Go on, Pen Your Page
Hello Survivor Fam and hello 2019!
If you haven't made any resolutions yet (or already botched some) - try this one out for size.
Inspired by the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
Okay, we know. It's a tall order. Impossible to keep up. But see, we already know someone who does this daily. How's that for proof it can be done? (#braggingrights) So we say, challenge accepted!
Following the example of our January survivor, Celeste M. Munford, we're hitting the ground running.
Celeste lives each day fully and head on, including the days throughout her journey with breast cancer.
"While I was not operating at 100% every day, I decided from the beginning that every day would be a good day and I would walk in joy and thanksgiving."
When Celeste discovered a lump in 2013, her intuition told her it was something serious and at that moment, she chalked everything up to her faith and God.
This was without any prior breast cancer scares and before any medical visit. She just knew.
Still, she felt fearless and maybe her mental and spiritual faith is what kept her calm when she confirmed that her intuition was right.
"I remember sitting in my car when I got the call saying the lump was malignant," she recalled. "I was not swayed or devastated by the results of the biopsy and had peace."
Her day to day wasn't swayed much either. Other than the addition of more medical appointments for treatments, Celeste went to work regularly, and created products for J. Lexi, her holistic skin food company (named after her granddaughter Jordyn Lexi).
And though the launch of J. Lexi in 2012 predated her diagnosis, it became a crucial aid in her recovery as treatment took its toll on her skin. (We think it was kismet!)
With such control, determination, and awareness, it's no surprise Celeste created her own treatment plan, too.
No, really.
After her breast surgeon recommended a lumpectomy and radiation, Celeste got a second opinion. Her own.
"I asked for a bilateral mastectomy," she recalled. "The doctor said she could not recommend what I asked for due to insurance requirements."
Have you read carefully before this point? Okay. So then, you already know what happened next.
Celeste not only had the bilateral mastectomy but she avoided radiation, too.
"I chose to have five rounds of chemo and did not need radiation, thank God," she said.
Yeah, so, we think it’s clear Celeste has the Eye of the Survivor...
What an inspiration and reminder to trust our own judgement and pen our own pages!
Speaking of pages, Celeste would like us to take a few out of her book.
"I encourage people to be connected to a higher power, to help themselves by learning about the disease they face, make decisions about their healthcare and participate in their process," she said.
But that's not all. In her words she suggests we "make a decision to win, thrive, and grow to the fullest."
Celeste, we're SO here for this!
2019 let's go! And everyone reading this - let's get it!
Until next time, keep your Eye on Strength!
