I’ll be a warrior for you

I finished a phone call with Aunt Linda and suddenly realized, more than ever, that there are sometimes unseen reasons for what we experience in life.  How our set of circumstances can deeply impact someone else.  Even if I can’t see it, who can benefit from my less than coveted situation??  I’ll be a warrior for you!  I’ll endure because I have to and be thankful that I can share in order to make a difference in someone’s life.   

I didn’t realize that Aunt Linda may find support from my cancer journey.  Nor that she might even need it!  She was the first to show up at my doorstep after my surgery.  And with a bounty of fresh, healthy and "green" goodies; Strawberry and spinach salad with organic fruit dressing and freshly prepared granola, veggie burgers and Ezekiel Bread.  She not only listened to my ramblings of nutritional and integrative health choices but she made sure it was a reality for me during those first few days home. 
 
Through my many stories of how I found the cancer, how I choose my surgeon even before I had a positive diagnosis, how I was supported by such a network of friends in order to expedite surgery, how I juiced a green forest each day in order to take control over what I could control, how I made my choices, how I didn’t waste a second……
 
Who knew that she might be pulling from the "strength" that she noted in me.  Sometimes, do we even realize when we show strength!
 
During my process, she may very well be beginning her own.  She had ignored symptoms that had been building in her breast.  And inspired by my decisions, she prompted increased insurance coverage, a diagnostic breast exam, and now a biopsy upcoming on Thursday.  And her attitude is now kick ass!  Kick it with nutrition.  Kick it with what ever she can arm herself with.
 
My deepest wish and prayer is that she has discovered all these things on an enhanced path, and that she will simply put them to use in her day to day existence w-i-t-h-o-u-t cancer. 
 
May your biopsy be negative!!  May your fears be quieted!!   May your thoughts be calmed!!
 
 
 
Second Impact
 
 
After surgery, I discovered that I had a blood clot.  The green forest that I was juicing each day (mentioned above) had a little something to do with that, but that is an entire entry of its own. Denise was the tech who was searching my veins to check out my suspicions. While on her table, we became acquainted. We spoke about grade school which had just begun for our children; we discovered that we have children the same ages.   We spoke about my recent diagnosis and surgery and then we spoke about the details. It was all so very fresh for me because I had just been through surgery 2 days prior and been diagnosed 7 days prior to that. She seemed to be hanging on the words and asking lots of questions. After she confirmed that I had a blood clot, she walked me out and she took my hand. She told me that she had almost the exact same set of circumstances.  Just like me, last year she noticed a lump in one breast that turned out to be a cyst.  Just like me, this year, she noticed one in the opposite breast and she had been putting off having it checked…certain that it was also cystic. She said, “I believe that God sends people into our lives for a reason, and tomorrow; I’m going to have a mammogram.”  
 
I should go visit Denise!