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An excerpt from Lisa's story:

"The guiding light of my family is helping me through. I know they are as afraid as I am, but they do not let me see their fears. The tables turned and they have become my cheerleaders. From the fun, silly party in my honor the night before surgery to the hand holding through each chemo session, they made me smile. They made me fight harder than I believed I could. And they continue to be my source of strength as I navigate the post-treatment portion of this yellow brick road. I also have a 3-month-old grandchild now which has given me even more to fight for.

My family has grown recently with the addition of my pink sister community who continually show me compassion, empathy and share success stories to help with my struggle. My guess is that they do not realize how much they have positively impacted me. The love, laughter and tears at times have taught me lessons that are invaluable to reaching my goal of living each second of every day in joy.

Although I am still working on letting go of fear, I am having more good days than bad, and I allow myself grace if I slip into darkness for a bit. I feel I can see Emerald City and am ready to click my heels three times, however my slippers will be pink instead of red."

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An excerpt from Pam's Story:

"While this is one of the hardest moments of my life, there are some beautiful chapters in between. At the age of 24, I married my husband and had two amazing children. In my experience some people become their past and carry on the behavior in which they were raised or they become the exact opposite. I chose the latter. I made it my mission to be the best wife and mother I could be and to give my children a life that I only dreamed of. I made it to nearly every football game, dance competition, softball game, and every academic ceremony. My children are grown now, both are college graduates, and my daughter recently got married. My children have always been my world and will continue to be.

A word, a date, and a place rewrote my expectations for chapter 55. I was driving home and received a call from my doctor. I didn’t know that this would be another life changing call. She asked me to pull over and she uttered the words, “You have cancer.” The word cancer has boundless meanings for everyone, and my mind was filled with racing thoughts. Thankfully, I was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. I told my husband and children about my diagnosis, but I tried to hide the fear. I kept myself busy trying not to think of all the possible outcomes. However, the Lord saw my tears at night and heard my every prayer.

March 14th of 2024 was the day I had my double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. My family will now say how scared they all were because they didn’t know the extent of the surgery. I woke up in room 3012, ten hours later with two of those hours in recovery trying to stabilize my blood pressure. I don’t really remember anything from the first few days except for the pain. I have truly never been in pain like that, and it was jarring looking at my body for the first time with so many connecting scars that looked like a road map. Thankfully, a week later I was told that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes and that I did not have to have radiation or chemotherapy. I do, however, have to take medication for five years since the cancer was estrogen receptive. While the side effects are challenging, I am grateful that most of my racing thoughts did not come true.

Since then, I have physically recovered, but I am still working on my emotional recovery. I am so thankful to have a loving family and a Savior that never left my side. Another source of comfort has been being a part of the Sheroes group. I have met the most resilient, brave, and strong women that are actually real-life superheroes. They help me to see the silver lining and to know my book isn’t over."

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Excerpt from Brenda's story:

"In navigating through life’s turbulent waters, where uncertainty clouded my path, my girls were my beacons of light amid the storm. They guided me towards my purpose when I didn’t think I had one. Amanda and Caitlin will always be my every heartbeat, my every breath, my two reasons, my shining lights, my entire world.

Today, our team of three has grown and I am the luckiest mommy and mimi on this planet. My family is and always will be my beacon of love, hope, positivity, and light. My faith also helped me immensely. God’s power can make things that seem impossible possible. I am truly blessed.

The lesson? Persevere through the pain and swim toward victory over those things that stand against you. Life is a struggle. It is a continuing battle, and it takes perseverance to go the distance. As a result of my cancer journey, I am stronger than I was before. I’m not saying that I don’t worry about the cancer returning, but I am eternally thankful for each new day I am given. I realize every day is a gift. I try to follow the simple advice of my favorite Disney fish, Dory, “Just keep swimming!”

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Excerpt from Sunny's story:

"I would have to say that one of the biggest wakeup call in my life is when I went through a divorce from my husband of 23 ½ years and was the father of my 3 children I had suspected that he was having an affair and my suspicions were right. All I could think of was, here is the second man in my life that has chosen to abandon me.

There were myriads of emotions. I was angry and frustrated because I couldn’t control the situation and I couldn’t make him come back. It seemed so easy for him to just let me and the kids go. I felt like I had been punched in the gut and I couldn’t breathe.

The first 2 years were awful. The kids were so angry at their dad that they refused to see him or talk to him. I was a basket case trying to deal with my own feelings and emotions. I was becoming more and more depressed and anxious. I had very little money. I went to work and drank and smoked in the evening. Not a very pretty existence. But then the waters calmed down and I was able to feel capable and competent.

Until last year when I was diagnosed breast cancer diagnosis, was laid off work and then decided to retire. As you might expect the pain of my divorce went away but the depression and anxiety were back in full force. A lot to take in and process. I went back to seeing a therapist to help process the many changes. And that’s where we are today.

So, like the water, there will be days with depression and anxiety and the water will be churned up but then the wonderful calm will come over you and the waves will softly reach the shore and disappear."

