One Woman's Journey
My name is Lisa Lynn Jenkins and I am a breast cancer survivor. So far I have survived this disease twice and though I do not wish to do it again, I will tell you it can be done. So if you're in the thick of it and feel like it's all more than you can take be determined and strong, act crazy and stay beautiful, if I beat it so can you.
This road ain't easy, but it's an interesting journey. Though I know that it's a journey I never want to go on again I wouldn't give it back. If I had it to do over again I'd do it all exactly the same, scars and all.
I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 at the age of 32. It was a crazy time for me and I wasn't sure of what to do, because believe it or not there are options, or how to feel. I was new to the city I lived in; I didn't really know anyone and I had no family anywhere near me. I thought for sure I would have to go through this all alone and I was terrified. And, yes, I had to deal with a lot of it on my own but my family came to see me and help me during and after surgeries and people all around me were willing to help get me to and from treatment and help me with day to day stuff that I couldn't get done because I was wiped out from chemo or radiation. I learned a lot from those people. I regained my trust in humanity which I had lost somewhere in my almost 30 years in Los Angeles. I learned that not every one is out to get me and that there are people worth trusting. I learned a lot about myself too. I learned that I am stronger than I think, that when it comes down to it I can do what needs to get done without completely falling apart. I also learned that it takes a lot more energy to be angry and guarded that it does to be happy and risk being hurt once in a while and that the benefits of taking that risk far outweigh getting hurt once in a while. And I learned that it's really hard to sweat the small stuff when you know that it really could be worse.
The next time I was diagnosed with breast cancer was in November of 2006 and I was six months pregnant. And I have to chalk that one up to some really bad Karma. A couple years out from my last radiation treatment I became very depressed (I guess I forgot that it really could be worse). I was still alone, I mean I had friends but not someone special and one night I was in my car driving home and said, out loud, "I wish my cancer would come back and I could just let it go and then it would all be over." The next day I got up dusted myself off and made it my mission to find someone and I did and we fell in love and got married and were getting ready to have a baby and then. Ladies and gentlemen, be careful what you put out into the universe. Be careful what you wish for because you will get it and it will teach you a lesson.
If you have the time or when you get the time, please take a look at what's inside these pages. Maybe you'll find a kindred spirit, maybe you'll learn something, hopefully you won't feel so alone and, who knows, you might find some strength.
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