The doctor gave us good news last week. He told us that my daughter, Ranna, who had breast surgery recently, does not have any cancer cells in her lymph nodes.
When I heard the news, I said, “Thank you, God.” And , then, I said thank you to the doctor.
As soon as the doctor left the examining room, Ranna and I squealed and smiled at each other. We hugged each other and hugged the nurses. We stopped to eat dinner on the way to my house and at the store to buy a bottle of champagne and brie cheese.
At my home, we toasted our good luck with my husband, Tom, and added his joy to our celebration. We called everyone who had been praying for Ranna and waiting to hear her good news.
It was important to celebrate. Later, however, Ranna said. “I think we celebrated too early. I have a long way to go.”
“No,” I told her, “we must celebrate the wins as they come. Your road to recovery would have been so much harder and longer if the doctor had found cancer cells in your lymph nodes. Today was one victory in your battle against cancer.”
The next day, Ranna went back to her house, and I crashed. I felt absolutely horrible, drained, helpless, tired. I collapsed on my bed with a book, but I read for about five seconds and fell asleep for two hours. When I woke up, I read for a while and then fell asleep again.
Later, I cried. I had been holding in my feelings so that I could be strong for Ranna, but it was important for me to crash and to cry. After I cried, I slept and woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to face another day.
For Ranna, the road to recovery may not be easy. She may encounter some bumps on the road. But I know that we will face whatever happens with faith and courage as so many other women have.
What I want to tell other women who have their own battles to fight, some bigger and some smaller, is that it’s important to give yourself permission to celebrate your victories. And, it’s just as important to give yourself permission to crash sometimes, too. –Fayteen