Was there anything 'good' that came out of this?

MaryFox

My diagnosis is so recent - August, 2013 - that I don't know yet what will come of it.  Maybe bankruptcy but it's too early to tell.

But at this point, the big positive is the people I've met.  I go commando with my bald head so being in chemo is obvious to everyone.  In all kinds of places, people have come up to talk to me - mostly they're cancer survivors who just want to pass along some positive vibes. They're so obviously thankful to still be here to talk about it; and they all offer unsolicited encouragement. I'll never see most of them again but they all hold a place in my heart.

Ariom

We had just moved to our "Forever Home!", the home we thought would take us through our retirement years. We had researched the area well, but who'd have thought just a few months after moving to paradise I would be using the Medical facilities that we'd investigated.

I decide to stay local, even though people were pushing me to go back to the Big City and I couldn't be more happy with the results.  

I had lots of good come out of this. 

I felt a shift, right after the surgery that made things look a little different and made lots of things, feel a little different. I lost the "need it yesterday!" tough attitude that comes from living in the city and working in a stressful job. I was humbled by the generosity of strangers, and amazed by my own feeling of strength, once the final pathology results were in. I was lucky that my closest friends remained my closest friends, some on the peripheral disappeared, no disappointments there. My Daughter became the Mother for a while, just as I had done for my Mother when she had BC in '94. My girl and I became even closer, if that is possible.

My Husband was,and is, my rock!

His statement of "Wow, that will heal really well!" and "You don't need 2 boobs to be gorgeous!" when he saw the results of my Mx just a few hours after surgery, put it all in perspective for me.  

I call it my "New Normal" and it isn't a bad thing.

AmyQ

The best thing that came out of all this is having an actual adult relationship with my parents. They, especially my father, has always treated me like a child even tho I have grandchildren, but this dx has brought us closer.  I think because he has prostate cancer and can relate to having a cancer dx. Kind of sad to think it took a something drastic like breast cancer to mend fences.

Another positive is in my attitude.  I have kicked all the toxic people in my life, out of it...for good. It feels so freeing. A couple last things, I have a renewed faith and devotion to my Catholic upbringing AND I truly do appreciate every new day.  This was my best Christmas ever and I feel I was able to savor the moments.  

Claire_in_Seattle

Just had to share this picture from my ski today.  You don't get many days like this....and running has made me stronger so I wasn't feeling the altitude as much as I did a year ago. - Claire

Holeinone

Claire, awesome photo, sounds like a perfect winter outing...

Ariom

Fabulous Claire!

Susie123

farmerlucydaisy, the realization that I didn't even have control of my own body had just the opposite effect on me. I was a total control freak all my life. It was really hard to get past that, but I did, and now it's a bit freeing for me as well. It teaches us that in the most important things, we really have no control. Well that, and having teenage / college age kids. 

farmerlucy

Susie - Those teenage years are tough!!