Thank You!
By Candy O’Terry
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Candy O’Terry sits in the Pink Chair to tell her cancer story
Just a little note to say thank you to the Pink Chair Storytellers community for the love I received following my cover story in the 2024 Identity issue. The outpouring of support around my breast cancer diagnosis has meant the world to me.
May I give you a health update?
My lumpectomy scars are healing, 16 radiation treatments are completed, and Tamoxifen and I are trying to get along. I started this hormone suppressant in April and it wasn’t long before the side effects started: night sweats, leg cramps, hair loss, and memory lapses. Fun times over here…
Breast cancer has aged me in body, mind, and soul, but I am also very aware of how lucky I am. If you want to feel fortunate, spend some time in the waiting room at Dana Farber’s breast oncology department where you will meet women struggling just to stay alive.
I’ve spent my entire career as a broadcaster, providing a platform for women to tell their stories, so it probably won’t surprise you to know that I’d rather be asking the questions than giving the answers.
That pretty Pink Storytellers’ chair demands the truth, but it’s hard to go deep and reveal it, because that’s where vulnerability lives.
Sharing all the details of my breast cancer journey in this magazine and on social media was a conscious decision. I didn’t want to hide what I was going through in the hopes that my story might help someone else.
One of the many life lessons I’ve learned this year is that adversity is a great teacher. You will never know how strong you are until you are tested to the limit.
And here’s another truth: You have to experience something firsthand before you really know how it feels. There are times in life when you must earn the right to talk about an illness or a loss before you get the privilege of discussing it.
By the time you read this, I’ll be celebrating one year as a breast cancer survivor. Every step of the way, wise women have taken me under their wings. That’s because we’re connected in an endless chain of hope, support, and sisterhood.
About two months after my diagnosis, my beautiful niece Stephanie was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer. I can still remember her frantic texts and our tearful phone calls. Did I take her under my wing? Absolutely…and I will continue to offer my support to any woman who needs me, every single chance I get.
Webster’s Dictionary defines wisdom as:
The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
Recently, I collected some of the wise words survivors have shared with me to create a 5x7 card called Breast Cancer Wisdom. Clip it right out of this magazine or download it from my website: candyoterry.com.
Thanks for the love! I love you right back.
Follow me on socials: @candyoterry @candyoterryofficial
