2015 Creative Cups

Jodi Okun-Alfano

Snowy Weekend

On a beautiful snowy February weekend at our place in Vermont I sat inside feeling awful. My husband, son and friends were outside enjoying skiing and playing in the snow. During the weekend we all thought maybe I had a really bad case of the flu. Well, when we returned home, I went to my doctor and my entire life changed within hours. I didn’t have the flu; I had cancer.

I was in disbelief that this was happening to me. I knew how sick I was feeling but also knew that it wasn’t good. The first surgeon we went to for an opinion told me that I had less than a 40 percent chance of living. We didn’t accept that and went for a second opinion. From the minute they told me it was cancer I was on a roller coaster going from test to test, doctor to doctor.

It was a long nine months of going for treatments and having surgery but I fought for my life and wasn’t willing to lose. I won thanks to the support of family and friends. Due to the type of chemo and radiation I had, I live with lots of side effects. It does impact my life but I don’t let it rule my life.

My cancer wasn’t breast cancer but I wanted to do a snow scene bra to represent my cancer experience and at the same time show support to my many friends who have had or have breast cancer.