Guest Post: Heather Von St. James

The blogosphere is a wonderful community of people who share with each other their lives, their stories, hopes, and everything in between. Each blogger has a different story to tell. Today, I would like to introduce to you guys a truly remarkable blogger, Heather Von St. James. She sent me an email asking if she could do a guest post on my blog. Wow, what an honor to have her here. Today she is here to share with us her story battle story and the power of hope.

Facing the Diagnosis and Learning the Power of Hope

I spent my life living optimistically. In my mind, the glass was always half full and the world was a beautiful place. My confidence in the world became shaken when I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36. Three and a half months after my first and only child, Lily was born; the doctor told me that I had malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma-a long stream of world that meant one thing: I was facing death head on. My diagnosis on November 21, 2005 made me realize that I had better get busy living, or spend the last few moments of my life regretting the things I had not done. I could give up, let myself sink into the depths of despair, or curse God; but I did not. My little girl was just starting out her life and she needed a mother to guide her. This was supposed to be a time of rejoicing after my daughter’s birth and instead I was facing the battle of my life, for my life. I wanted to be around to see my daughter graduate from high school and have a family of her own. Giving up was not an option.

I think of my battle optimistically. Having to fight cancer forced me to review my own life. I learned how to view any situation through rose-colored lens and find a way to escape from the fear. Other people have been diagnosed before and more will be in the future. I wanted to be there for future victims to give them the hope that I struggled so hard to find.

My fight was a lucky one. My doctor was one of the world’s best doctors for mesothelioma, Dr. David Sugarbaker. He set the Groundhogs Day of 2006 as my surgery date. Jokingly, I named my tumor Punxsutawney Phil and called the surgery day, Lung-leaving day. On this day, my left lung would be removed and leave my body. Every year since then, I have held a celebration for Lung-leaving Day. My cancer is gone, but it has left me with an extreme gratitude for getting a second chance to live again. Meeting other people who have dealt with this diagnosis has opened my eyes. As we struggle to bring awareness to the disease, I see the dreadful impact cancer has on the family of the other patients. Everyone who undergoes the battle is a friend in my eyes. They have faced down fear and learned to have hope. Life has a purpose now and I have dedicated myself to helping others learn how to deal with this terrible diagnosis.