Empowering Portrait by Lunar Studio
Dana McCool
Can you tell me what led to your diagnosis and what was the beginning of your journey like?
This was my second battle with cancer. I had a dream one night that my tumor markers were active again, and I went to my oncologist who did the necessary, bloodwork, and sure enough my tumors were active again. I was diagnosed with stage four metastatic bone cancer.
What do you wish you knew before starting your treatment?
To sleep more.
What was your biggest self-discovery or revelation after you were diagnosed?
That human life is incredibly fragile. We never know how many days we have left.
What advice would you give on how to best support a loved one going through breast cancer?
Let them. It is incredibly empowering for someone with cancer to be able to make decisions, that sometimes goes against their known character or behavior. Facing mortality leads down some very strange roads. Sometimes a patient wants to do things outside their comfort zone, or what you would traditionally think that they would be doing with a diagnosis.
Is there a resource, local or otherwise, that you recommend for those who are either going through breast cancer or are in recovery?
There’s so much help out there. All of the traditional healthcare facilities have amazing resources, and reach out to other women and men who are going through this.
Is there anything else you would like for women undergoing breast cancer to know?
I would like to quote the most profound thing that I have heard since being diagnosed. It is a thing that has gotten me through many tough days. It is a quote from Michael J. Fox.
“With gratitude optimism is sustainable”.
Seeking the gratitude in tragedy is an exercise, not only in spiritual discipline, but in holding the key to living in your heart.
Nomination Section
Once per month, we select one of your nominations for a complimentary Empowering Portrait.
This project aims to capture their strength and to let other women facing the same journey
know they are not alone.