by Marci Johnson

Jeweler, Texas

If you had told me that after my breast cancer journey I would be blessed by that journey, I would have looked at you like you had lost your mind. Which is exactly what I wanted to do when my OB/GYN suggested I keep an open mind, and that some of his patients had actually said their journey was a blessing.

Don’t get me wrong — it was tough on all of my family. My husband and I tried to be upbeat but honest with our kids, who were then 11 and 15, and therefore they were upbeat. They saw me barely able to walk after my bi-lateral surgery, with reconstruction surgeries, in bed for several days after chemo, bald, and witnessed my skin blistered after radiation. 

Throughout this journey, we grew much closer as a family, and even better, we all grew our faith, walking much closer to God. I know that if I hadn’t gone in to remission, this story wouldn’t be as happy of an ending, but we still would have been closer and our faith stronger.