You Night: Story Crafting Community

08/21/2024

We can’t wait to share 42 new stories! ❤️coming soon!

01/11/2024

Today's featured Story Crafter is Sandra Skippar-Broome, whose story is entitled "The Calm Before the Storm"

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightEvents/posts/pfbid0erJRW4N44QeaRBu8GnNWFrseTQzkgryXENHysK8HtncAVhXNWzL5xjgR37jEJ1cSlT

12/12/2023

We love this story written by Washington, who gives us a glimpse of what it was like to live in Romania, and then move to America. We have witnessed such beautiful growth in Monica since we first met her a year ago. Keep shining Monica!

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightEvents/posts/pfbid0UcqVNbBoZLZL1zZkV9Z9bgqebfsyXJsRWoTMYGA3SbJL5FAGkerg9zSBYeWxiL4bl

12/09/2023

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/MGm6Yk1JLP8V4sTJ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

11/07/2023

11/04/2023

"Live each day and make it a Masterpiece" by Suzanne Blaum

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightEvents/posts/pfbid02bpm5GkPuLe8ucEVMmbM4KQj6YoFPDk2KTqPFBPSAtATrKcrgJ4sQLVLdvyvizgLTl?mibextid=4TanMb

10/23/2023

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightEvents/posts/pfbid02d2ycKmjaXST3JcsQCW9swzMikhQRZpDbQLEWupKBXzEbaUecdjMzVFJfbptAxvZRl?mibextid=YxdKMJ

10/20/2023

"SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND" by Tangel Belton-Castellon

https://www.facebook.com/YouNightEvents/posts/pfbid0REEDsKtRj1nxJ9chhfHGUCM1kjaxdei9uiWdoB6MsStqhFyiN4Zh5AwFv7qVjgtbl?mibextid=YxdKMJ

10/04/2023

"Cancer is just the tip of the iceberg" by Ashley Vinet

https://fb.watch/ntbiggskZg/

10/04/2023

"ROAD TRIP" by Michelle Picolo
https://fb.watch/ntat8va_Ok/

09/13/2023

https://fb.watch/n1wORtXgrr/

"Faith over Fear"
by Kelli Boudreaux

09/11/2023

WHAT A RIDE!
by Jodi Grantham

Life is like a rollercoaster. It has its ups and downs. During the ups, life is bright and exciting, full of happiness. During the downs, life is dark, emotional. Feelings of pain, depression, anxiety and anger.

My name is Jodi. I was born in 1990 to my amazing parents and older brother. I was your average child–fun, happy, a little shy, but enjoyed everything outdoors, playing with friends and family. My family's life took a big twist in Summer 2003 when my brother was involved in an ATV accident. He was airlifted to Charity Hospital for emergency brain surgery. I remember how gut wrenching it was when my mom was told by the medical staff that he would not make it out of the hospital.

By the Grace of God and power of prayer, one month later he was able to be discharged home. During his hospitalization, I stayed with family and friends. My dad worked and mom cared for my brother. That was tough. I was thirteen at the time and had to mature really quickly. Having a brother with a traumatic brain injury has definitely brought its challenges for my family. It has been a long road to recovery but thankful he is here with us. Two years later came the thrill of high school, then college and nursing school.

I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. I thrive on helping others and love what I do! After nursing school, I got married and welcomed our first child into the world...a daughter named Kate, so sweet, loving and caring! Years later, we welcomed our son, Luke...so full of love and lots of energy! I was thankful to be able to primarily be a stay at home mom while my babies were little and experience all of the joys and excitement of motherhood.

