A Gift – By Ambassador Kristen

 

Pricey Loved Kinds,

I experienced to get one thing off my chest previously this yr, practically, and it was not everything you’d describe as super enjoyment.

I not long ago experienced a lumpectomy.

But just before you have that “oh, you very poor pricey!” response, please allow me to share with you why I’m certain that having breast most cancers was a gift, and there’s no conversing me out of it. 

 

Very first, I caught it early, in my annual mammogram. So if you or an individual you like is at that age, remember to remember to make sure you contact for that screening appointment now! I can’t strain how significantly this total detail possibly sucked a lot less for the reason that timing is all the things. And 2nd, I have had the best medical doctors at Mayo Clinic and domestically at OSF in Escanaba to handle me. So if you know a physician or nurse or lab tech or healthcare facility administration human being, go give them a hug from me, suitable now. 

Even ahead of I “caught cancer,” I’d constantly marveled at what a exclusive standpoint a most cancers patient ought to have. For the reason that after you realize, rather abruptly, that we truly don’t have an infinite amount of time on this earth, it is like you have been presented a magical, distinctive lens that magnifies what is crucial in your existence. And that, to me, is a beautiful reward. It is like by some means your foods preferences much better, sunsets are far more good, and hugs from your beloved types are infused with a little additional some thing that will make them far more significant. It is like you have had a brush with heaven, and an angel has painted on your heart. 

And due to the fact I brought up timing earlier, possibly that angel with a paintbrush desired me to have a tiny excess attractiveness in my daily life this summer season. Or possibly my angels understood I’m usually up for a obstacle. Both way, in advance of all this outrageous occurred this year – with pokings and proddings and drilling holes in my sternum and surgical procedures and chemo medicine – I’d applied to be a BMJ ambassador this summer time. And wouldn’t you know it, I was accepted. Divine timing, possibly?

This is not my very first rodeo as an ambassador. I’ve been a supporter of Beth’s jewellery since prior to she received her storefront in Marquette, and I have been 1 of her biggest enthusiasts since even before ambassadors had been a factor. My very first gig was smack dab in the center of the pandemic, and I’d often felt that I didn’t get to do 100% of the factors I’d wished to do to advertise this enterprise, so I’d wanted the opportunity for a do-in excess of. Let’s encounter it – these jewelry items are amazeballs! They’re nature-encouraged, eco-helpful, so special, and just simple amazing. I have stopped wearing most other jewelry and sport nearly solely BMJ, for the reason that it’s like I’m having a little piece of the UP or the outdoors with me wherever I go. My items have traveled to Croatia, Antigua and Barbuda, Turks and Caicos, Idaho/Montana, and on a gazillion trails in the Hiawatha National Forest, and that is just given that I begun calling myself an ambassador a pair a long time back.

I’ll probable have to slow down this summer months, with needing a weekly dose of chemotherapy, but I believe this is also a gift. It’ll give me far more time to reflect on and appreciate those things that are most vital: people today, and time. Not hair that could slide out. That’ll most absolutely grow back again. 

As a subject of actuality, to get ready myself mentally in situation that happens, I’ve by now chopped most of it off. Beth Millner Jewellery was with me when I did it, way too, as have been my buddies and relatives. I lately donated above a foot of my hair to the Small children With Hair Reduction non-revenue org, so gain-gain! But since my hair is a huge aspect of my identity, and mainly because I felt like I desired an added dose of anything fairly, that is when I also unboxed my ambassador items from Beth Millner. My hairdresser close friend Maegan is a genius and gave me a super lovable shorter style, and I have to say that I did not assume it was probable to come to feel any prettier till I experimented with on some of those people jewellery presents. Yet another win-get! You can enjoy my haircut movie listed here and my unboxing movie here. 

So for the following twelve weeks, to assure that my treatment options “suck much less,” I strategy on sporting a different BMJ piece for all the medical practitioners and nurses to oooh and aaah around. Last 7 days I wore a bumblebee pendant, to remind myself to “bee optimistic,” and this 7 days, the females in the lab told me that it was their preferred so much. Guess they can not wait to see what I’m sporting future 7 days! 

I by no means realized right until I outed myself about owning most cancers, just how a lot of of us there are, strolling about like regular folks (it is type of tough to see from the outside when an angel paints on your heart). It is both of those staggering and encouraging! It’s so pleasant to know that I’m not inventing the wheel for therapy and that so a lot of folks have walked this route currently. I also have appear to study that I’ll walk it my individual way, much too, for the reason that everyone’s analysis and expertise is unique. But I have often wished that we could come up with a key handshake or code term or tattoo or anything so that we acknowledge each other. It would be so great to give anyone a silent fist bump in line at the grocery retail store! I suggest, if people today can come up with 13.1 and 26.2 stickers and t-shirts for finishing a marathon, you’d imagine we could occur up with a shout-out to mark our possess journeys, ideal? 

 

It’s possible I’ll consider on that obstacle following, to design my personal Beth Millner piece to permit the globe know that I, much too, took on this journey and completed it. Check out out earth, I’m placing on my jogging footwear and bib number, and I’m gonna rock this marathon!

Be joyful, be well, and hug your cherished types these days. 

Kris G