I Have What Now?
In November of 2012, my life would forever change. In May of 2014, it would forever change again. I am one of the lucky ladies who had breast cancer twice before the age of 40. First one, estrogen positive, lumpectomy, chemo, radiation. Second one, estrogen negative, her2 positive, double mastectomy with reconstruction, chemo again. I am now 5 years cancer free and trying to help other women get through their breast cancer with a sense of humor and a huge dollop of hope. Yes having cancer altered my life for the worst by putting me into early menopause, making me say goodbye to really spectacular blouse clowns, giving me bad osteoporosis, scaring my eyebrows right off my face never to return and making my once Sarah Jessica Parker-like hair thin and gross. But having cancer also altered my life for the better. Oddly, I am not as much of a hypochondriac as I used to be (I know that makes zero sense), I take no bullshit from anyone, if I want to do something, I do it, and most importantly, I have met an amazing group of women who have endured what I have and who will be in my life forever. Everyone in this world goes through some sort of heartache, illness or loss, but we all get through it because that’s life and we have to move on and live it to the fullest. The other day a coworker said, “Stacey, I haven’t heard anything about cancer lately” and I said “that’s because there’s nothing to tell.” I read a great quote once that I think about daily, “not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path”- Cancer has cleared my path.