Happy Productive Life: Getting Even

Christi Nation, writing to us from her hospital bed this month!

By Christi Nation

I am writing this column from my hospital bed after my mastectomy surgery with an IV in my hand. 

I got mad and I got even! Cancer has taken too many lives prematurely. I was scared to death to learn about the breast cancer, but I researched and got a superb surgical team. Not a lot of people ask questions when being referred to a doctor or service. 

Initially, I was going to a general surgeon and getting a lumpectomy without radiation. I almost took that route but decided to put out a request for referrals from my Facebook friends. The recommendations and support flooded in.

The thought of consulting with a surgical oncologist never occurred to me until my friends told me. It’s a good thing I did! The specialist told me with the type of cancer and it having necrosis I would either have to have a lumpectomy that would take a lot of tissue and HAVE to have radiation or do a mastectomy with no radiation. That was a shock!

I got a second opinion from another surgical oncologist and she concurred. I made the tough choice of mastectomy. I had so much fear about the new normal. Then something really made me MAD – I found out Norm McDonald died of cancer at 61. I became mad at the cancer and wanted to get even by getting it out of my body – and today I did! 

Until next time, here are your Happiness Actions:

  1. Don’t go with the first suggestion. Always ask questions and research. 
  2. Always get a second opinion.
  3. Get mad at your fear and get even with ACTION!

Christi Nation is the President of Nation Training & Development. She will be launching the Happy Productive Life podcast this fall during her cancer recovery. For more of the story, email Christi at Christi.Nation@HappyProductiveLife.com.

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