There is something that cancer definitely did for me; well ok there are a few. One is it gave me my voice back and it gave me courage to stand up for myself. For many years since I moved to Texas and married my husband I allowed certain people in my extended family to treat me in a way that I never would have before.
I was always the kind of girl to confront things head on. For example when I was a lot younger there was a guy I liked and when we parted ways because he went back to his ex I hobbled up the stairs to where he lived on crutches because I knew she was at his house and I wanted to have a little fun with it. Like I said I was way younger I never could do that now because I am just not good on crutches any more.
For some reason when I moved to Texas I started taking a bunch of bull that I never would have put up with when I was up north. For some reason down here I found myself biting my lip and taking it. When I got cancer and my mother in law said she thought they cut the B out of me when they cut the cancer out. That comment actually put the B back where it should be.
It made me realize that I had gone way too long letting people treat me badly and I was done with allowing that to happen. I don’t know if it was the fact that I faced cancer and was winning and it made it easier to stand up for myself again or if I figured life is too short to put up with stuff. Either way I got the old me back and I am so happy that I did. Now my extended family may have preferred the quiet type of person they had for 7 years but I much prefer the person I am again.