Thank-you for including my story in your inspiring venture, made all the more special for me by watching my nephew Steve Coleman’s involvement and dedication to the “Typically Canadian Group”.

When I was diagnosed in May, 2003 with breast cancer at age 48, I had already stopped working because of an unmanageable level of fatigue. In a way, it was a relief to find out why I hadn’t been able to regain sufficient strength to work despite taking time off. Surgery to remove the tumor confirmed that the cancer had also spread to the lymph nodes and was described as being at a stage 2. Months of chemotherapy followed at the Juravinski Centre in Hamilton and my respect for all of those who cared for me there only increased as time went on. The system in place for people with breast cancer is quite overwhelming and reassuring.

The facility itself spoke to a high level of concern that exists for cancer patients and their families. It was equally touching to experience so much support from family, friends and communities with whom I had lived and/or worked. Every gesture of kindness mattered during these months.

This was an especially difficult time for my children and my husband as our world was being rocked by the implications of my illness. To see the anguish of loved ones was no less painful than the cancer itself. I couldn’t promise recovery and we depended so much on others to keep hope alive.

The danger level for me seemed to increase when more lesions were detected during preparations for radiation in 2004. The nodules were in my right lung and chest as well as persistent lesions in my liver. This indicated the probability of a final stage 4 spread of cancer. I was put on another round of chemo for 8 months that was meant to prolong my life for at least a couple more years. A thymectomy was later done to relieve new breathing difficulties that I had developed and to decisively know the nature of the lesions. How ecstatic we all were when it was found that the lesions were unrelated to the cancer and that in fact I was essentially cancer free.

Even with the good news, medicines, scans and check-ups have necessarily followed. I have been particularly blessed to be prescribed a new “post-cancer” medicine that has been proven to be very effective in keeping a recurrence of cancer at bay. This type of medicine did not exist for my mother when she battled cancer at about the same age and for her too, many other avenues of support and expertise did not exist. She persisted in living a long and fruitful life as Steve has already described, and I can only imagine how much harder the entire journey was for her.

So with my new head of hair and renewed optimism for a long healthy life, I have, with my family’s encouragement, sought out ways to keep from slipping into dangerous fatigue levels again. I think more seriously about rest and recreation now. Biking is one of the pleasures in life that I have afforded myself, so I do hope to join the group next summer for a stretch of the ride, albeit on a slower style of bike.

The “Typically Canadian” cause is undoubtedly noble and immensely beneficial to so many of us. Lives are saved by new discoveries to combat cancers. Efforts to fund research and therapies are necessary. My deepest thanks to Kyle, Taylor, Andrew, Alex and my Steve for responding to this need. See you in 2008!

The Typically Canadian Group is riding with Cathy...

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