Ok - I have a great story!
Today is Sunday and I woke up and started to get ready for church. I struggled in the bathroom because I was thinking about my right breast and how sad it was that it had to be removed. I missed it a lot. I have something there but still. I cried a good one and then I thought how blessed I am.
Now on to the story:
I got to church an hour before mass started because as Rob was dropping off Lucas for religious ed. I would get dropped off at church and do my prayers in church.
I love going early because it's so quiet and I like to pray before the statue of the Blessed Mother. I like to do this because I'm a visual person and looking at the statue makes me feel good. As I've been learning to meditate I also use meditating during prayer. I like to meditate everyday on my crucifix. I look at and pray on the face of Jesus on the cross. I like this because I was told that my cancer is my crucifix to carry so I try to think about Jesus carrying his cross and I get great strength from that. A couple of times I have meditated and thought the eyes on my Jesus were open. On my actual cross they are closed but I swear a couple times now they are open. This is special and I would have never believed in such a thing if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
So I said my prayer by the Blessed Mother and then I sat down to say my morning prayers and say a rosary. I saved my St. Theresa Prayer for the basement where I found a statue of St. Theresa a few weeks ago. I love looking at her. After that I went to the restroom because I needed to take some Tylenol before mass. The sink in the bathroom was out of order so I had to go up stairs.
I was making my way through the basement when I seen a women, tall, slender, cool glasses, long brown coat, beautiful brown leather purse and amazing scarf making her way towards St. Theresa. I thought to myself - How strange I never seen anyone else greet the statues in the basement before. We said "Hi" to each other and as I was walking by she was stopping at St. Theresa. I went up stairs to the other bathroom only to find her standing by the bathroom.
Here's our conversation:
Me: Are you waiting for the restroom?
The woman: Yes, but I believe you are ahead of me. I seen you in the basement.
Me: No, that's OK I just need a drink of water. (then I notice a faucet outside of the bathroom) And I see there is water right here.
Woman: Do you have a cup?
Me: NO (not very prepared)
Woman: Wait- here you go (she hands me a collapsible cup from her purse)
Me: Thank you- I'm not used to taking a pill when I'm out and about.
Woman: Are you sick?
Me: I had surgery and I'm taking some Tylenol for pain.
Woman: What kind of surgery, I'm a doctor.
Me: A mastectomy
Woman: What? How old are you, you look like you are in you 20s? (love that comment especially after my feel sorry for myself morning)
Me: 40
Woman: Do you have cancer?
Me: Yes
Woman: I'm a pathologist- which breast cancer do you have and what type of tumor?
Me: Invasive Ducal Carcinoma, Estrogen positive, Size 2in x 2in
Woman: Where did you have your surgery?
Me: Memorial in NY
Woman: Who is your oncologist?
Me: Still working on that
Woman: Well do you use deodorant? Stop using it. Get a good oncologist, ask your Doctor at Memorial to ask who is good here and also ask Breast Cancer Survivors who they like, Eat Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains, Pray, Meditate, and have 1 Bowel Movement a day(BM- funny she finishes on that note because BM are always on my mind).
Me: Thank you so much
Woman: I work in NYC but I have a home in Endicott. My name is XXXXXX and you can get in touch with me any time.
She gave me her address here and in NY. She was the sweetest lady.
OK- so that was interesting but then I was able to talk with her after mass. Turns out she has attended a couple of seminars my surgeon has given and she knows of her. We talked about food, meditating, oncologists, prayer, family and stress. She is the 2nd female doctor to ask me about my life as in was it a stressful life or was a "martyr" type. There are people who believe people who have a stressful life an don't take time for them self suffer physically. I must say when I lived in a home with a mean person I was not well. Anyways she said I did everything she herself would have done if faced with Breast Cancer and that I will be fine. She asked about children and I told her of Lucas and my new marriage. She asked if I was going to have a baby. I told her I wasn't sure. When leaving the last thing she said to me is "Who knows you may decide to have a baby in a couple years." That was funny to me because just last night Rob and I were talking about that because he felt bad for dragging his feet and now thinks maybe the chance is lost.
Now here's my favorite part of the story, we talked about prayer and saints. She began to tell me to pray to the saints and I told her I pray to St Theresa. She laughed and said, "me too", and I seen you in the basement. I told her yes I said my prayer to St. Theresa. Then she said to me "That's amazing because when I was down there today I thought her eyes were looking somewhere else today and that was when you were walking by." "She was watching you."
Here's a pic from Mardi Gras the last year before the flood. See how I can dance? I love the hand behind the head.....What a cheese ball. The guy? Rob was taking the pic. Yeah I know all those beads.....it's not what it looks like.
