Breast cancer. A stealthy, inconvenient bully that incites terror and bewilderment. A havoc-wreaker on women (and some men) of all ages.
My time in the breast cancer ring occurred in 2015 when I was 49. I was an anomaly—an enigma who didn’t fit the statistical parameters since my non-aggressive grade of breast cancer was behaving aggressively. I was diagnosed as a late Stage III because my three breast tumors were two centimeters or less, yet cancer had spread to at least one axillary lymph node, perhaps as many as five. Since the tumors had a high probability of spreading throughout the rest of my body, I was prescribed the nuclear bomb treatment, a plan that was vetted and confirmed by a second-opinion medical team. Like so many other cancer patients, there was no history of breast cancer in my family.
The day I was diagnosed, I went through the typical stages of shock, denial, and anger. But I quickly realized I wanted to experience cancer deeply, capturing the reactions from strangers in the grocery store who saw me in a bandana and describing to them the nauseating smells of red onions and jet fuel that nearly made me faint in the first few days after each of my 16 chemo infusions.
Details of the excruciating sorrow I experienced every time I met or witnessed a terminal cancer patient were captured in my journal, later published as The Unlikely Gift of Breast Cancer, named one of the best breast cancer books of all time by BookAuthority.org. This spring, in recognition of my 10 years as a survivor, I will release the book’s sequel, Unlikely Gifts Unwrapped: Unfiltered Reflections on Life after Breast Cancer, which has already received five stars from Readers’ Favorite. Sign up for my monthly newsletter and blog at DianeMSimard.com for details on how to purchase Unlikely Gifts Unwrapped and my other award-winning books.
Cancer is never invited, and cancer never leaves. The experience transformed me into a clearer-thinking, purposeful business leader and forced me to ponder my mortality. As a result, I now live with intention, embracing the second chance I was given to do a more impactful job of living.
About the Author
Diane M. Simard
Psycho-oncology Advocate
Author | Motivational Speaker
Podcaster | Patient Advisor
Stage IIIc Breast Cancer Survivor
To learn more, please visit her website at DianeMSimard.com.