02 Feb The Never-ending Journey
HELLO FRIENDS!
February 4th is World Cancer Day.
World Cancer Day was created in 2020 and has grown into a positive movement for everyone, everywhere to unite under one voice to face one of our greatest challenges in history. This year’s theme is “Close the Care Gap.” Learn more about this important day here WORLD CANCER DAY.
When a “day” like this happens you can’t help to reflect on your connection to cancer. Cancer has been a big part of my life since 1978, and I began my journey with it in 2015.
I have been 9 years on my cancer journey. It hasn’t been easy but if you have followed my journey you know this to be true, there is part of having cancer I am grateful for. It has changed my life in all the ways and some of those ways have been good.
When I first was diagnosed I was super quiet. As you can see from the pictures I have posted above (shout out to Nat Caron for always capturing the real me) the headshot on the left from 2015 that I had taken after my surgery and radiation, there was a slight nod to my cancer journey.
I was so proud, but I didn’t want to talk about it. I just wanted it to be done.
Flashforward 4 years later, my aggressive recurrence during a pandemic, the headshot right from 2020 after my chemo treatments speaks to my new focus with my cancer story. I was ready to share. Not only to help me and my mental health but to help others on their cancer journeys.
To be frank, lately, I have been struggling a bit with how to talk about my cancer.
These days I am somewhere in between.
I needed a bit of a break; we all do from time to time and if I have learned anything these past few years is the REST = PRODUCTIVITY! So now I am ready for what is next, and it has me excited.
I take great pride in being someone that people come to for advice on a cancer journey. I worked hard on my blog posts on those topics for my cancer community. I feel very privileged to be a Patient and Family Advisory Committee member for both my local hospital and Ontario Health sharing my experience to help those in my community.
My best friend the other day called me a “cancer whisperer” and I was very touched by that. As I always say in my posts, I am not a healthcare professional or expert in the field of cancer. I am simply someone living with cancer who is sharing my journey in hopes it can help others.
But I also worry about being defined by my cancer journey.
It is a HUGE part of my life, and to deny that would be harmful to my well-being. Especially as someone like me who is a realistic optimist. I cannot deny the seriousness of this disease.
I am doing well right now. I am so grateful for that. I am also on a surveillance schedule (thankfully) that always reminds me, in case I forget, how much this impacts my life and how much my life has changed.
I recently “celebrated” 4 years since my cancer recurrence which is a victory but also so terrifying. I have never gone 4 years in my journey without a recurrence. I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop but especially right now as my next surveillance period looms close.
So what does this all mean?!
It means that I am not defined by cancer but it is a part of me. It isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I, so we are figuring out how to co-exist together.
I am a Life Enthusiast. I do my best to find the joy in life. Not with toxic positivity because I know how dangerous that is, but with an open heart and mind. I know how precious time is. I still struggle, deeply at times which I also think is “on brand” for being a life enthusiast. Life isn’t always sunshine and roses. Sh*t happens and sometimes life can suck. But more times than most life is a beautiful thing maybe more so because of those tough times.
I am an educator, and once my recurrence happened, I shifted the focus of my business to be around careers, I still do the odd corporate training, but I love working with people on their career journeys.
I have a course called Your Career after… The … represents a life event, mine was cancer, but there are all kinds of “life events” out there and they can have a huge impact on our careers.
I also have a new course coming this year around resiliency. I have been told my whole life how resilient I am, it truly is one of my superpowers. Resiliency is a learned skill in my opinion and one I consider an important life skill. I am excited to share that one with my community soon.
I am a Storyteller, so I am extremely excited to continue to do that through my blog but also add a new way to share my story and learnings on my new Podcast: BECOMING A LIFE ENTHUSIAST with Jenn.
I am also revamping my newsletter! If you aren’t on my mailing list, you can sign up here. I have recognized the power of a curated newsletter for my cancer community from one of my previous roles so I am going to create my own version of that for my Life Enthusiast community. I cannot wait!!
To celebrate World Cancer Day I think embracing fully my identity as someone living with cancer is the best way to honour it. I understand that my cancer journey is a never-ending journey and I am very much at peace with that fact. Embracing my identity fully makes me stronger.
This is me 💜
"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."
Become part of my community and follow me on my Instagram @JAYEMBarrie for my POSTS, and REELS, or check out my website www.jayem.ca to stay informed on what I am doing and to sign up for my newsletter and/or updates. I am also on Substack and you can also find me on LinkedIn.
Share your questions or comments either in the comment box of my Instagram posts or in a DM.
Please note: I am not an expert or professional in the field of cancer. I am simply someone who has gone through it and living with it, doing my best to offer you my experience and advice in hopes that it helps.
Sending you good vibes always!
Love, Me 
