Uncategorized Five years ago tonight, I went to sleep not knowing the phone would ring that Monday morning with the news that would change my life forever. “It’s cancer” I heard on the other end of the line….That phone call would lead me on a path I can only imagine as an inexperienced traveler equipping for outerspace. A trip that tears you down to your core and is replenished only by faith. I am thankful for those early morning conversations with God and the reassuring peace that kept finding its way through, even in the bleakest of days.One thing people don’t give much breath to are the days active treatment ends. The years of chemo and surgery are in the rear view and now you must quietly begin to face the world again. The world expects you to jump back in, a victor. I found it hard to be honest with the pain the struggle of survival cost me. Survival is hard. The guilt of survival is hard too. The reality is, you’re never the same. Some lessons and perspective are forever changing. The physical loss, the mental loss, the personal and relational loss, the future career you’ve worked so hard for, the anxiety of what the next phone call, piece of mail, open door, scan or exam will reveal is forever….Please remember when you encounter a survivor, there’s so much more than you’ll ever know. Yes, I am so thankful tonight to be able to lay my head on my pillow, after having lived another day. My life has changed considerably, but I’m still here. I get to love my husband and hug my girls. That’s all that really matters to me. But, the loss of jobs, homes, finances, friends, family, reproduction, people’s perception and support, body parts and organs and life are also real, tangible parts of the loss we go through. So yes, five years is a milestone. It’s also full of more than meets the eye. By JJ | January 13, 2025 by JJ Continue reading