Ericka's Story: Cancer Gave Me the Pause I Needed
Ericka is a Breastcancer.org Community member in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Cancer became a pause in my life. A moment to stop and look around to see who is there and who has been with me since I was born, that person who knew me from the moment I was in my mother's womb. Everything has been difficult, but even more so after finishing chemotherapy and radiation.
The impact has been greater seeing the confidence I had in myself vanish, and it's not because I'm missing a breast, it's because my identity as a woman has crumbled. Then there's the financial aspect, which, although no one wants to talk about it, has had consequences for my family.
The only refuge I've found during this time has been my faith.
Going from being a completely healthy person, and at 41, without children, receiving this news, sometimes I think, "It's better that I don't have children, because I don't know how we would cope with this blow as a family."
Searching for answers online, I found Breastcancer.org, where I find valuable and very accurate information, as well as testimonials that demonstrate that what I am going through is valid, even though not everyone experiences it the same way.
