I think not. But it was a fun experience to be interviewed by Lauren Scala from NBC for a small piece they did about me and my family last Saturday. I spent about 4 hours with Lauren and her camera man talking, joking, getting to know them while they got to know me. The end result is the video that you can see HERE.
All in all I think Lauren did a great job cutting down 4 hours of video into the 2 minute time frame that they gave her to work with. I shot Lauren an e-mail after seeing the piece to thank her for taking the time to talk to me and highlighting my family’s story. Her response helped me to solidify what an amazing person she is. She had expressed that she mulled over hours of tape trying to cut it down and still felt like she didn’t do my story justice. This showed me that this piece came from her heart and it meant something to her. It wasn’t just another segment. To have an affect on even just her makes me happy.
I have a very hard time telling my story. I’m sure you wouldn’t think that by all the recent speaking and interviews I have been doing, but days after I give an interview I am sad and feel off. It’s not easy to have to relive the worst years of my life. In just a few moments I can be transported back to that time and have the emotions I felt rush over me and settle deep into my bones where they will camp out for days. When I went to bed that night I had a hell of a time trying to go to sleep. I was completely restless and my mind just wouldn’t settle. I couldn’t stop thinking about and reliving the days up to losing my sister, losing her, her funeral and going through my treatments. I ended up waking Kevin bawling my eyes out asking him to help me. Poor Kevin had no idea what to do so he just hugged me and played with my hair trying to get me to calm down. I ended up calling my mom and was told to take something to help me to sleep, which I did. I slept, but not very well. And the next few days just plain sucked.
Knowing how affected I am I know it must be just as hard on my family when I ask them to do interviews with me or ask them to take part at different breast cancer events. And yet they still do and give as much as then can to support me. And for that I am thankful and extremely appreciative.
Maybe it will get better over time. I’m not sure. I thought talking about it more would help but it hasn’t seem to so far. However I don’t want to stop giving interviews and doing speaking engagements because even though I may have a rough few days it makes it all worth it to know that maybe, just maybe I have helped a young woman take control of her health. And maybe I made a doctor stop and give a 2nd thought before dismissing or ignoring a young woman the next time she points to a spot in her breast and says, “I feel a lump right here”.
On another note, I had recently given an interview to The Other Paper. A newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. They focused on the damage chemo can do to a young woman’s ovaries putting her fertility in jeopardy. They write about the amazing Anna, my Wonder Twin, and my journey with fertility issues, the paths we took and the decisions we made. You can read it HERE!
I can not stress enough the importance of speaking out, and advocating for young woman to fight for their health, for their dreams and for taking the power back from cancer. I know it may seem or feel hard to do when you are going through the scariest time of your life. I know you can’t imagine having to think beyond, “I have cancer, am I going to die?”. But that’s why The Young Survival Coalition and the women who share their stories are so important. It helps give you hope again and to get beyond all the gray days to the sun again, and to the life you deserve and will live.
Love Love Love!
Jamie's Journey 