How Scars and Journaling Helped Me Embrace Life After Colon Cancer

Carla Deschamps is now a survivor of colon cancer after receiving her diagnosis in February 2020. Read Carla's blogs here!

Mhar once said, “From every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story. A story that says, 'I have survived.'" This quote exemplifies my defining moment after my diagnosis with colon cancer at the age of thirty-four. Being diagnosed at such a young age was definitely a hard pill to swallow. Yet, my journey as a cancer survivor made me the woman I am today. In this blog, I would like to share my experience that first made me feel like a survivor.

To begin, in the past, I have had multiple surgeries due to my health challenges. These operations consisted of eye surgeries along with a neck surgery, all leaving scars of survivorship. Each surgery had left a significant impact on my life due to the fact that it has assisted me in having the qualities of strength, resilience, and hope. For this reason, my defining moment was when I recovered from a five-hour surgery after my diagnosis with colon cancer. This procedure embarked on the starting point of being a cancer survivor, leaving me with four impactful scars on my stomach.

I remembered looking at my scars for the very first time and instantly cried because it represented that I no longer had the cancerous mass inside of me. Each scar symbolized that I was blessed and fortunate to be alive. Hence, I looked at my scars as a way to remind myself that I have so much to live for. Even though I was terrified of what was coming, aka… Chemotherapy, my scars emphasized that I have the power to face my difficulties with my head held high. Due to this outlook, my embodiment and attitude towards my diagnosis was “I am a cancer survivor, and God has blessed me with a second chance in life.”

From every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story. A story that says, 'I have survived.'

Before I had my surgery, however, I was still trying to grasp the idea that I had a cancerous mass that was harming my body. This was not only affecting my self-esteem, but also my body weight. As a result, after my operation and surviving it, I made the decision to shift my mindset and focus on developing healthy habits as well as routines that in the long run helped me become a cancer survivor.

Additionally, some of these healthy habits included daily exercise, eating more whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables, and feeding my mind with positive messages. I began to read books that include the power of positive self-talk as well as self-development. My way of viewing my journey as a cancer survivor shifted because I started to focus on all the things I was grateful for, especially the support and dedication of my family. Without them, my drive as a cancer survivor would have been a lot more difficult.

This is when affirmations, meditation, journaling, and visualization arouse. All of these techniques gave me the tools and strategies I needed to turn my life around. I have become the best version of myself because of it. On the other hand, out of all the techniques, journaling, without a doubt, was the most significant one. It allowed me to express everything I was going through. All of my ups and downs were reflected every time I took the time to write in my journal. Looking back five years later, I have grown so much as a person, and it all began by surviving my surgery. Indeed, words cannot express how grateful and blessed I am to be a cancer survivor. I hope that our stories being shared through our blogs continue to inspire others that anything is possible! Forever Blessed.

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