I met a true warrior today. A beautiful, slim woman sporting a bald head just like me. I am in for my second chemo; she has completed her chemo and is just back for a Herceptin infusion. Starting radiation on Thursday.

We both caught our breast cancer early but she had one lymph node positive so our treatments are a little different. I call her a true warrior because she almost died after her first chemo treatment. It is sometimes hard to believe that the drugs used to heal you are also drugs that can kill you. She went home after chemo, passed out, and stopped breathing. Her husband gave her CPR and called 911.

She spent four days in ICU and three more days in the hospital. Discovered she had Addison’s disease. She has three children and nine grandchildren. She has too much to live for; not planning on checking out anytime soon. Warriors encouraging warriors. Sharing life stories; sharing experience, strength, and hope. Encouraging each other to keep taking the next step.

Some days it feels hard to keep taking the next step, but what else can we do? We are suited up in our armor and so many people expecting us to be strong, expecting us to keep fighting. That is our job now— trying to stay alive. Trying to survive to live a life that has now changed forever.

Each moment seems to mean something now. The people in my life, now so dear and so important. The beauty of nature, blessing my life like never before. These are the things that I need to hang on to, the things that are important. I pray that I will be able to remember and cling to the lessons I am learning with each new day.