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[Music]
When I was first diagnosed with cancer,
the first thing that I felt was utter shock.
I couldn't believe it.
I thought, oh, they had the wrong patient.
They had the wrong chart, you know?
It's really denial, you know?
I'm a healthy woman. How could this be?
The emotional support when a person has cancer
is probably equally as important,
sometimes maybe even more important
than the physical care.
I think that if you can hold it together emotionally,
I think you heal better. I think you heal faster.
When I had to have the surgery,
I met with Dr. Nima Grissom who is a breast surgeon,
and she walked me through everything.
And she goes over my pathology report in great detail,
explaining to me what my options were.
The support classes that were available at CPMC
were quite comprehensive, things like guided imagery,
acupuncture, nutrition, tai-chi, and emotional support,
things like this that you don't think of as an
experience at a hospital,
where at CPMC, they had all these things available.
These people were like friends to me.
They made me laugh when I wanted to cry.
They just pulled me up.
I know this sounds a little odd,
but it's really been a marvelous experience.
If you take cancer out of the equation,
I've met some of the most wonderful, genuine,
compassionate people.
After I was diagnosed with cancer, I just thought about
all the things that I always wanted to do,
and one of them was to learn how to play the cello.
And I'm thinking, "What are you thinking?
The cello is like the most difficult instrument."
But you know what?
I have a cello.
I take lessons.
And it's really hard, but I love it.
You can live your life.
I have a wonderful garden.
I travel with my husband. I go to the opera.
You know, life goes on after cancer.
This is the thing you have to know,
that all the things you want that you put aside and you say,
"Someday I'll get there,"
after cancer, somehow you say, "I'm doing it now."
You do the things you really want to do.
You keep on living.