One day at a time: Breast Cancer

I am a breast cancer survivor.

Having been diagnosed with a low grade breast cancer in 2011 and then having it removed in early 2012, I acknowledge that I am very lucky in many ways.

It has made me re-evaluate my life. I recognized that I have been blessed by God in many ways and I supposed that this breast cancer has made me doubly aware of just how blessed I am and have been. 

Photo: TipsTimes

I have the love of a good man, who is my very supportive husband who has always strived to show his love in practical ways especially by providing for his family. Yet at the same time he has come to understand more and more over the years that he also needed to spend time with us not just go out and bring in an income and provide ‘things’ for us, not just for his own benefit but for our benefits too. I am sorry for all the times I have failed to recognize him for what and who he is deep down and have taken him for granted at times. He is my best friend, who has stood by me through all the tears and joys of life even when he doesn’t understand the roller coaster of my emotions. He is also the one who (unfairly I might add) might ‘cop’ it all when things get rough and I need a scapegoat.

I have 4 wonderful healthy and loving children who are active community members in their own niches. I have a marvelous daughter in law and 2 adorable grand daughters. Though one of my sons and his family live so far from us, we have managed to see them several times in the past year or 2.

We are now at a stage of our lives where we can take more time as we are early retirees and this has freed us up to do more pleasurable activities such as travel and volunteer work.


We have come more and more to the understanding that we have far too much in material things and that we really can live with less ‘stuff’. Traveling for months at a time in a caravan really brings home to you just how little ‘stuff’ you really need to have in your lives.

Photo: DixieBelleCupcakeCafe

So all in all this has just been a blip in my life and life goes on. I am very grateful that it was caught early and that all I needed was a lumpectomy. I didn’t even need radiation let alone chemotherapy. For this reason it is easy to brush it off as nothing. Yet it will forever be a part of my past and one that sets the future on a slightly uncertain future. I also recognize that are futures are always unpredictable and that we must have faith in something. My something is the love of Christ that stabilizes me here and I know that He holds the future in the palm of His hand. Nothing that can or will happen will be outside of His knowledge. That gives me peace of mind; it does not guarantee a cancer free future nor a future free of any catastrophe. “But I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

So I go forth in my life walk of faith, not worrying about what has happened or what might be. I walk forward with confidence following, pursuing and obeying the Lord Jesus. Keeping my eyes on the goal, which is to run the life he has set forth for me, whatever rough or smooth path that may take. I take it one day at a time, there is no other way but to trust and obey.

May you go forward from this day appreciating everyone in your life.

Michelle

Update:

Jan 2013: It is now just over 14 months since my last mammogram and I have just had my second lot of screenings along with an ultra sound. I am glad to report that everything is fine. Praise the Lord!
I did have some localised tenderness in my left breast (same one as had the cancer) but it was most likely to have been hormones causing the tenderness. I guess having once had breast cancer, you are more likely to be concerned with something out of normal occurs.