Meredith’s Story
“I had a loving marriage, and we were the parents of a 10 year-old daughter.”
-Meredith
When life is interrupted—Meredith’s Story
I was in my mid-40’s. Life was happily in flow. I had a loving marriage, and we were the parents of a 10 year-old daughter. My career was challenging, and I enjoyed it. I had a lot to be grateful for. But who thinks about gratitude when you’re in the midst of living life?
Then I found the lump in my breast. My first reaction was denial. I had religiously gone to the doctor every year for mammograms and had yearly physicals. Plus, cancer doesn’t run in my family. When I felt the lump, it was during an especially busy time at work, so I put off making a doctor’s appointment. It was my mother-in-law who encouraged me to go, so I did. That same day they sent me for an ultrasound and shortly after a biopsy.
I heard “the mass is cancerous” while I was at work. The call came from a woman doctor who was super supportive. She let me know that it was Stage 1- very treatable - but I didn’t feel any relief. All I felt was fear. I hadn’t been expecting that outcome. Part of your brain thinks “this isn’t happening to me” while the other part is terrified.
I also had genetic testing to see if I had any predisposition for this, but all came back negative. The timeframe was brief: I was diagnosed in January, 2019. I had the surgery in February and then I started 6-weeks of radiation in May. It happened so quickly it was hard to process the emotional part. But with cancer, it’s a race against time. The upside? I had a great team of doctors who coordinated everything, and I didn’t have to wait months for action to be taken.
Processing cancer.
Surgery was tougher than I anticipated. There was a lot of pain, so recovery took time. And my doctors reassured me that everybody responds differently. I was just relieved that I didn’t have to do chemo.
“A big concern was how and what to tell my 12 year old daughter. My husband Ryen and I didn’t want her to worry.”
A big concern was how and what to tell my 12 year old daughter. My husband Ryen and I didn’t want her to worry. The word “cancer” is scary. Initially, I said that I needed to have a procedure done. About the time I was going to have surgery, we explained what had to be done. We talked through the different types and stages and made sure that she knew that Stage 1 was optimistic.
As for my job, my company was beyond supportive. I was actually relieved to have the distraction of work up to the time I had surgery. I took off only a week throughout the whole process. I even worked through 6 weeks of daily radiation, and took 45-minute naps to manage the fatigue. Once I knew what to expect, it became more manageable. And the kindness of the staff was a blessing.
Coping with cancer: a few suggestions.
1. Watch what you put in your body.
During the treatment process, I learned a lot about what you should and shouldn’t do if you want to be healthy. I knew that vegetables are good for you, but there are certain types (like broccoli) that actually attack the cells in your body that can cause cancer.
So, eat broccoli every day? Maybe not, but I got a lot more conscious of what I ate, and broccoli found its way into our meals more than ever before. I read a lot about the types of food that are detrimental to good health, how certain foods cause stress, and that red meat is not ideal. It’s important to educate yourself on how to have a healthy lifestyle. Lowering the risk if you’re predisposed to cancer is critical
2. Ask the right questions.
I had to educate myself on the type of cancer I had so that I could bring a list of questions to the doctor’s office. It prepared me for what’s next and helped me calm the ‘what ifs.’ My doctors and support staff were wonderful. Their generosity with their time and knowledge reduced my fear significantly.
3. Have a support network
Cancer makes you feel helpless. A good friend of mine organized a daily food train for us, making sure that my family got good meals. This was a Godsend when life seemed to have turned upside down.
You take what you’re dealt and find your way through it. Be healthy, get exercise, decrease your stress. We had a lot of prayers from our friends, community and neighbors who put in prayer requests for us to their churches. I believe with my whole heart that there is power in prayer. It worked for us.
Our daughter got to the point that she felt she could ask more questions. We made sure that we communicated as a family. Today, when friends develop cancer, they reach out to me. There is a lot of comfort in talking with people who have faced the same struggles.
Moving on.
How has the whole experience impacted me? It’s a wake-up call, and helped me not take things for granted. When you get smacked in the face, it changes your perspective. You worry that you might not have a good outcome. But the combination of immediate medical response, a strong support network and a loving family did the magic.
“I just celebrated 2 years of clean mammograms.”
La Jolie MLN: ”It’s our mission to give young ladies the lessons all of you can share with us. So, let’s share our experiences, strength and stories.
I cordially invite you to join a cohort of empowered women. Please send your stories to Blog@lajolie-mln.com