Please enjoy the fifth story in our series “The Loving Kindness Project”:
My name is Dorothy. I am 59 years of age and the mother of two adult sons. I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in May 2010. When I was told this by my doctor I really felt down and out, thinking that “This is it, I am going to die”.
But after composing myself and thinking about my two sons that I had to live for I said to myself, “You know what? This is not a death sentence”.Right away I called my friend Ingrid who too is a cancer survivor (21 years). After talking with her she said to me, “D don’t worry we are going to get through this together” and she went to all my doctor’s appointments with me before and after surgery.
After surgery it was chemo and radiation. I had another friend Gail, who, when she heard, came running to me. She too is survivor of seven years and she was by my side all through chemo and radiation.
I also had a very supportive family unit—mother, sister and brothers who stuck with me all through those good and bad days. And my office family, I received tremendous support from them.
I pray every day and night and I thank God that I am still here to tell my story and be able to help some other person or persons to get through what I have already been through.