Positivity

I’m often asked, “How did you remain positive throughout your battle with cancer and everything else?”

I’m here to tell you it wasn’t easy. I’m here to tell you, I had and still have good and bad days. You will find what you need to fight for. I needed to fight to be here for my girls and my amazing husband who stood by my side throughout the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I found the strength, the determination, and the positivity to get through it all from my kids and Wade. Wade was and is amazing, he’s been through my side throughout all of it. He’s seen and watched both of my Code 66’s, one of blood pouring out my stoma, almost as fast as they pumped blood back into me, and the other when I fainted from a vasovagal response. He was there, he was worried, and he was brave. He was my support system, my care person, he gave me a shoulder to cry on, a hand to old, and a snuggle when I needed it.

The day I was discharged from the hospital, one of my favourite nurses came in and asked, “Did you ever lose hope throughout it all?” It just about made me cry. I hadn’t even thought about it, but I didn’t lose hope, and I couldn’t lose hope because I had two little girls and a husband that needed me. He also prayed for me every day, he brought so much laughter and so many stories into our room with every shift he worked. He enjoyed visiting with us, and always popped in to say hi when he wasn’t our nurse.

What most of you don’t know is that I was an hour and a half away from home for my treatment, and in the 6 months I was in the hospital, I was home for a total of 16 days, and probably saw the girls a total of 22-23 days in that entire 6 months. It was winter and the roads often weren’t safe for them to travel and see us.

My attitude is very much of the positive variety, and it is what I feel got me through everything.

What gets you through the major struggles of your life?