On June 22, 2010, at the age of 27, I heard three words that changed my life: “You have cancer.” Immediately after hearing my diagnosis of Triple Negative breast cancer I cried, screamed and pleaded with the Lord to not let the news be true. I interpreted the diagnosis to mean death.
The next few weeks were like an out of body experience filled with numerous doctors’ appointments and tests. My oncologist and surgeon were awesome; they were realistic, yet compassionate. For the next four months, I traveled to Tampa every other Thursday for chemotherapy and would return on Fridays for a neulasta shot to help rebuild my white blood cells. I can remember my first chemo treatment being really hard on my body. I could barely walk or move and was extremely tired. In addition, the neulasta shots caused severe bone pain.
I cut my hair low after my first chemo treatment in hopes of decreasing the emotional pain that I would feel when I would begin to lose my hair. However, the night I scratched my head and my hand had hair in it I thought I would lose my mind…literally. It was a visible sign that I had cancer! I had five surgeries during this process. Two of them had the greatest emotional and mental effect on me: my bilateral mastectomy and partial hysterectomy. After each of these surgeries I felt as if something was taken from me. The physical pain associated with cancer is nothing in comparison to the mental and emotional anguish. Some nights I would wake up and find myself crying and not know why.
Although this journey has been long and filled with a lot of pain inside and out, I am so thankful for it. I am so thankful for my family and friends that I have been blessed with that helped me during this trying time, especially my mother, Gwendolyn Dawson. I’m thankful that God used and is continuing to use me as a testimony to others.
I'm a PROUD cancer SURVIVOR!!
Ocala, FL
