The power, strength, and heroism that it takes to battle breast cancer while being a wife, a mother, while working full time is one of the reasons that I feel like a heroine. I strive to shield my young son from the effects of this disease, and to serve my community as a breast cancer advocate with the SurviveOars Crew team and Pinkaid of Westport. I put on my cape and soared through chemo, surgery, and radiation and I remain the victor 8 years later, giving God all the glory.
BE determined to confront the cancer.
BE grateful for family and friends who support you through this journey.
BE thankful for all of those who came before you, paving the way for your recovery.
BE enriched by acknowledging your own strength to defeat the cancer and thrive.
Years ago, my world changed when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Gratefully, I made a full recovery thanks to the treatment and programs offered at The Smilow Family Breast Health Center.
In order to improve my mental, physical, and emotional well-being, exercise was highly recommended. Through Smilow, I was introduced to the Learn-to-Row program at the Saugatuck Rowing Club, and I was quite literally “off to the races.” There, I met amazing and supportive 'SurviveOars' teammates, became much stronger than I was before, and was able to focus wholeheartedly on my well-being.
Akin to a four-leaf clover, I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this program and to inspire others on their journey to thriving. It conjures the image of a little green clover weathering the harsh storm of adversity, staying steadfast in its roots, and never losing its bright green luster; much like my own journey, and I am forever grateful to Smilow for providing the opportunity!
I've always loved being in the woods. When I was a little kid, my friends and I would spend hours in the wild area at the end of our cul de sac. We'd play hide & seek, climb trees, and sometimes find a dead bird to bury. Later, when I went away to camp, I signed up for any activity that put me in touch with nature. I loved learning about the local flora and fauna, especially the snakes and salamanders. Now I live right next to a nature preserve. Every day my dog and I go into the woods for our walks. While he is sniffing and exploring, I'm using the time for mindfulness. I smell the decay of the leaves in the fall, love to feel the cold air on my face in the winter and, in the warm months, I still look for snakes and the small orange newts I enjoyed as a child. The woods is my happy place.
In the beginning stages, I had tremendous fear over my cancer diagnosis due to my mother passing from complications of breast cancer. Smilow was amazing and really helped me deal with my fear. They had so many offerings to help me heal both mentally and physically. After my surgery, I was offered to go to “Gentle Chair Yoga”, a group class that focused on using breath and meditation techniques taught by Colleen Reilly, a Kundalini Yoga Instructor. I met wonderful people who helped me through my radiation treatment. Between Colleen and the group, I became stronger.
In addition, as an avid gardener, during my cancer recovery, I found great peace in my garden. I grow both flowers and vegetables. Being in the garden seems to transport me to a wonderful place in my mind. There is one special sunflower that is outside my kitchen window that I never planted but just showed up one day. It makes me so happy to see it there. A sign of hope.
My breast cancer experience made me realize I am much stronger than I thought I was. I am more outgoing, and open to new experiences because I realize life is precious and it moves so quickly.
What helped me handle the cancer diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments was to focus on getting the cancer out and going through the treatments as soon as possible. I educated myself so that I would better understand what I would be going through. By doing that I felt that I was in more control of my life.
Also, it was important to me to keep up my daily routine with my family and continue with my design work. I tried to keep my life normal. I find great pleasure in spending time with family, taking invigorating walks with friends appreciating nature along the way, getting a good night's sleep, and as a jeweler creating a beautiful piece of jewelry.
My family moved from Italy to America when I was 13 and I didn’t know a word of English but was able to speak English after 6 months. Five years later I was voted by my peers President of my High School senior class, eventually becoming a machine and product design engineer with 25 patents.
I married my beautiful wife Barbara and we had two amazing children. I dealt with prostate cancer which thankfully was resolved, then shortly after, my wife dealt with lung cancer and unfortunately died in 2016. I was devastated. I daily see items in the house that remind me of Barbara and of all the beautiful times we had together. It’s tough battling loneliness.
After Barbara’s death, I joined the Bereavement, and Chair Yoga groups, at Norwalk Hospital. The bereavement group brought me comfort, being with people experiencing what I was going through. Yoga was very calming giving me tools to cope and handle my state of mind and keep my body healthy. My kids and grandchildren are now my top priorities. To alleviate my loneliness and cope with some dark days I have also become an avid gardener and decided to raise some egg-laying chickens, two activities I truly enjoy.
Prayer helped me get through breast cancer, mentally and physically keeping me hopeful and faithful. There were hundreds of ‘angels’ helping, at different phases of my journey. Doctors and support staff at Norwalk Hospital helped guide me through my entire treatment and recovery. Church family prayed for me. Family and a special friend were by my side through it all. Of course, the amazing staff at Smilow Family Breast Health Center introduced me to a new group of survivors through rowing at Saugatuck Rowing Club. Most importantly – the love of God helped surround me with peace and assurance of healing.
I am a different person today than I was before cancer. I feel good knowing I’m able to face whatever challenges may come and knowing God has given me the power and the resources around me to face anything. I have a greater sense of purpose; and a greater level of gratitude for life. I’m stronger – physically and emotionally. I value and cherish my family and relationships much more. I am blessed knowing I have more life to live...and I am cancer-free!
Envision if you can, a Viking going to battle.
Her vessel: Slender, strong, and flexible.
Determined to fight, visualizing victory in the battle ahead.
I was diagnosed with my second breast cancer in 2017, having survived my first cancer in 2010. After a mastectomy, chemo, and a broken vertebrae, I slowly recovered. I have developed a greater appreciation for all the wonderful people in my life and try to live life to the fullest through travel, community engagement, and friends.
Cycling, both racing and touring, has been a passion of mine for the past 30 years. I’ve traveled throughout the world on my bike including Europe, Morocco, Japan, and New Zealand. Recently, I did a solo bike ride across Connecticut to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. I plan to continue my adventures both on and off the bike.
As a professional artist, drawing has been mentally therapeutic in dealing with my cancer diagnosis and treatments. For many years I have made one drawing each day. When creating, I get lost in my work where it becomes almost meditative. I also found the Gentle Chair Yoga group at The Smilow Center helpful by healing through relaxing breath techniques, which helped our group deal with difficult situations.
I began creating free-hand geometric drawings when I was 9 years old and continued to develop my artistic skills by majoring in art at university. I went on to educate University and High School students for 22 years. I loved working with students and helping them find their artistic voice. I also worked as a professional videographer/photographer focusing on Olympic sporting events and corporate projects.
My current artwork experiments with freehand abstract 3 dimensional floating shapes on flat surfaces. Although I am retired now I continue my daily drawings and in doing so, continue to thrive.
In 2016, I went for a mammogram after six years since my previous one. Both my aunt and my grandmother died from breast cancer. Soon surgery was scheduled to remove the tumor, and four sentinel lymph nodes, to confirm the cancer was isolated to my right breast. It wasn't. This news shook me far more than the initial diagnosis, when I was given every reason to believe it was "just" a tumor. I cried, hard, for the first time, fearing the worst.
I had my first meeting with my oncologist, a warm, kind, funny man, who put me at ease immediately. We discussed my options for chemo. He gave me hope that I would survive. He made me laugh. I felt less alone in this fight.
Chemo was far less traumatic than I had feared. I iced my hands and feet to reduce the risk of neuropathy. I did everything I was told to do for the best outcome. The same for the radiation that followed. Having a nurse navigator walk me through each step was incredibly helpful.
I now swim 3-4 miles a week and teach aqua exercise at my YMCA, and help others be more active and engaged in their lives.