May 9, 2012
Oh boy, I can’t believe I haven’t written since October. I’m sure my blogger’s license has been revoked by now, but I’m going to give this a whirl anyway.
It’s hard to believe that I’m approaching my 2-year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. Just recently I was going through a bin of “bits and bobs,” and came across my 2010 calendar…
June 21: Mammogram.
The day that would be the beginning of a journey that I had already traveled 14 years earlier. It gave me chills to actually see the words in black and white but it also made me realize that I don’t think about cancer very much anymore. Sure, there are days or moments when I go back in time, get scared, feel sad…but those days are few and far between. I know my cancer journey is never going to be over but it’s not a part of my daily life any longer. This journey has turned a corner.
So, what have I been doing these past 7 months since I’ve been away from this blog?
I’ve had 3 haircuts. It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was sporting (or should I say covering) this hairdo:
I started a part-time job for Hallmark. It’s been a good way for me to slowly get back into the working world, one greeting card at a time.
I got Shingles. Shouldn’t you be immune to getting things like Shingles, the flu, or colds when you’ve had cancer twice? Just doesn’t seem fair to me.
I’ve been making little Hope dolls…
(hey, a little privacy please. Can’t you see that we’re naked and bald?)
all dressed and ready to go to Advocate Good Shepherd hospital in Barrington for a show.
And most importantly, I’m just living life!
So as this anniversary approaches, what could be more fitting than to be at the Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Grayslake last month where I came upon this…
An engraved brick with the sweetest message was sitting along the walkway of the place where I first learned I had cancer again. The place where I felt warmth and compassion, the place that holds so many memories for me. What a perfect place for this little remembrance to be!
(To give you some background…when I was first diagnosed, Bob heard about a fundraiser for the new Cancer Center at the Grayslake facility. People had the opportunity to purchase a brick engraved with a personalized message for the garden area. As a surprise, Bob and Bobby donated money for a brick in my honor–but it took until just recently for the bricks to be placed.)
After donating the brick, Bob was interviewed for a story in the Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital magazine:
Bob Liginski wanted to do something for his wife Cathy. Although she beat breast cancer over 14 years ago, a recent mammogram at the Grayslake Campus showed that the disease was back.
“I wanted to give hope to future patients who walk into the center and get that kind of news,” Liginski says. “You could go into the garden, or spend time there while you’re waiting, and see the names of many survivors. We’ve been so happy with the facility and all of the doctors here. It wasn’t just a way to give hope–it was a way to say thank you.
Bobby Liginski, the couple’s seven-year-old son, gave his dad a dollar so that the brick would officially be a gift from him as well.
“It was a great way to teach him about money and the importance of giving back. Cathy was so surprised and happy. She can’t wait to see how it looks once it’s complete.”
And it’s finally complete. And I am happy!
Back in the Summer of 2010, I couldn’t imagine being where I am today, but here I am. I got through it. I’m cured. And I’m looking forward to celebrating my two-year anniversary…
as a very grateful wife, mother, and survivor!
Tags: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, breast cancer, breast cancer survivor, Grayslake, Li'l Hope, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital
