Chal·lenge
“A call to fight, as in a battle, a duel, etc.“
It was the spring of 2014. I remember my doctor escorted me past the examining room, straight back to his office, where he closed the door behind me. I may not be a card-carrying member of Mensa International, but I knew something was up. He opened his laptop and started explaining the results from the biopsy he’d taken from my body three weeks prior. Unfortunately, I read three paragraphs ahead of my doctor, and scanned two words that took my breath away, “malignant melanoma”.
I didn’t hear anything he said after reading that.
Fast forward to February 2017. I was diagnosed with a very rare, infiltrating, aggressive basal cell cancer, whose “fingers” wrapped around the nerves in my face and were headed towards my brain. To make matters worse, it metastasized over my entire body. In addition to the aggressive basal cell cancer, melanoma was found on my back. Cancer had challenged me to a fight.
I accepted the challenge. I wasn’t going to fight cancer, cancer was going to fight me! Instead of “why me,” I embraced “try me” and braced myself for the fight of a lifetime.
In life, you can be the bug or the windshield. I challenged myself to be the windshield. I also challenged myself to share my cancer journey openly, utilizing my public image as a former radio/tv personality, to help bring awareness to skin cancer prevention. I challenged myself to be a loud voice in St. Louis, Missouri, to raise money for skin cancer research with the hope that one day we find a cure.
After nine surgeries in the last 13 months (including a 9+ hour facial reconstruction), over 400 stitches, radiation, chemo, physical therapy and occupational therapy, I’m here to tell you that I am on the road to recovery.
I challenge all of you to be kind, stay humble, do more than is expected, give more than you take, dream big, make a difference in this world and GET REGULAR SKIN CHECK-UPS! Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe!
