Hard times or not the words my family frequently heard from me when situations came up were, “keep moving forward.” Too often we allow things to stop us in our tracks and even reverse the direction we were heading and encouraging one another to keep moving forward is important.
On December 13,2010 I got a taste of my own encouragement as from the bed of an emergency room I was told I had bone cancer. Possibly breast cancer caused. Sure enough two days later the lump was found. “Karen, my doctor said ‘you did it all backwards. Most people find the primary site then they find where it may have spread.” With a lump the size of a sewing pin head there was no way I was going to find that first.
It took the power of the words, “Stage IV breast cancer” to temporarily stop me in my tracks. However, it was the encouraging words of my love ones using my own words against me to keep me moving forward. Three years into my disease oral chemo continues to work. Bone cancer pain slows me down sometimes where walking is difficult but I’m still moving forward. I am blessed.
Powell Butte, OR
