My October birthday

Dear Marbs,

Sybil Bowen a grandmother who I never met died when she was 53 years old from her second battle with breast cancer. I heard she was a very smart business-minded lady. She survived ten years after her first breast cancer diagnosis which in those days were still test runs of what worked from what didn’t. My Dad says I remind him a lot of her, right down to facial similarities; maybe Daddy maybe! Lol!

And then there is me, TJ Marbell diagnosed with stage one in 2020, HER2+ which just means the very hormone that makes me scientifically a woman also feeds any cancerous cell in the body. So what happens then? Fourteen rounds of chemo and hormonal treatment by infusion then by pill for 5 to 10 years of pushing my body into menopause at the age of 35. Actually, if you are really counting I have been going through menopause since 32. A mastectomy and breast implant of one breast which I might add I have to take additional medications to just have this thing move freely and not be considered a foreign
object in my body.

My life has not been the same since 2020 not because of COVID but because I no longer can enjoy the leisure of laying on my stomach for more than five minutes. I can be happy with you and angry all in minutes of talking with you. These hormone pills make me sleepy, and give me joint pains and hot flashes! Not to mention attempts to make my intimate life non-existent. The quarterly shots quiet my ovaries and ensure I do not see Aunt Flow every month! Tell her I say hi by the way and thank her for being around for my 20s and creating an environment for me to get my two kiddos. An unimaginable blessing from God who directed my path and guided me to having my last one at 30. The struggle would have been really real trying to get pregnant and having a baby now.

I know this may seem like a rant or a ‘why me’ venting moment. I'm not sure, to be honest with you, I was just led to write so I did. We all should know by now to go and get checked and please don’t put it off until you actually start feeling pains or discomfort. Eat all the foods that you know are healthy for you! Curve your sugar diet and exercise more to help your body fight or be in a good condition to fight. Be present in the moment and truly experience every moment. Ask God to help you fight and surround yourself with people who will not let you give up!

-TJ