Two Years!

Two years ago today, I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the left breast.  It was definitely a day that changed my life....in so many ways!  I am so thankful to God for every single day.  It's interesting to me that I can sincerely call this experience a BLESSING!  Who'd a thunk it?

I will be forever grateful to my family and friends who rallied around us....my Parish family who prayed endlessly (and are still praying)....to my online friends who have shown support in ways that I NEVER would have imagined....to the doctors, nurses, technologists and researchers who made my treatment possible and who allowed me the opportunity to have the BEST TREATMENT available....and most importantly...to all those women who have gone before me...who fought the good fight with dignity....for those who won their battle..and those that didn't.

My life has been forever changed.  For the rest of my days on this earth, I will view everything from eyes with a "special" set of glasses.

Pink Prayer Book

Recently Dan and I took a trip down to St. Augustine to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of LeLeche. The grounds there are so lovely...so peaceful! We love it there! Anyway, they have an absolutely fabulous gift shop! As I was browsing....I came across this little booklet. What a great gift this would make for someone dealing with breast cancer!

On the back of the book:

Inspired and written by breast cancer patients and survivors and their mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, PINK Prayer BOOK is universally evocative. Prayers, Scripture, and quotations offer support for women moving through diagnosis and treatment toward recovery and the hope of lasting remission. The joyous voices in PINK Prayer BOOK lift hearts as they ask for God's healing and never-ending love.

Edited by Diana Losciale and with personal reflections by Patricia Corrigan--author and breast cancer survivor--this collection represents the heartfelt thoughts and deeply personal prayers of women whose strength and faith can inspire each of us.

It's been a little over one year since my diagnosis and yet it seems like yesterday! The whole reason behind "treatment" is to survive cancer.....to be "cancer free"....to live. There's much literature on treating cancer....but not enough about surviving. How do you live with cancer in your past? How do you live with the possibility of a recurrence? How do you cope with the emotional baggage that is now a permanent fixture in your life? I think the title of this book PINK Prayer BOOK/Coping, Healing, Surviving , Thriving is a glimpse into how to do that! THRIVING....now there's a term I hadn't thought much about before finding this book. However, THRIVING will be my focus as I begin my second year of SURVIVING!!

If you're interested in this book....visit http://www.liguori.org/ and order a copy.....it's also available in Spanish!