Our life did not pan out the way we had planned and in 2020, divorce was filed. Going through a divorce is never easy. It's like being on one of those rough, wooden, jerky roller coasters. Throughout my divorce, I lived with my parents who are an absolute godsend. In May 2021, I moved into my first home with my children. A lot happened that year. A lot of hurt and ending relationships with people who meant the world to me. I was in between jobs, lost close relationships, felt alone, depressed, anxious. Life was a whirlwind and I thought I was at my low. I finally started back working more January 2022. I met a great guy and things were incredible. I was happy. I thought “Alright! My life is starting to get back on track. I’m back to a routine. Things are starting to look up ”

Then came the unfathomable. In February 2022, I found a lump in my right breast. It was hard, non-painful, fixated. All of the things I learned in nursing school that are abnormal. Eleven days after finding the lump, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. My heart sank. I was in shock. Numb. My thoughts and emotions were all over the place. How is this happening? Am I going to die? I am only thirty one years old! I am going to lose my beautiful blonde hair. I am a single mom. How am I going to work? I was in complete and utter disbelief. I will never forget the pit in my stomach when I had to call to tell my mom that I had breast cancer.

I battled and still battle all of the stages of grief daily. Sometimes hourly. Many do not realize the mental and emotional toll cancer takes on your body. You don't know, until you know! I started chemo immediately and around day eighteen started losing my hair. That was as hard as hearing I had cancer. I tried to not let losing my hair define who I was...but I did. Sounds vain I know, but I did! Cancer completely took over my world and I had no control over life anymore. After chemo, I had a bilateral Mastectomy and then a revision surgery. I have completed all of my treatments and am officially cancer free. Best words I could ever hear!

My kids, my family and close friends are my why. They are my world, my reason, my biggest cheerleaders. I am trying to figure out how to manage life after cancer and working on finding me again. I had to and still have to remain strong and positive and see this ride through.

Life is like a winding rollercoaster. We go up, we go down. We have twists and turns. Some experiences are like a hard, wooden roller coaster where you feel as if you'll never get off and others feel like you are covered with a support harness and able to just enjoy the ride. Never give up, always find a way to persevere, be willing to accept your challenges and push through it, and live life to the fullest because you only live once!

You Night Story Crafting www.younightevents.com

08/30/2023

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (maybe even add a little vodka!)
By Erin Clement

I received a huge lemon when my life was turned upside down by a little storm named Katrina.

Before Katrina, I lived my entire life in Metairie. I was a hairstylist, a wife, and a mom of three. All of my family lived nearby. I loved where I lived, where my children were going to school, and the salon that I worked at with my mother and sister. We had grown up in that salon, so everyone, including the clients, was family.

Katrina destroyed my house and the salon. We had to move, and wound up in Picayune, MS. I no longer had a house near all of my family, and I no longer worked with my family. My children had to start over in a new school. When I went to register them, I heard a staff member say, “The displaced families need to sign in over here.” I realized then that I was part of a displaced family. I was broken, and I had to completely restart my life.

While this was a great big lemon, I found a way to make lemonade. As a child, I wanted to be a teacher, so at this point in my life, I went back to school and became a teacher. I have met and made some amazing friends that have become family. I also learned how to become more independent.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 at the age of 50 and this diagnosis came with some lemons. The first was…the call. I was alone and three hours from my family, at a work conference. It was an overnight conference, and I had just gotten into my cabin and set up my room for the night when my doctor called me with my biopsy results. I was scared, lonely, confused, overwhelmed, and in denial. That lasted for about ten minutes after the phone call. When I called my husband, he didn’t take it well. Then I spoke to my daughter. She showed me that I wasn’t alone. She got me moving, I started to pack up and head home. I called my mom. She had been through cancer about fifteen years ago, and she was NOT supposed to be alive much less answering the phone.

That is when I began to feel strong, at peace, and ready for battle! My daughter stayed on the phone with me for all three hours it took to drive home. I felt the love and support from my family. I called my husband back with my new, positive attitude, and he began to accept it more. He began to feel positive. That is when I KNEW! A positive attitude can go a LONG way. I knew that everything was going to be okay, because I had faith in God, and He was with me. Lemonade!

The other big hurdle was the first plastic surgeon I went to see. He was very negative. He told me that I would be disfigured for life and that I would never look normal again. He said that I would have to go through as many as 6-9 surgeries to be even remotely okay, but that I would never be able to look at myself and see normal again. Talk about a big lemon!

I called my diagnosing doctor back and she immediately called St. Charles Breast Center. I cannot begin to tell you how BEAUTIFUL they were with me. They made me feel safe, cared for, and I knew everything was going to be alright! Lemonade!

