My journey was not easy.
In learning that I had breast cancer and ovarian cancer I learned survivorship, I underwent chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy with no option of reconstruction to replace my breast.
After having breast cancer, I learned that my ovaries had to be removed as I developed stage 1 ovarian cancer . “Ovarian cancer is a silent killer.” Due to the difficulty in early detection most women don’t have early symptoms.
I have always enjoyed running. I began running half marathons when I was first diagnosed with cancer. When I started chemotherapy, I felt that running would help me sweat out the horrific drug that was put into my body that also saved my life. I ran to keep my body strong, to help me with the stress of not thinking of the cancer, and the financial burden that this would cause my family.
My life had changed forever where I learned that cancer is like a book with so many pages you don’t see a way to read through all of them at once. When you take one page at a time, a story takes place in an unexpected way. The outcome isn’t clear or easy to deal with, but you find as you go through the journey that a clear outcome isn’t the point! The journey is the thing: the people you connect with along the way is the story. Living life to the fullest as tomorrow is not promised.
5 Things Cancer Taught Me:
1) Life is Too Short
2) What Courage Is
3) That Love Never Dies
4) Although Life Gets Hard, it’s Still Beautiful
5) That Nothing Last Forever
To donate to Irma Marie, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s 2024 TCS New York City Marathon fundraising page. To apply for a future marathon, or to learn more, please visit Team Tell Every Amazing Lady®’s marathon page today.
