Feelings of Gratitude in November as a Colon Cancer Survivor

Carla Deschamps is now a survivor of colon cancer after receiving her diagnosis in February 2020. Read her blogs here!

November is one of my favorite months of the year. It signifies transformation, reflection and gratitude. This month also symbolizes an opportunity to embrace change and what truly matters in life according to the spiritual ark. When I was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 34, it provided me a chance to look at life from a different perspective. It helped me understand what truly mattered most. My emotions around this time of the year and my connection to cancer made me grow in all areas of my life. In this blog, I want to take a moment and share with you what I am most grateful for after cancer and why.

To begin, what I am most grateful for after cancer is my second chance at life. I never took the time to actually cherish how lucky I am to wake up every morning. To just open my eyes and appreciate all the wonderful things around me is an incredible feeling that I encounter. One of my favorite moments when I wake up in the morning is to see the sunrise. I love to look up at the sky and see how beautiful the horizon is. It is definitely breathtaking to set eyes on. 

Moreover, it is crazy to realize how precious your life is until a traumatic event occurs. Not in a million years would I have ever thought that I was going to be treated for colon cancer, especially at such a young age. Yet, I truly believe that everything you go through has a purpose. It is ultimately up to you to figure out what the life lessons are and be mindful of them with the sole purpose of embracing change.

In my personal experiences, a few of these changes consisted of the following: self-love, setting boundaries and advocating for myself. All of these dynamics influenced me to become the best, authentic version of myself. It gave me a sense of purpose as well as identifying what truly mattered most in my life. By embracing self-love, I began to put myself first and didn’t feel guilty when I said no to the people around me. It gave me a sense of inner peace and power that I struggled with before my diagnosis of colon cancer. I felt empowered knowing that it was OK to say no.

In the case of setting boundaries, I learned to be more outspoken and put my foot down when I had to. By doing so, I did not allow people to take advantage of my kindness and generosity. However, advocating for myself was a challenge because I always had a difficult time expressing my feelings when something genuinely bothered me. After being diagnosed, I learned that advocating for myself was a significant way for people to hear my voice and for me to share my thoughts and emotions.

What I am most grateful for is my second chance in life because, without life, I would not be here to share my story with you. I am beyond blessed and grateful to be a cancer survivor. I would love to take this opportunity and say thank you, dear reader, for your continued support by reading my blogs. Indeed, I hope and pray that my story inspires and encourages you to always love yourself and never give up on your dreams. KEEP SHINING BRIGHT!! Forever BLESSED.

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