More lemonade! Before the BIG C, I was about a size 20, tired, unhappy with the person I saw in the mirror, unhealthy, and no energy. I had lost weight because I had recently been diagnosed with diabetes, but my b***s were still a DDD Long! You know the old song do your b***s hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Can you tie em in a knot, can you tie em in a bow? I felt like that song was made for me! I had a huge tummy apron with tons of extra skin hanging there. Thanks to the surgeries, I became perkier with a flatter tummy, taking care of all of those problems!

Now, I feel great! I love how I look, and I have become more comfortable in my skin and I am currently cancer free! My faith in God and the love and support of my family and friends are my guiding light and motivation. I want to be able to help comfort others that may need my strength and positivity to help them get through their journeys. I know that all of the lemons I have been given have given me the strength to make lemonade.

I would like people to know that a positive attitude goes a long way! Try to see the best of a situation. Make your lemonade! And above all, have faith, for through God, ALL things are possible.

08/30/2023

The Ride of My Life
by JeriLynn Mayeur

All of my life, I have felt like I had to be independent, and do everything on my own.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis helped me to look back on my life prior to cancer. I have realized that it has felt like I have always been riding a roller coaster. There were times where I never truly fit in most friendship groups, and struggled maintaining these relationships throughout my life. There have been periods of time the ride was full, but only for me to learn that some of the people were there to enjoy the time with me, while others did not want to be there at all. Some
years, the ride was empty and I sat there feeling lonely and terrified. In my life, many friendships formed just the same as many friendships disappeared. It was during these times I learned that quality is greater than quantity, as I noticed which people never exited but stayed along for the entire ride.

To date, I have had three major laps on that roller coaster related to my journey with cancer. The first major lap on the roller coaster was receiving a stage 1 colon cancer diagnosis at age 31 (June 2020). Another milestone lap was finding a breast lump the day after my colectomy, and receiving a stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis six short weeks later in August 2020. The current ride I am on started in November 2022, with a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis at 33 years old. All of these laps have helped me realize life is too short to be unhappy and to always worry about what others think of you. I have learned to encourage others to live life day to day and appreciate everything life has to offer to you.

With any kind of journey, we have to let ourselves feel all of the emotions. It is okay to be sad, happy, exhausted, hopeful, positive, and even negative. Even though I am stuck on this ride, my goal is to remain optimistic about the future while allowing myself to cry as needed. Allowing myself to feel all these emotions has enabled me to learn what I want for myself, my family, and everyone in my life.

My biggest wake up call in improving the quality of my life was leaving a job that was running me into the ground and finding an environment where I could balance my career and my home life. As a parent with cancer I want to be there for my only child’s biggest moments. This is when the rollercoaster started slowing down, and I have been able to enjoy life more. Instead of a full time job working 40+ hours a week, I have a wonderful PRN/as needed position and can choose the days I work, making sure I am available for my family. My son is my pride and joy, and every decision I make is truly for him. I know I have to take care of myself to live as
long as I can. I can’t keep letting a fast roller coaster wear me down, and I am so grateful I made the decision to slow down and enjoy life more.

I have learned that it is okay to accept help from others and to let them ride the roller coaster with me. I do not have to do this alone, and I am very grateful for that. Life is not about what is in your life but who is in your life and who will stay with you through the good times and bad. I am now able to throw my hands in the air and feel weightless and joyful on this roller coaster ride that is my life. My main encouragement to all is to live life day to day, don't be afraid to be yourself, and enjoy every moment we can. Life is a precious gift, but also a thrilling adventure.

08/28/2023

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Today's interview features Gaudet, You Night Empowering Events Class of 2023.

Cathy's story is entitled: "From a Seed to a Tree"

From a Seed to a Tree
Authored by Catherine Gaudet

From a seed to a tree, growing and losing branches along the way, the rings of each year filled with knowledge, growth, love and loss. I relate my life to what is now a strong Magnolia tree. This tree has had quite a journey with many ups and downs.

