious. Prior to cancer, it would never have occurred to me that I might never reach my retirement age. My ignorance was bliss, but now that I have opened Pandora’s Box the thoughts have been released and cannot be completely put away. On the plus side (and it’s always good to look for one) I’m more aware of what I can do. I’m more in tune with my feelings and have a better appreciation of when enough is enough. Life is too short to allow people to treat you with disrespect. You deserve more. Demand more. Recognize your worth. Be empowered and do all those things that you never thought you could do. Take this opportunity to learn not only about cancer, but about you as a person and what you can achieve. Just as each of us is unique, so is what we learn from our cancer experience. The important thing to remember is that cancer can be an opportunity to learn and grow, even when you just want it to go away so that your life can go back to being normal.
7 Comments
teresa dale
11/4/2017 01:01:07 pm
very good piece of writing...just about sums it all up
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12/16/2017 08:57:19 pm
It is true that you will only realize your true worth once you have an illness. I am so happy that you realize every important detail in life and I will continuously pray for your whole recovery. I was being operated two years ago, my ovaries got removed and I was so down during that time. After being removed, I was so worry because I might be a victim of cancer to due to it is malignant. I thank God that I am healthy right now and I do things that makes me happy and love my family even more.
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Sharlene
11/4/2017 01:21:19 pm
Such a perfect read - newly diagnosed with triple positive bc - exactly how I feel! I
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Ramona
11/4/2017 01:57:55 pm
Thank you
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Rosanne Burdett
11/4/2017 02:51:50 pm
I can relate to everthinh you've said. People always say that they don't know how as a cancer patient they'd deal but you learn a lot about yourself and how strong you are. You learn that time is a gift not to be wasted, to say what you want to say, spend time with your loved ones and do what you'd like to do. You learn that people you thought would be there for you on your journey aren't, for various reasons, and that's okay. You'll be surprised though at who is there for you who you would never have anticipated. As a very independent, type A personality, used to juggling many family, friends, and career commitments, my biggest challenge is accepting help and harder yet, asking for help. A very humbling experience indeed. Way out of my comfort zone as usually I'm the doer. I've found I process things differently too. Little things that used to be a big deal no longer are that important. As Debbie speaks to in her blogs, laughter is a commonality many cancer patients share. We're very good at laughing at ourselves and the crazy things we say and do.
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Debbie Kerr
12/13/2017 10:23:04 pm
Thank you everyone for your kind words. My goal is always to represent not just myself but hopefully other women who have/are going through the same thing.
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Marilyn Abbott
9/21/2019 09:30:06 am
So true!! Appreciate your thoughts!
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Debbie KerrOver 30-years of writing experience, over 10 years as a cancer survivor, and a lifetime purveyor of wit and laughter. Sign up for notifications of new posts.
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