I was contacted, by a lovely lady named Heather Von St. James, a Mesothelioma Cancer survivor. Her story truly touched my heart. As a mom, I cannot imagine being told that I would not get to see my children grow up. Below is a glimpse at her story of survival. You can read more of her story, at http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather/
November 21, 2005. Nobody ever expects to get a cancer diagnosis, much less a diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer just three months after the birth of their child. At the age of 36, I was told I had exactly that.
Now, I've always been told that I am an incredibly optimistic person. I have always seen the glass as half full but after hearing those fateful words I knew I had a choice to make. I could sink into a pit of darkness and despair or I could stand up against the diagnosis and fight with everything I have in me. So I put on my rose colored glasses and fought for not just my life but for a life of raising my precious little girl.
I have often considered cancer to be both a curse and a blessing in my life. The cancer is obviously a horrible thing but it brought with it a new perspective about life. Without cancer I would not know that I will never allow myself to become a victim. That when times get dark, I make light of the situation. And as I fought my battle I knew that I had the ability to help others who had similar diagnoses. That I could give hope back to those people that forgot what hope is when they heard the dreadful c-word.
Through my struggles against cancer I found myself under the care of the world's leading mesothelioma doctor. It was there that I decided to nickname my tumor Punxsutawney Phil after the groundhog. I did this because my tumor was removed on Groundhog's Day in 2006. He saw his shadow and took it with him. My family and I have now renamed Groundhog's Day to Lungleavin Day. It is the celebration of my lung leaving me. Every year on the first weekend of February we celebrate Lungleavin Day like most people celebrate a birthday. Because ultimately it was a rebirth for me. It is the day I learned to conquer fear, to see the good in the worst situations, and to cling on to hope.
Most people do not truly understand mesothelioma. But those wives, husbands, and children that all fight by my side as mesothelioma warriors, I salute your bravery and bring you nothing but hope. I value every friend I have as a result of my cancer and cherish each and every one of them……………………….
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