Faces of a Warrior

Every warrior’s greatest fear is failure, but the greatest pain is regret. Of course you think of failure when faced with adversity, but I decided in the beginning I was a warrior and I didn’t want to have any regrets. And that meant doing what I was instructed to do with the utmost trust in my care team.

I quickly learned that I was in a battle. And the landscape of that battle changed from week to week. Whether I was facing hair loss, side effects from chemo, recovery from surgery, or just being fatigued, I was battling. Part of that battle is learning to stand your ground and fight, to keep pushing when you’re not sure you can. Cowering isn’t an option. Whatever the battle is, work conflict, a difficult conversation, making a tough decision, saying YES to something when you really want to say NO – I encourage you face it head on, lean into it and know you’re a warrior.

Leaning in also means having the a heart of a warrior. I found it important to continue to fill my cup up in meaningful ways by caring for those around me, by continuing to work and spending time with family and friends. This fuel gave me purpose and encouragement for persistence in times of challenge.

I am glad to say that I’m done with my six rounds of chemotherapy as of yesterday. I see my oncologist in three weeks to get information on my survival plan and maintenance drug therapy. The photos above were taken by Cam at the start of chemo each time. I’m glad he captured them and I’m glad to see I was smiling in them too. I have tried to choose positivity throughout this journey, not saying I was never down, but I kept my eye on the end result – winning the battle. ❤️