Six years ago this month, Jack Tennant invited me to write him an article about my cancer diagnosis.
I was on a mission.
I wanted every woman I met to know that I had two mammograms and an ultrasound on my right breast and all of them came back negative.
I wanted them to know that the cancer didn't show up as a lump in my breast but rather as a red itchy mark, much like a hive or insect bite, and it was only after a biopsy was taken that I got the diagnosis of "inflammatory breast cancer".
I wanted women to know that mammograms and ultrasounds, although necessary for diagnostic reasons, are not always 100 per cent accurate and that if they see any change in their breasts whatsoever that they should run, not walk to their nearest doctor and insist on a biopsy.
After some prodding from Jack, I finally wrote the article.
Imagine my surprise when I was invited to be a part-time columnist!
"Oh, no", I thought. "What have I got myself into?"
It certainly wasn't something I had gone looking for.
I really didn't think I had anything important to say and wondered how I would fill space in the paper, once a month.
Well, the months have turned into years, and here I am, six years later and still at it.
I must say it has been an amazing experience for me.
I have grown and changed through this column and writing about my experiences has helped me heal and make sense of this cancer thing. I have been as honest as I can be about the events that have unfolded and secretly hoped that somewhere out there another woman would read this and find comfort.
There were months, I must admit when I didn't have a clue as to what I would write about and often told Jack I had run out of things to say.
But he wouldn't let me quit, and somehow when I sat down at the computer and typed in a few words a column would appear.
Inspiration comes at the darndest times!
So here I am still writing and enjoying every minute of it.
Then a few weeks ago at a chemo treatment I received a huge bouquet of flowers and a card that said "Inspiration will find you when you least expect it" from an anonymous friend.
How did they know?
I haven't got a clue as to who sent the flowers to me — but I like to fantasize about the possibilities!
If you are that person and reading this column I want to say "Thank you! You made my day!"
So, now, I'm inspired to ask for time off from chemo at Christmas.
Santa, are you listening?
