wuwbestseller.com/contest » Blog Archive » Being in harmony with the Universe

Being in harmony with the Universe - Cancer Life Interrupted

Contest submission by jrconover1

My life ran smoothly for a very long time and I was at peace and one with the world. I was very fortunate and wound up in a happy marriage doing work I love. I was an interior designer and decorated the White House among other fabulous homes. Then I joined my husband in the marine and apartment business. All was going along swimmingly until one day my only sister called in tears and told me she had been diagnosed with stage 4 of a very aggressive form of cancer. I was totally devastated as we’d lost our parents quite early in life and she was my only sibling. My rose colored glasses had suddenly gone dark all along with my optimism. It was only about four months later when I was diagnosed with the same aggressive form of breast cancer. At first I cried, and then I cried some more. It wasn’t fair to my poor husband and he was miserable enough without my bubbling terror and why me syndrome but I couldn’t seem to help it. But with his help and that of loyal friends, and my faith in God I began pulling myself out of my self made abyss and stop wallowing in self pity. I was operated on and then went through a long treatment of chemo and radiation therapy. Knowing I was going to lose it I gave my long hair away to Locks of Love and they left me with a pixie cut. The day my pixie began falling out I called my darling friend and neighbor and she came over with her dog clippers, first clipping me and then shaving my bald pate as I couldn’t stand watching it fall out strand by strand. I had vowed my husband was never going to see me bald but he walked in before I got my wig on and almost had a stroke. You’ll have to trust me that it was not a pretty sight but it was funny. It was the beginning of my turnaround and setting my topsy-turvy world right again. It certainly didn’t happen overnight, but it was a start. Throughout my treatment I tried to do only things that made me happy and focusing on the positive. Watching funny movies was a lifesaver, as was yoga and Reiki. I credit laughter with being my best medicine. Unfortunately my sister could never bring herself to fight back and she passed away. I have survived and flourished and now try and give something back by counseling the newly diagnosed and writing about it. Once again all is right with my world and I cannot be more grateful to God and my friends. I wake up delighted with each new day and I have a whole new crop of hair even if it is a different color. Dance your way through life, I’m going to. I’m somewhere between Catherine Zeta-Jones and death so I have a long way to go!