Laura's Journey. . .

It has been one thing to read all these cancer materials and another to experience it first hand.  I did not read all the materials on the side effects, or the statistics on survival rates because I did not want anything to affect how I was going to feel or think.  Plus it was a lot of materials and I was too stressed to read everything about something I wish I didn’t have

So as I would “feel” something, I would ask questions and research as I went along, I figured by not knowing everything beforehand, I would not set myself up for failure by thinking “negative” thoughts that were caused by some of the things I would of read about, especially some of those statistics, they made me sad, and sometimes scared.

I also didn’t read all the medical information because I was more interested in people’s stories instead of the clinical information, I always want to know the feelings, the person’s story, more than I wanted to know about the treatments and the clinical explanation about what is going to happen.  We all know chemotherapy and radiation is not a walk in the park, but what is that walk like?

To me, the story is more important, I want to know the feelings, know the real story, and that is what helps me adapt, persevere and overcome.  So although I hated having to deal with cancer and its treatments, the people I’ve been meeting and the stories I have been hearing have been just amazing!

Chemotherapy gave me a good kick in the butt and I did not like not being able to do what I wanted when I wanted, but I am use to flying by the seat of my pants and that is exactly what I did on this journey.  And that is A-OK, for we all have to do what we can when dancing with cancer.

We need to conquer this disease before it conquers us.  I know I will speak out, I will be a voice and I will do it with heart; sometimes I may get shaky, but I will continue to be a voice for cancer care and for cancer survivorship issues, and I will continue to look and listen for the story.