Cancer has affected my life throughout my life!! My first experience was when I was 11 years old. We were a happy, healthy family with five children, me being both the middle child and the oldest daughter. My parents were both teachers and very involved in our lives, coaching us at the playground, taking us on Sunday drives and my mother being the girl scout leader. Suddenly what felt like a hurricane hit our lives causing me to lose my strongest branch. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of thirty-seven. I remember seeing her breast after her mastectomy, her bald head, her table of medicines and accompanying her to cobalt treatments. She did what I would say is today’s clinical trials for cancer treatment. Later in life I had asked my dad why she put herself through this when she knew she was dying, and he said in case any of her family would need treatment. I can remember my Paw Paw coming to visit throughout her illness and toward the end can still hear his words “Lordy, Lordy, Lordy –please don’t let me see my baby girl die”. He would be diagnosed with Lung Cancer and die a month before she lost her battle at thirty-eight.

This would be my original wake up call. I now became “the woman of the house” at the age of 12. Life as we knew it changed drastically. We went through some pretty tough times. We learned how to be there for each other and still to this day have an amazing bond, which has put some of the strongest branches on this tree!!

Strong branches continued to grow as I married my husband and we had three amazing sons. We were very involved parents, with my husband coaching every sport they played and us being a part of parents’ clubs. Katrina hit, taking a few branches, and life got crazy for everyone. My husband began having headaches and in May of 2006 was diagnosed with GBM, Stage 4 brain cancer. My world stopped.

Another major branch was being attacked. Statistically he was given a life expectancy of 6 months to a year. I threw myself (with the help of a village), into taking care of him and making sure whatever time he had left would be as good as it could be.
I was due for a mammogram in the beginning of 2007, finally having it done in September and was told I had a mass which proved to be breast cancer. I remember walking to my car alone, immediately calling my sister and breaking down crying the words “I have breast cancer”. The root of this tree had been attacked. My journey had now begun. Accompanied by family, I had my first visit with my surgeon. We discussed the strong history of breast and ovarian cancer on my mother’s side of the family. I would undergo a double mastectomy with a DIEP flap. My reconstruction surgeons at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery were amazing. EVERYONE associated with this group and the facility was wonderful!! Very rarely was the word Cancer said.

I went into surgery with breast and woke up with new breast!!! I would be fine, right? I received a call from my surgeons’ office informing me that I would need Chemo after genetic testing determined I am BRCA1 positive. The mutated gene I carry traces back to the Ashkenazi Jews from Europe. “

Another wakeup call - I would need chemo. I remember saying “I know You never give us more than we can handle, but exactly how strong a woman do you think I am?” Then quickly pulled back knowing to not question God. I had scheduled my chemo to coincide with my husband with my first treatment being on our 28th wedding anniversary!! I would have 6 chemo treatments, his were indefinite with the day they told us he wouldn’t need anymore would mean there was nothing left to do. On the morning of April 19th , 2009 I was awakended by three deep breaths. I looked over and my husband was gone. He left me with a last “I love you”. He lived almost 3 years once diagnosed!! I needed to be strong to support my children and grandchild. I can remember crying the first Christmas when he was gone and apologizing to my 6 year old granddaughter. She looked at me with the sweetest face and answered, “Mim, he is with the birthday boy, they’re probably having cake right now”!!

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” truly resonates with me. Without the support of strong family and incredible friends, I could never have made it through. My husband always said “It is what it is”. When faced with tough times, surround yourself with an army and fight the good fight!!!

Learn more about Story Crafting at: www.sheroseexperience.com

08/23/2023

https://youtu.be/HCXqaS8Y2RQ?si=DJyImdX2M5LoVPo2

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This is Casey Drewes Fradella's story entitled, "Look for the Rainbows".

Dolly Parton once said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” Throughout my cancer journey there have been many storms. Storms that were so severe that I couldn’t see past the rain. But Dolly reminds me that there is a rainbow after the most severe storms. So I have chosen to focus on the rainbows instead of the storms.

Before cancer, I was clueless that this could happen to me. I was even the one who spent countless hours raising money for cancer research. I spearheaded fundraisers at my school for the American Cancer Society and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I even traveled to Memphis to participate in the St. Jude Marathon Weekend as a St. Jude Hero for donating money. And I fundraised for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center where I would be a patient years later! But I never imagined being on the receiving end. I had just turned 40 and in the best shape of my adult life. My 40’s were going to be way healthier than my 30’s.

