Holly's Notes and Condition

Twilight, Traffic, Writing and Reaching Out

Jan 16th Friday - It was kinder to us , heat wise today - it only reached 78 degrees outside. The sunset was deep and dusky in color tonight, with mostly orange and yellow hues giving us a lingering twilight starting at about 5:10 pm and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean to the west.
There was a car accident on the N 241 Toll Road just before Alton Pkwy, at about 6 pm, and while the traffic for rush hour heading north is significantly less than the traffic using the 241 Toll Road to head south and home to RSM, it did back up traffic in the north bound lanes for about 20 minutes, which is highly unusual. Usually the traffic both ways travels in a pretty steady stream at the morning and evening rush hours.

I felt good and energized today - both in body and spirit. I did a lot of writing today, mostly sending 'update' and 'how are you?' notes to my friends from the Young Women's Breast Cancer Support Group.
One in particular, was an email to a young woman that I met last night at the group meeting, who was just diagnosed with BC on Christmas Eve.(She and her husband waited until after Christmas to tell their (3) sons.)
The Young Womens BC group meetings can be 'deep water', especially when you're still reeling from your diagnosis and trying to figure out the best treatment options and what doctors are going to wokr best with you and figuring out insurance and meidcal costs and on and on and on.
I had listened to what this woman had shared and we were similar on several levels, so I felt a special need to help make her journey through BC treatment easier, if I can, benefiting from what I have been through and learned from and most importantly, survived and by setting an example of living my life fully, of being in the moment.
I am hopeful that her journey through BC to survivorship is much easier.
And yes, I still wish that no one ever had to go through having any type of cancer or cancer treatment - it SUCKS! But we do get through it, together.
I included my 'Blogspot' address, in case she'd like to set up an online journal for herself, as this has proved to be amazingly helpful and therapeutic to me.
I shared some little tips like: she doesn't have to answer her phone all the time. She's allowed to screen her calls. And using baggies full of frozen green peas as ice packs - they are not a cold as medical ice packs and they hug to the curves of your body better and you are less likely to get 'ice burns' when using them and you can make them up quickly and apply them to several areas at once, easily.

I really just wanted to let her know that she is not alone and that I know she can survive this challenge to her health, to her life.
(And if for some crazy reason, YOU, newly BC diagnosed young woman that I met last night, whose name I won't share so that I am not breaking the privacy of the group rule - if you are reading this entry tonight - just know that I have been where you are right now and I know your head is spinning and you and your family and friends are reeling and rallying at the same time with all that is on your plate right now and all the uncertainties and fears. Please know that you can survive this - I saw the strength in your face last night, as you shared the whirlwind that has been the first 30 days of discovering that you have breast cancer. YOU CAN DO THIS!
Now stop reading this journal or the entries after the first (4) that I told you to check out, back in Sept 2006, when I was where you are now. All that sharing can wait. Processing bite sized pieces of information and keeping yourself from being overwhelmed is very important to your healing.

I am just repaying the kindness, generosity, courage and strength that was shared with me, in my time of need, just as I know that you will do, when you are on the other side of BC - the survivor side of BC, the cancer free side of BC.
I pray for your good healing.
I'm here, if you need me.)

posted by Holly @ 8:47 PM