It wasn’t my choice,
but it was
the greatest gift.

My mother’s diagnosis

In 2003, her oncologist told us her tumor was the size of a tennis ball. What he did NOT say stayed with me forever: he refused to give her a timeline. He left room for hope, and she lived four years beyond what statistics suggested was possible. Watching her face stage IV cancer and go through treatment seemingly unfazed and unmoved, showed me a courage I had never seen before. Little did I know it would serve as a meaningful and critical waypoint for me decades later.

My friend’s diagnosis

Twenty years later in 2023, one of my closest friends from college was diagnosed with breast cancer. I could barely find words when she told me, not because I didn't care, but because the only image I had of cancer was my mother's.

Then I saw her at our college reunion, months after completing treatment. Shorter hair, yes. But her energy? Higher than I'd ever seen it. She wasn't just a survivor. She was thriving, and seeing it with my own eyes completely replaced the image I'd been carrying for twenty years.

That shift was a game-changer and another critical observation in my life.

My own diagnosis

Nearly a year after her diagnosis, almost to the day, I was also diagnosed with breast cancer. The timing was no accident. She became my coach, my mentor, my living proof. She knew the questions to ask before I thought to ask them. She anticipated what I'd need before I needed it. It was a love that carried me.

When treatment ended, I looked back in disbelief. Six months had passed. I felt extraordinary. I had a new lease on life. I was reborn, physically, mentally, and spiritually. “Taressa 2.0”.

I spent those months meditating, reflecting, searching for meaning. And then it hit me: what made the difference for me wasn't just medicine. It was hope and love. And not just from one friend, but from several friends, family, and even neighbors and coworkers.

That was my inspiration for this book and podcast; to give newly diagnosed warriors the same gift my friend gave me. A roadmap through the wilderness, and a light in the darkness.

I learned that cancer doesn’t have to be the end.
For me, it was a new beginning.

This is not your last chapter, either.
This is simply the chapter where YOU SLAY THAT DRAGON!