I will always remember the moment when I realized that things weren’t just routine and I would begin my cancer journey. I was in the middle of a breast ultrasound and the tech kept going over the same spot over and over and over. That’s the moment that it all began and the emotions started to flow. I was scared, nervous, worried and numb. Hearing those words, “YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER” has changed me and now I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.

I was just 40 years old. I scheduled a mammogram just a couple weeks after my 40th birthday because that’s what I was supposed to do, right?! I went to annual doctor appointments and felt healthier than I had in years. But that didn’t mean that I was immune to cancer. I don’t have much family history and there were no noticeable lumps or bumps, but the biopsy confirmed what was discovered during that dreadful ultrasound. So many questions began to run through my head. Is this really happening to me? Will I be able to get past this? How will I tell my family and friends? What does this mean for my daughters? Will I live in fear for the rest of my life wondering if it will come back?

The first year after my diagnosis, I was in fight mode. I had 2 major surgeries that year and spent most of the time recovering and searching for rainbows. I had a double mastectomy and then 8 weeks later, I had my reconstruction surgery. I wasn’t able to have the surgeries at the same time due to hospital protocols that year. So instead, I had two separate major surgeries to recover from in a short period of time, mixed in with a major hurricane only a week after my mastectomy that left me to recover without electricity! After those intense recoveries, I was able to see a glimpse at my future rainbow. I was able to go back to work and life started to feel a little more normal. However, the following year, I had two more surgeries. So at times, I felt like I was driving back into the storm instead of finding that rainbow on the other side. Then I realized it was time to try to find ME again. My body and my mind will never be the same. So I needed to find a new normal again and accept that cancer will always be a part of my life. That’s tough. And some days I still can’t believe that this is my story. I also had to find my purpose. I believe that I was meant to share my story. If I can provide hope for just one person, then I have achieved my purpose. I continue to spread hope and joy in hopes that others can find their own rainbows.

After all the storms the past 2 years, I am proud and honored to say that I’ve found my rainbow and “I AM CANCER FREE!” That doesn’t mean that my journey is over. There will be more storms. But I’m confident that there will also be more rainbows. One of the biggest lessons I learned through this journey is that life is too short. It’s important to do things that bring you JOY. So that is how I now live my life…full of JOY and rainbows!

"Dolly Parton once said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” Throughout my cancer journey there have been many storm...

07/10/2023

Living Life as a Fearless Warrior
By Joy Broggi

The definition of a Warrior - a person engaged in some struggle or conflict.

I really don’t remember much of my life before November 1968. I became a big sister for the 3rd time, I was 7 years old. My Momma went into labor and there were complications. The placenta started coming before the baby and my Mom started to hemorrhage. I didn’t learn these details until I was an adult.

Jennifer was born November 21 1968 at 12:49pm. My Daddy came home from Mercy Hospital and gathered my sisters and I in his room and sat us on our Momma’s cedar chest. With tears in his eyes he told us we had a baby sister, but she was born very sick. Dr. Tolmas, our pediatrician, was doing everything he could to help her get well.

The following day at school during morning announcements Str. Lester asked everyone to pray for Jennifer and our family. When my Daddy came home that day he did the same thing, but told us Angels came and took Jennifer to heaven. I remember being deviated! Jennifer was going to be my baby. I’m the oldest and felt like my sisters had a strong bond.

My family was devastated. My Momma was in the hospital for 2 weeks and my Daddy had to bury our sister without my Momma. No one saw her or held her. I wanted to know what she looked like and had to ask Dr. Tolmas because he was the only person we knew who had seen her.

My Momma and Daddy were very depressed, and so was I. My principal called and wanted to talk to my Daddy. They believed my Momma was transferring her depression onto me.

I became shy, withdrawn, and lost all self esteem. I was held back in 2nd grade. I was bullied, called me a loser and a failure. I’ve never told anyone that. I suffer with depression to this day. I became a Warrior for the first time.

