Female in Motion

  (This is a rerun from March 12, 2012, when I had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.) I got my hair cut last week. Funny thing about cancer. Your life doesn't stop. You get up, go to work, clean your house and grocery shop. When you're sitting in the doctor's office and in the quiet puddles of midnight, that's the time when cancer is real and dangerous. While shampooing my hair, my stylist recounted the tale of her son's bicycle accident, which sent him to the emergency room (and sent his mother through the roof!). At the end of the story, she jokingly added, "Beat that!" And that's when I told her I had breast cancer. Boy, that's a conversation killer. Erica's eyes filled with tears. "No, no, not you!" she cried, as I hugged her tight. This is the ritual I go through every time I have to tell someone in my life that I have breast cancer. The hardest people to...

It's October and that means it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since I have a bit of personal experience on this topic, I will share insights and maybe some secrets, too. Here are ten ways this disease made my life better. Friends: I had no idea how many people truly cared about me, until I was diagnosed with cancer. Every week, a stack of encouraging cards arrived in the mail, and sweet phone calls and emails by the dozens. I am so blessed! Hair: I've always fussed over my hair. It seems to have a mind of its own. After the initial shock of losing it, I considered the six months of baldness as a hair vacation. What a relief not to have to worry about how my hair would come out! Strength: When the rubber meets the road, you never really know how you'll react to a hard situation. I am not naturally a strong person, but I am a good soldier, so I looked to God for guidance and stayed close to Him. This has stuck with me as I move forward in my life. How hard is...

I had a "lite" version of breast cancer. It seems like there are a million products on the market now that are "light," "lite," or "reduced" in some fashion. Weird, but I think about my cancer in that way. I had a very mild case of breast cancer, or Cancer Lite. I almost feel like I shouldn't claim to be a cancer survivor. So many others have really, truly struggled with side effects of treatment, horrible pain from surgeries and catastrophic changes to their daily lives. While I did have three surgeries, six doses of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments, my body tolerated all of it fairly well, and I seem to be bouncing back rapidly. Call it "survivor's guilt," but I went through a couple of months after treatment where I felt a bit ashamed. I gained weight, had tons of personal support and a great experience with my cancer team. During this time, a young man I knew died from liver cancer. He was a vibrant, strong C...