MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Hi everyone, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so this edition of The Whole Woman Newsletter is being dedicated to all the women that are survivors of Breast Cancer.
The stories that are in this newsletter are told in the words of the women themselves and let me tell you, it is heart-warming.
Today there is hardly one household that has not been touched by Breast Cancer.
Through performing my self breast examination, I discovered a lump in my breast about six years ago, I am so grateful to God that when it was removed it was benign (non cancerous).
Since then, I have made it my business to have my Mammogram done each year on time and to live my life to its fullest.
Each Month, there are thousands of women out there that are diagnosed but they are not as fortunate.
Many of them including my mother and my sister did not survive the ravages of the disease. To these women we ought to vow to fight until we eradicate Breast Cancer.
To all my sisters out there that are survivors I say take it by the neck choke it out and you go girl!
Please know that being proactive by performing your self breast examination and having your Mammogram done each year could save your life.
I make a vow here today in this newsletter that if there is any woman out there that is afraid to go and have a mammogram done by themselves, e-mail me and I will go along with you for support.
This is my way of giving back for my mother and sister.

MY STORY

Julie Kenny

It was near my forty-eighth birthday in March of 2004. I had finally decided to get a complete physical after putting it off for several years. I chose a new doctor's office since I hadn't seen one for a while. At the office a very young, new, female doctor did my examination. She looked like a teenager and I was doubtful of her capabilities. During my breast exam she said to me "Do you know that you have a lump in this breast?" and she guided my finger to the tiny lump on my right breast. "That little thing, that isn't anything" I said. "Yes it is, 'that' is cause for concern" she said. "Man that's too small to be anything I said so she called the senior doctor and he gave me a fine needle biopsy which after testing came back negative. However the lab requested a bigger tissue sample to test for a better test. The doctor said he would set it up with the specialist and call me back. He didn't and I didn't check back thinking everything was fine.

About six months later I went back to the same doctor for another reason and after reviewing my file he immediately sent me to the specialist for another biopsy. A week later the results were back, this time he said the test result was positive and he said "You have Breast Cancer and you should have the breast removed, this is the name of a surgeon you should see". I was in disbelief, "Breast Cancer is not in my family" I said and I come from a family of nine sisters and none of them have or had cancer plus I'm one of the youngest. "Well, you are the first" he said. I was doubtful of this diagnosis and thought that they all had made a mistake. I went home feeling devastated and numb and told my family, they were extremely sympathetic and supportive they prayed and I prayed and this made me feel a bit relieved.

After talking with other people and the surgeon Dr. Munroe, about all of the medical circumstances surrounding breast cancer, the surgery and treatment I still couldn't quite accept that this was true so I went out of the country for a second opinion. There I received many tests and was pleased with the service I received however the prognosis was the same, "BREAST CANCER and a MASTECTOMY as soon as possible". I decide to come back home and have it done using the same surgeon who had so competently explained the whole picture to me before. Also, because I knew that my family and close friends would only be a phone call and a car drive away.

My surgery went very well, but the treatment afterward was extremely difficult for me. The six cycles of chemotherapy always affected me a few days after the actual treatment. There were times I felt as though I would not wake up if I went to sleep. However, with the prayers and support I received from my family and friends along with the information from other women who had gone through it and had survived made my strength and faith, stronger. I was also introduced to a group called the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group where there was even more support and stories of women going through or had gone through similar situations. There I gained even more knowledge and it helped me to totally accept and deal with what I had gone through and continue to experience.

My hair dropped off from every place that hair grew, my fingers, toes as well as my tongue all turned black I felt as though I would never be the same again, My bones aced all the time and many times I felt like an old lady my fingers and hands were so stiff, numb and tingled so bad that I was told I had Carpel Tunnel, whatever that is. I had to have surgery in both hands at the same time to get rid of it. That is when I said "THE DEVIL IS A LIAR" no way will I give in to anything else. My prayers and faith in God got deeper still and I was determined to beat whatever sickness that came my way. After figuring out that the cancer tablets that I was taking may be the reason for all of the other side problems, I was developing I told the oncologist, he changed my medication. The bone pain, stiffness and tingling all went away.

Guess what ladies the wigs store became one of my favorite places I wore so many different styles until my hair began to grow back. When I was tired of the wigs I did my short hair styles. Ladies Breast Cancer is not a death sentence. Early detection is the key to survival along with as much knowledge as you can find. A strong faith in God and a different outlook on life and health also helped to keep me going.

Today I am a ten year survivor doing well. I praise God for his healing power and with God before me I'm a WARRIOR MOVING CANCER FREE through more and more healthy years.

"To believe is to find strength and courage that lies within us. To know that life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it."

Julie Kenny
Educator & Breast Cancer Survivor

2014

MY STORY

Yvette Cargill

"If God Be For Me, . . Who Can Be Against Me?

Hi! I am Yvette Rosetta William Cargill. Around March of 2002 I found a pea-sized lump in the outer left portion of my left breast. Being the exact person that I am, I immediately sought my doctor's advice. Upon examining me, he suggested we wait a while to watch its movement. Two weeks later it got smaller, but upon looking at my files, he noticed that I was already thirty-eight and had not had a mammogram. A couple of days later, my first mammogram was done at Doctors Hospital. To my surprise, that little lump was not found, but it detected a mass forming in my chest where it joined my breast.

