To My Fellow Warrior Who Was Just Diagnosed,
3 words can change everything can’t they?
I’ll never forget the soul-crushing anguish that washed over me as soon as I heard the words, “You have cancer.”
I’ll never forget the weight I felt carrying the news of my dreaded diagnosis and having to tell those I love and care about, especially my three young children, just how sick I was.
But I’ll also never forget the bear hug I received from a complete stranger after I broke down in tears at my children’s school explaining I had just been diagnosed with cancer.
I’ll never forget the outpouring of love and support my family and I received after the news that I had cancer spread.
Know that it’s okay to be terrified. It’s okay that your tears won’t stop and the worry won’t leave. And even though you don’t feel like it now, you are strong and incredibly brave. You are not alone in this fight. You CAN get through this. And you WILL. Many times you may wonder how you will go on. But I’ve learned the HOW isn’t important. It’s ultimately your WILL that matters.
Your willpower is more than staying positive. It’s digging down deep into your primal will to survive. It’s focusing on the WHY you are fighting when you start to feel like WHY should I keep going? It’s focusing on WHO you are fighting for when you feel like you are losing yourself amidst all the pain and uncertainty of this battle.
Cancer has been by far the worst thing that has happened to both me and my family, but in many ways it has also been a blessing. Overcoming cancer has caused me to view every day as an opportunity rather than just an another obstacle I have to get through. It has brought me closer to family and friends and helped me to realize the depth of my own strength. And it has taught me to see and appreciate my own beauty even when I hardly recognize the face staring back at me in the mirror.
Although the testing, treatments, procedures and waiting for answers seems like it will never end. I promise you it will. Believe it or not, this crazy, wild ride will one day become a blur in your rearview mirror. And even though it seems like cancer has taken everything from you—YOU, my warrior, are still here.
Your story isn’t over yet.
Fight on!
The Hopeful Warrior