When I was 22 I got Mononucleosis and was home for a month. I had no appetite and lost 65 pounds. I fell into depression again. I had a headache that was like nothing I had experienced before. My Daddy carried me into the ER like a baby. The ER doctor did a spinal to rule out Meningitis.

I remember thinking I was killing myself by not eating. I had to decide whether I wanted to live or starve myself? I thought about that question long and hard. I have just become a Nanny Joy for the first time and wanted to see him grow up. I just could not do that to my parents. It was extremely hard to force myself to eat. I didn’t get help because I was proud. I became a Warrior for the second time.

Depression hit hard after my 31st birthday. My biggest regret in life is not becoming a Mom and I felt like time was slipping away. I was living in Texas and had great friends, finally some one said we can love you, but you need professional help! She made me promise to call my insurance company and get an appointment with a therapist. It was the best thing I’ve done for myself.

My therapist Leeanne was my guiding light. She taught me skills to cope with my feelings. She had me ask my parents if they were open to coming to Texas to go to a therapy session with me, and of course they said yes.

She had us do some homework especially about how I felt growing up. She told me I was neglected, not on purpose, but grief is a strange emotion and everyone processes it differently. I felt my needs always came last. I wrote down everything I wanted to say and Leanne had my parents do the same. It was so hard telling them how I felt and finally forgiving them and myself. We were a grief stricken family doing the best we could. Looking back we should have all gone to therapy.

Deciding to seek out a therapist was the most important decision I’ve ever made. I use the skills Leeanne taught me to this day when life gets stressful. My life is not easy, but if I work on the difficulties at hand I will be stronger and victorious in life.

The one thing that never wavered is my love for God. I believe deep down I know His love for me is beyond my understanding. God is my compass and my Catholic faith keeps me pointed in the right direction.

This Fearless Warrior: is strong and can take whatever is thrown at her. Some days she is sad, scared and feels overwhelmed. However, if she works through her feelings and believes in herself she will hold her head up and soldier on.

06/18/2023

https://youtu.be/70pvk8zS-Xk

My Mixed Tape
by Gwendolyn New

“Well, there's a bridge, and there's a river, That I still must cross, As I'm going on my journey, Oh, I might be lost…” Step by Step by Whitney Houston.

My journey started in July 2020 when I was experiencing extreme pain and it was difficult to figure out what was happening. I had to see several doctors and press for answers and tests. Between the pain and confusion of not knowing what was causing it was almost more stressful than hearing the actual diagnosis. Finally, after an endometrial tissue sample was taken, which resulted in the most pain I think that I have ever experienced in my life, I found out that I had endometrial cancer. The pain was so bad that I felt like I was surrounded by the loud pounding drums which were just banging with no beat so I could barely think straight to drive home from the doctor. The drive home felt like several excruciating hours even though it was only 15 minutes.

The metaphor for my personal journey through my cancer battle is music and songs. “Life is a song; we each write our own lyrics.” The song of my life has had many high notes and low notes even before my diagnosis. My cancer diagnosis was a deep and sad song that seemed unbeatable. After 2 years I am starting to sing a more mellow and slow song as I continue my treatment and wait for an end to this journey. I look forward to singing songs of joy in the future to celebrate my victory.

My personal music connection is because music makes me happy, and I grew up singing in school choirs and my church choir. The music of my childhood was rather mellow and ordinary like background music of a flute, soft and peaceful. Growing up in a majority Catholic city and going to Catholic schools made me feel like I was already part of these wonderful traditions and helped me to continue to share and spread my love for others through my beliefs.

Through this journey I have been encouraging everyone to know and pay attention to their bodies and not to hesitate to push for answers and not to ignore your gut feelings. You can get through any difficult journey in your life by learning what you personally can handle physically, emotionally and spiritually. There were several moments that sounded like “Dun, Dun, Duuun” being played on the piano that were wake up calls leading to my actual diagnosis. My first wakeup call was learning to advocate for myself to get the tests that I needed to find out what was happening in my body. I felt very overwhelmed with emotions. I was experiencing a lot of physical pain and uncertainty. Spiritually, I didn’t know what to do and I was having trouble praying to God for help.

