Surviving
After getting through a recurrence of lymphoma that damaged the base of my spine, I’m left pondering the concept of survival and how it's not as easy as it seems. In a series of interviews with people who have experienced all kinds of life-changing disease and trauma, I explore what it means to survive and perhaps, at some point, live happily ever after.
Surviving
Connie White: The cancer triple crown and three lines in the sand
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Season 1
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Episode 8
In November of 2019, Connie White bought a pair of maternity tights by accident--she wasn't actually pregnant. In trying them on though, she fell down the rabbit hole of tests, cancer diagnosis and treatment. What's worse, most of her journey with ovarian, uterine, and falopian cancer took place in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic.
To get through this journey emotionally intact, she drew three lines in the sand:
- She was not going to get nauseous during treatment--that was just not going to happen.
- She was not going to listen to statistics--she was going to beat this.
- For those who reached out, she asked whether they're here to be nice, or want a deeper relationship--both approaches were welcomed, but the knowledge helped protect her in vulnerable moments.
How she came to these lines, and how she follows them still--and how she gets to wear dinosaur tape (!)--make for quite a compelling journey.