Community, Stories Donate Now Welcome to my inaugural article for Susan G. Komen. I am delighted to share with you my journey with breast cancer, as well as practical advice to help you cope and heal throughout your own journey with the disease. I was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer in November 2012. I underwent dose dense chemotherapy for three months, a double mastectomy, lymph node removal on my left side and five weeks of radiation. Then in May 2018, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer to my spine and pelvic bones – stage IV disease. When I was initially diagnosed on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Presidential Election Day, my daughter’s third birthday, my world was rocked. And in the days that passed people rallied in my corner. Cards poured into my mailbox, I received phone calls from friends, Facebook messages and texts from near and far. All of those words of encouragement fueled my battle. And then…there were the people who disappeared. They were close friends. They were family. They were the people who I envisioned would step up to the plate. They were the ones who I knew would prepare meals, baby-sit the kids so I could Christmas shop, offer to run errands for me. I was wrong. As I entered a new reality, they fled out my backdoor. Let me tell you about those people. Forgive them. As much as you think your diagnosis is yours, it’s not. Your mortality haunts more than just you. Haven’t you ever been grateful that your diagnosis is yours and not your partner’s, your child’s, your parent’s? It’s easier to be the one facing death than watching a loved one suffer that fate. Some people in your life can’t handle watching you battle, struggle, change. They have to walk away. ##IMAGE## So, forgive them. They may come back as you heal. They may never return. My biggest advice to you is to recognize that their leaving and returning, or their leaving and never returning is about them, not you. It’s a “them issue,” not a “you issue.” Cancer is a curse and a hidden blessing. You learn your strength. You gain perspective. You finally let things go. As my grandmother always said, “When God closes a door s/he opens a window.” These family and friends fled out the backdoor, but trust me, something amazing is gonna fly in your window. And just in case, keep the door unlocked. Donate Now << Previous Post Four Reasons Why Companies Should... Komen Blog Read More Next Post >> Do Plastics, Body Care Products... Komen Blog Read More Related Stories Previous Next Komen Blog Knowing Your Family Health History... Read More Komen Blog An Opportunity To Live Read More Komen Blog The Racial Injustice of Breast... Read More Komen Blog Mortality Rates for Black Women... Read More Komen Blog Komen’s 2021-2022 Advocacy Priorities Seek... Read More Komen Blog Tips for Living a Healthy... Read More Komen Blog Breast Cancer, No Longer Your... Read More Komen Blog When Pink is Just Another... Read More Komen Blog Social Justice Is An Issue... Read More Komen Blog What Can I Expect? Late... Read More Komen Blog 8 Questions to Ask Your... Read More Komen Blog Take Action on Important Breast... Read More Komen Blog Komen’s Public Policy Advisory Board... Read More Komen Blog Research on Hard-To-Treat Cancers, Brinker... Read More Komen Blog Experiencing Breast Cancer As a... Read More Komen Blog Chaunte Lowe Knows How to... Read More Komen Blog How to Reinforce Positive Support... Read More Komen Blog Patient Groups to Congress: End... Read More Komen Blog Knowing Your Family Health History... Read More Komen Blog An Opportunity To Live Read More Komen Blog The Racial Injustice of Breast... Read More Komen Blog Mortality Rates for Black Women... Read More Komen Blog Komen’s 2021-2022 Advocacy Priorities Seek... Read More Komen Blog Tips for Living a Healthy... Read More Komen Blog Breast Cancer, No Longer Your... Read More Komen Blog When Pink is Just Another... Read More Komen Blog Social Justice Is An Issue... Read More Komen Blog The Role of Genetic, Genomic... Read More Komen Blog Do Plastics, Body Care Products... Read More Komen Blog Who’s Your One: Cathy and... Read More Komen Blog FDA’s New Guidance Recommends Including... Read More Komen Blog A Challenge to Accelerate the... Read More Komen Blog 8 Questions to Ask Your... Read More Komen Blog Sheila McGlown Offers Advice for... Read More Komen Blog Research on Hard-To-Treat Cancers, Brinker... Read More Komen Blog This Father’s Day, We Remember... Read More