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An excerpt from Melissa's story:

"Once we got home, I decided that was the moment I needed to tell her. Looking into her innocent blue eyes looking up at me made me realize that I needed to be as strong as I possibly could, and that I needed to fight with everything I had so I could be here and watch her grow up. I truly believe that my mom was sitting next to me on the couch at that moment and was holding my hand while I explained to my daughter that I was sick, and that life was going to be very different from here on out.

After explaining to her what was going on, I felt a calmness, yet I was also shaking. This moment was the first time I felt like I could beat this and show strength while doing it. My mom had a sign on her hospital door that read Positive Mental Attitude and you were not allowed in without it. I would often remind myself of this each time I felt like I was losing my positivity and starting to go down the wrong path. Knowing what it was like watching my mom in so much pain and that helpless feeling also gave me the strength to fight because I didn’t want my daughter to have these same memories. Shoveling dirt on a wooden casket and having to visit a stone instead of seeing my mom in person, was not the journey I wanted for my daughter.

I realized that once I was diagnosed, I was still on a rollercoaster but this time I was a little more in control because this time I was the mom, and I had a daughter to protect and stay alive for. I realized that instead of the wooden one, I was now riding Hagrid’s roller coaster. I was in the motorcycle seat and Public and my daughter were in the side car. She’s along for my journey like I was for my mom, and as much as I was scared and nervous over every hill, I knew she was safe. Instead of her knowing how nervous I was inside, I smiled and laughed with her to show her comfort and joy. It was always important to me to show her how to find joy in every situation and to celebrate every bump, hill, twist and turn even when you’re scared, and feel completely out of control."

Thank you to our sponsor, Dr. Martha Stewart, Board Certified Dermatologist.
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An excerpt from Britta's story:

"But, no one wins a war alone. I did have a lot of support from others while going through this arduous time. My husband, daughter, family, and friends supported me through the battles of chemotherapy and my surgery. Neighbors sent food and messages that meant a lot to me and kept me going. What I want others to know is that sometimes life will find a way to knock you down, but you can get back up. On the other end was a doctor who called to tell me that I had not one, but two cancerous lumps in my breast and it was aggressive. Everything the doctor said after that sounded like the aftermath of a bomb that exploded. Everyone talking seemed muffled, but you can even get back up and strut on a runway in October."

Thank you to our sponsor, Dr. Martha Stewart, Board Certified Dermatologist.
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An excerpt from Kara's story:

"I continued living wild and free. I traveled, I visited many places and experienced many things. I met my life partner and settled down again. Everything was great until it wasn’t. I received a call from my mother that my dad had a heart attack, and I ran as fast as I could back home. My dad did not make it. We lost him this time. I lost my confidante, and I had no idea what to do. I decided to do what my dad would have wanted. I became the family confidante. I was the one my family turned to for help and advice. My dad and I were so remarkably similar that everyone knew they could come to me. But who could I turn to? Where could I go? Who would take care of me?

Nine months later, I would face the scariest journey I had ever taken. I was told I had triple negative breast cancer just before my youngest son’s first birthday. I learned later it is one of the most aggressive forms and there are limited options for treatment. I once again became the wild horse that would do things her way. I was bullied by the doctors, they tried to instill fear into me. They wanted me to do treatment their way, but I wouldn’t allow it. I knew better. I knew my body. I elected to pursue integrative medicine. If I had to do conventional for the sake of my children, then I would incorporate holistic as well. I did what I wanted on my terms. I healed myself, mind – body-spirit. I made all my decisions based on my overall survival, not fear. I never asked God why this happened to me? I knew there was a purpose, a reason for all of this and what I had to endure. Though I may not have understood it, I knew it served a purpose.

So, off I went into the wild. My son is now 6 years old, I am 5 years cancer free, and I do not regret any of my decisions. I believe my wild horse spirit is here to heal and help others."

Thank you to our sponsor, Dr. Martha Stewart, Board Certified Dermatologist.
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An excerpt from her story:

"Throughout my cancer journey, music has been my constant companion, guiding me through the darkest moments and lifting my spirits when all seemed lost. The lyrics of “Lean on Me” became a lifeline, reminding me that I was not alone.

As I emerged from the depths of treatment, I realized that my life had been transformed into a triumphant symphony. The cancer had not broken me; it had made me stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

Reflecting on my life’s soundtrack, I am grateful for the melodies shaping my experiences. The songs of Motown and Christianity have become the soundtrack of my resilience, my triumph, and my unwavering faith. They have reminded me that even when the notes are low and the lyrics are heartbreaking, there is always hope for a beautiful symphony to emerge.

And so, the soundtrack of my life continues to play, each song a testament to the power of the human spirit, the healing nature of music, and the transformative love of God.

Today, “Take Me to the King” stands as a testament to the power of hope, perseverance, and the healing embrace of Christian music. My soundtrack has evolved into a beautiful symphony that will continue to play, inspiring me and others to face life’s challenges with courage and grace."

Thank you to our sponsor, Dr. Martha Stewart, Board Certified Dermatologist.
Please SUBSCRIBE to this podcast so that you can be inspired by future interviews!

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Still I Rise features stories from You Night's STORY CRAFTING COMMUNITY. To read additional stories, visit our Facebook page:

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