Paying it Forward

Susan & Sydney - Mentors Extraordinaire

Well, this blog post is long overdue but full of the greatest gratitude for two past acquaintances Susan and Sydney. Two ladies and now dear friends who I don't know what Hil and I would have done on this third journey of cancer without them. Kind, empathetic, hilarious, positive, compassionate, creative and helpful are only a few words to describe these two humanitarians. Reconnected through a mutual friend at the onset of my diagnosis, we started emailing, then texting and now check in with each other with weekly regularity.

Sydney, a breast cancer survivor herself, faced her own challenges and odyssey with her diagnosis just a couple of years ago and came out of it with immense beauty, dignity and a force to be reckoned with. So, when we were reconnected over a month ago, we reacquainted ourselves fairly quickly like sisters-from-another-mister. Equal in a positive attitude and a vision to kick cancer's a$$, she became my cancer GPS directing me to doctors, nurses, community resources and tricks of the trade for recovery. And may I add that her labor and delivery band to hold all four of my drains in place was pure genius (thanks to her Labor & Delivery nursing skills). On top of all of this, she was also currently going through a re-do with her own reconstruction due to a setback and of course, came out of it with an admirable level of pep and pizzazz!

As for Susan, she quickly became my personal medical and wound-care specialist (her professional line of work - SCORE!). And, I've decided that everyone needs a Susan during this gig. Not only did she become my own personal stand-up comedian but her wit and brilliance kept me fueled. Because, let me tell you something, when you are standing on the battlefield with something like cancer, you need some LMAO moments and that's exactly what she did for me.

Collectively, they are the force and vitality that you need standing in your lane on the cancer highway. From giving me bags of goodies for my recovery, meeting me at doctor's appointments, showing up to the surgery prep room at the hospital at 7:00am on the morning of the 'big surgery', to scoring me a private room at the hospital, I felt beyond blessed to have these two gals and mentors by my side every step of the way.

So my point here is simple. Pay it Forward! I don't know what you're going through in your own life, and I know that we all get the wind taken out of our sails, but to do it with a mentor (or two!) and then be able to pay it forward is the ultimate reward. So, to Susan & Sydney, I salute them both and pay them the utmost respect and gratitude. And to you my friends and family, I hope you can find a Susan and a Sydney in your life or at the very least, pay it forward - their style!