Heather contacted me about her experience with fighting cancer. I wanted to share this with you all.
Having a baby at any age is quite the undertaking, and it is even more so at the age of 36. However, when I was 36 years old, I welcomed my first and only child into the world; a beautiful little girl that immediately became my everything. That was in 2005. Three and a half months later I went to the doctor and my entire world changed. My doctor looked me in the eye and said the three words that no one ever expects – or wants – to hear, “You have cancer.” On November 21, 2005, happy with the joy of having had a sweet baby girl only three and a half months before, I was faced with the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. I had cancer.
The emotions I felt upon hearing those three life-changing words were all over the place. Running through my head were so many thoughts I’m shocked I was able to focus on any of them. But there, in my head was the thought that I had a choice to make. I had cancer and I had a choice. Cancer didn’t mean dying. I had a baby. I had to live. The choice I had to make was to give up and question God or to fight. The decision was simple; I’m a mother and there is only one thing to do and that was fight. I had to fight for my life and for my daughter. I couldn’t leave her in the world without a mother; I couldn’t leave her at all. I just got her and I needed more time with her.
In all honesty, the option to wallow in my self-pity and blame God for my cancer was never really an option. My only option was to remain positive; I’ve always been a positive person. It is a personality trait that I’ve lived with my entire life. I’m the consummate “glass half full” optimist. I see the good in virtually every situation; even my cancer. My optimism helped me to survive.
Throughout the course of my treatment and my time with cancer, I learned that many survivors have the same outlook as I. While cancer is among the most devastating and horrific things that can happen to anyone, myself included, there is also something good about cancer. People like myself that lived with cancer are survivors and our entire attitude and outlook on life changes, which is the good part about cancer.
I was referred to the world’s leading mesothelioma specialist and was scheduled to have my lung removed on Groundhog’s Day 2006, which prompted me to call my cancer Punxatawny Phil after the Groundhog. From there, Groundhog’s Day was renamed Lungleavin Day, since that’s the day my lung was scheduled to leave my body. This day each year is a celebration in my house; a celebration of life and the fact that I am strong enough to still have mine.
The people I met that are like me, and survived mesothelioma are the strongest, bravest and most inspiring people I know. Every day these people I call my friends inspire me to do what I do to the best of my abilities, which is to help others in their battle with cancer.
Heather Von St. James is a guest blogger for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
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