An ultrasound was suggested: but, I did not have the ultrasound done right away because I thought I was out of danger because there was no lump. I thought I had injured my breast in the store, and because it hurt at touch, it was okay. (I'm a florist, so it was quite possible).

I was urged by an acquaintance to have the ultrasound done, I did and It was abnormal. A biopsy was done shortly after and cancer was found.

This was not supposed to happen to me. I was too sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost; God was supposed to keep me, He was supposed to care for me and protect me from this kind of danger, or so I thought.

I was referred to Dr. Locksley Munroe who, after presenting me with many options, presented me with the reality - CANCER!!!!! A week later, on August 5, 2002, I had a mastectomy of my left breast. God kept me. I encountered no major difficulties, and started chemotherapy six to eight weeks later.

A new chapter in my book was written.
Today I am still surviving.
He will do it for you.
Yvette Cargill

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THE STORY OF OLIVE'S LIFE

Olive Collie

At age twenty-nine I was diagnosed with cancer four months after giving birth to my third child. After many prayers, I checked into the Hospital in May 1970 and underwent surgery. They told me a few days later that I fell out in the bathroom. When I woke up the next morning, I told the nurse I had had a dream. I saw a plaque at the end of my bed with the words:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27
Many prayers brought me through this first challenge.

Thirty-three years later, I was diagnosed again with breast cancer. I had the operation and started chemotherapy in December. Unfortunately, my body rejected the chemo and my white blood cell count kept dropping. The oncologist reduced the dosage but it did not work.

At that time I was very weak and the chemo had given me many complications. The doctor sent me back home with Tamoxifen tablets and an appointment to see him again in six months. I walked out of his office with tears filling my eyes, and Jesus, on my side.

I went back to the clinic six months later for my mammography report and was told that I was in good health but I knew I was not. I went to see another physician right away. He knew something was wrong, and referred me back to the theater for a biopsy. The test results showed that my cancer had reoccurred, so he sent me to another oncologist. She recommended chemotherapy again In 2006. That went well, with few complications.

I offer many prayers as I go on with my life. As I talk to God at night, with tears filling my eyes, I don't understand what God is doing in my life right now. I told Him that the only thing I can do is to walk by faith and not by sight.

To my Sister Sister Support Group: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 6 - 7 NIV). Be encouraged. Anyone can beat cancer, because being victorious is not just about being cured. Don't ever doubt it. Remember: God has many ways to heal us. I hope you are a part of a cancer support group where you can share laughter and tears together. I am a firm believer and scientific studies agree that cancer patients seem to live longer and better when they regularly attend support meetings.

Are You Clear?

**The Power of Clarity

By: Michelle M. Miller, CC

The thoughts you think, the words you speak, and actions you take, relate to your sense of clarity.

Having a strong sense of clarity is the key to overcoming obstacles, achieving your goals, and living a life of meaning and purpose.

The question is - are you clear? Do you have clarity about who you are and what you need to make your life work?

The short answer is – most people are not clear. The overwhelming challenges of daily living make clarity difficult. Without clarity, there is chaos.

Being clear is about organizing and prioritizing your life. An unorganized life is often the result of an unorganized mind. When you organize your mind, you gain the gift of clarity.

It is like breathing from a deeper place. By inhaling more deeply, you supply more oxygen to your brain, which stimulates deep thinking. You are better able to identify not only what is important to you but more so, why it is important.

Why do you suppose some people are more successful than others are? Well, success is relative. However, today the world is flat. There are countless number of opportunities to excel in any area of our lives. Still, due to the lack of clarity, many cannot see the forest for the trees. Those big opportunities that are right in front of their eyes remain invisible.

Real success is about going deeper. It is about understanding who you are, what it is that you want, and knowing the skills you need to make it happen. If you truly desire to experience a more enriching life, then it is time for you to get clear.

An added barrier to clarity is the habit of shallow conversations and surface based information. Commit to seek out deeper dialogues that add value to your thinking capacity. You cannot get clarity from confusion.

Do not get stuck chewing the same old bone day in, day out. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result, as it goes, leans towards insanity. To get something different, you must do something different.

As a man thinketh, so is he, is not just some great quote. The fact is thinking is a skill. You must learn how to think. Knowing what to think is far removed from knowing how to think.

Quality thinking is an essential pillar for life success. When you learn how to think, you release old habits that no longer serve who you are now. You begin to adopt a new trend of thought.

The point is, you cannot see clearly, if you are not thinking clearly. New thinking brings a new sense of clarity about what is possible for your life.

Taking the lead is about getting out front. It is about your courage to think beyond the surface. Consider the value of your time and understand that you cannot dive into the depth of the ocean, if you spend most of your time lollygagging on the seashore of life.

You must shift away from chaos towards clarity. Dropping old habits is not a simple task. However, just as we breathe a sigh of relief when we take the garbage out of our homes, when we shift from chaos to clarity, our lives gain that same sense of relief.

Make today the day that you take the lead to access the power of clarity. In so doing, you clear away the fog and truly place your life on the path to meaning and purpose.

Now is the perfect time to shift your life paradigm.

What do you think?

Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

© Michelle M. Miller

Michelle M. Miller is a certified Life-Coach, Leadership Expert and Author of Take The Lead. She is the CEO of TTL Coaching Strategies and founder of the Girls Leadership Coaching Club. Questions or comments can be sent to email – coaching242@yahoo.com or telephone 429-6770 or visit www.taketheleadbook.com or snail mail to P.O. Box CB-13060

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PRETTY PRETTY!