By KeyHolder: Lori Jo Vest
​In August of 2018, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I was shocked, as I had no family history of breast cancer, and somehow, never thought I was at risk.

​I discovered it during one of the few self exams I'd ever done and it felt like I was unceremoniously dumped into the long, grueling trek that is cancer treatment. It took about 9 months or so. I was surgery-ed, chemo-ed and radiated. My hair fell out. I felt sick and looked sick. I hardly left the house, except to go to the hospital to get cut, poked, radiated. I was terrified, hopeless, tired as hell and, as my husband said, I lost my "happy." AND I was extremely fortunate, because, by the grace of the angels, I found my cancer at Stage 1. I was able to get a solid treatment plan and receive treatment from the wonderful team at Henry Ford Cancer Institute and Henry Ford Hospital - West Bloomfield.

My prognosis is good and odds are, I'll live a long and healthy life. 

I finished treatment two months ago and have been working on nutrition and fitness. My stamina is back, I feel like my old self, and my happy has returned.

I remember having long days, nights, and having to take care of myself, a husband, three kids, and an occasional pet. It was like being on a hamster wheel, I just had to keep going. It was a challenging, life transforming journey. Now that I’m an empty nester, I have more time to focus on my goals and growth. In order to fill the empty spaces that were once occupied by rushing to drop off my kids in the morning before work, then making it home in time to prepare a meal, and getting the kids to after-school activities, I had to let go. I was used to being an eight-armed multitasking pro. Learning to unwind isn’t always easy. Habits become a way of life. I had learn to stop burning the candle at both ends, allowing myself to decompress. When I stopped running myself ragged, creativity became my friend and  began to flow again. ​

I once had a mentor tell me he was concerned about my ability to take it to the next level. “Every time you take a few steps forward, I see you take a step back,” he said to me.

​I was crushed. Devastated, really. I had failed to be successful all the time, which I thought meant I was a failure all the time.

I know better now.