“Dun, Dun, Duuun!” The call from my gynecologist with the test results was the next wake up call. I had been waiting for almost 3 weeks for the test results. He told me that I had cancer, but I don’t remember much more about that conversation because I was in shock and disbelief. During those hours of my life, it was like the music had stopped and there was silence all around me. This was the start of many doctor visits.

Then a trumpet played a revelry which was my miracle when I heard from many people that Dr. Estes was one of the best doctors in the city for oncology/gynecology. My first visit with Dr. Estes, a close friend of both of ours attended the appointment with me as moral support. My wakeup call which was the actual call from the oncologist telling me that the Endometrial cancer had spread to my liver, and we were going to change the plan of action for my treatment before we had even started.

I had a full hysterectomy which got rid of most of the cancer. I had recently been going through the mental state of accepting that I might never have children of my own when my diagnosis led to my hysterectomy that tore out the page of my music book on the possibility of having my own biological children. This was all so hard for me because I had imagined being a mother at an early age because of my love for children and experience working with children.

I used to think I could not go on and life was nothing but an awful song… If I can see it, then I can do it, if I just believe it, there’s nothing to it… I believe I can fly; I believe I can touch the sky.” I have a personal connection to the song “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelley because it was sung by Irma Thomas at my graduation from Delgado Community College in May 2001. I know that the feeling of the cancer coming back someday will never go away but having the freedom from the cancer will help free my mind for a while.

I felt very overwhelmed with emotions. I was experiencing a lot of physical pain and uncertainty. I don’t know why I was feeling this way, but I was confused and just didn’t know where and who to turn to, to help me understand this challenge in my life. I have felt helpless before when trying to help others, but this was like hearing a record skip on the player when it is finished playing.
It took me a long time to see a guiding light or motivation to help me to look forward and think positively about my cancer. Like the song, “Both Sides Now,” from Joni Mitchell, we win and lose, we give and take, we laugh and cry, and sometimes clouds get in the way, and we really don’t know life at all. There were days I felt good and could go out to lunch with friends which helped me to feel normal and get my mind off being sick. Laughter was the best medicine during these times. The song “Bridge over Troubled Water,” comes to mind when I think of this part of my journey. When things get tough your friends are there to ease your mind!

I joined the “You Night Sisterhood Group” and reconnected with many old friends and made many new friends as well. This was an important part of me feeling a reason to be more involved in the outside world while I was still going through my treatments. My favorite activity through You Night was the ScArt (art created using a visual of our scars). I have always enjoyed doing various types of art. I was thinking about the symbolism of a rose and the song, “Every Rose has its Thorn,” by Poison. There is beauty in the rose and the bloom itself as a new beginning but there is hurt, pain and then scars left behind. I am becoming a new person because of all that I have learned through my cancer journey. The red rose is a symbol of love.

My words of wisdom are to be patient with your journey and the process of healing and know your body and ask for help! You will survive like the song by Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive.” “At first, I was afraid, I was petrified… I grew strong and I learned to get along… It took all my strength I had, not to fall apart… I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high… Oh no, not I, I will survive… I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give.” Although this is a song about a relationship most of the words are extremely relevant to my relationship with my cancer fight.

Gratitude
I would like to thank Dr. Jacob Estes (Oncologist), Dr. Michael
Weidemann(Gynecologist), Dr. Kiran Zaveri(Primary Care Physician), Caroline Conway
(Nurse and neighbor), Ochsner infusion team, surgery teams, scan team, lab team, and
home nurses. My mother, Molly and Steve Zeringue, J.P. and Rebecca, Nick and Tanya,
Steve Jones, Tanya Smith, Sheryl Perez and family, Rodi Rodriguez, Caroline and
Edward Conway, Dona and Chelsea, Liz and Jimmy, Mary Stafford, SPX co-workers
and school/church community, Camy Grau, Mary Ridolfo, Sherry Heller, Debbie
Tonguis, Angela Becnel, Lisa McKenzie and all of the You Night sisters.

Listen in as Gwendolyn shares how her life has been like a mixed tape of many songs and through it all she remains strong."The metaphor for my personal jou...