| Life can resume after breast cancer. As a | | | | were worth, being solicitous of their mother. A |
| two-time survivor I can attest personally to that | | | | nighttime canopy tour in Costa Rica capped that |
| fact. Phil 4:13 states "I can do all things through | | | | memorable trip. Like one of the local howler |
| Christ who strengthens me." And I can. Below I | | | | monkeys I zipped along the cable line from tree |
| share a portion of my strength-filled journey to | | | | to tree in utter darkness. |
| breast cancer recovery. | | | | A year later I found myself river rafting again, |
| Ever hear a kid whine, "I can't"-really meaning | | | | this time in a motorized rig down the Colorado |
| it-when asked to do something scary? Even | | | | River through the Grand Canyon. The trip was |
| slightly scary? | | | | sponsored by a creation ministry to show the |
| After diagnosis I didn't want to crash my own | | | | devastation caused by the worldwide flood in |
| pity party and spoil it, but it was time to get real! | | | | Noah's day. For me, the biggest highlight of this |
| Get real mad at God or get real charged up and | | | | adventure was rope-climbing up a slippery rocky |
| off my duff. It was my choice entirely. | | | | slope to view-and take a shower in-a beautiful |
| While I was recovering from my lumpectomy, | | | | waterfall hidden in a cave. Such a feat was a |
| my husband Jim came to my hospital room with | | | | perfect example of breast cancer recovery at its |
| a wrapped present. When I unraveled the glittery | | | | best! |
| paper, a pair of in-line skates stared at me from | | | | I continue to engage in lymphedema exercises, |
| the box with hopeful eyelets. | | | | stretching, and weightlifting within limits. But I don't |
| I couldn't believe it. "What am I supposed to do | | | | put my affected arm in the hot tub and I wear |
| with these?" I wailed. "I have drains drooping from | | | | gloves when gardening. No sense asking for |
| my side like suction bulbs hanging from a | | | | trouble. I do pay the piper after extreme |
| half-inflated air mattress. This is crazy!" | | | | exercise, but the exercise is worth the |
| His retort? "Get with the program." | | | | psychological boost to me. I have found in every |
| Yeah, right! He obviously was a big fan of breast | | | | case after heavy exercise that the swelling in my |
| cancer recovery. | | | | arm recedes like seawater in low tide if I |
| After undergoing chemo and radiation, I | | | | self-manage it. |
| developed a swelling condition called lymphedema | | | | A few years after my recovery from the |
| in my left arm due to the surgery and radiation | | | | lumpectomy, I put into a yard sale those in-line |
| of lymph nodes under my arm. After I received | | | | skates that I had gotten from Jim in the hospital. |
| treatment for this condition, I decided that my | | | | But having a change of heart, and at the last |
| life-threatening illness and swollen arm were not | | | | "a-ha" moment, I rescued them from the |
| going to bring me down. I generally exercised | | | | merchandise pile. Trying them out in my driveway |
| caution when hiking, gardening and jogging as a | | | | and a local park was fun-and I am still skating. I |
| result of my lymphedema; however, as time | | | | also downhill ski, climb some hills (such as Mt. Sinai |
| slipped by, I decided to become more | | | | on my trip to the Holy Land), do light gardening to |
| adventurous. | | | | my heart's content, hot-tub it, do housework, and |
| After my second encounter with cancer, our | | | | on and on. I attend a fitness center three days a |
| family took a whitewater rafting trip down a river | | | | week to work out. Now when a doctor says I |
| in Costa Rica. Unlike another raft accompanying | | | | can't do something, I view that as a challenge, to |
| us, piloted by an investment banker from New | | | | try to prove the physician wrong. |
| York City, our family's raft of five hardy souls did | | | | The train to breast cancer recovery is leaving the |
| not tip over. Our three sons rowed for all they | | | | station- and, God willing, I don't intend to miss it. |