Featured Fighter – Deborah Bridgman
October 9, 2013
By: Deborah Bridgman
BASIC INFO:
Name: Deborah Bridgman
Age: 49
Hometown: Laval, Quebec
Occupation: Volunteer Extraordinaire
Diagnosis: 4 time Cancer Survivor (Breast Cancer)
If you were a professional boxer or wrestler, what would your name be? Cancer Cougar
HER FRIGHT:
My biggest fright would have to be that I will not get a chance to experience all of the exciting things that should be my future, such as watching my daughters getting married, seeing my grandchildren, travelling the world and seeing more of the beauty on this earth, falling in love and growing old.
HER FIGHT:
My Fight has always been, still is, and will be for the rest of my life, to LIVE!
FIGHTING HER FRIGHT:
I’ve been living with cancer for almost 20 years. When I say these words to people, I always stop and repeat, “I’ve been LIVING with cancer for almost 20 years.” I say this with a huge emphasis on LIVING.
I was diagnosed at such a young age, and 20 years ago there were not even close to as many young adults being diagnosed as there are now. Many things were different: treatments, information, support, knowledge. Even the word cancer was a dirty word, not spoken by many. I did the exact opposite of hushing up and isolating myself. I threw myself into the world of cancer in so many ways. My inner gut told me to take the opportunity of having had a diagnosis of cancer to fight back by exposing it to the world.
I did just that. I accepted every single offer to talk about my experience with cancer, whether it was for TV, radio, fundraisers, events, with family, or with friends. I reached out to others with cancer and I allowed people to reach out to me. I tried different ways of eating, exercising, and of learning to deal with my stress. I fought, and I fought keeping in mind that I was showing the cancer who was boss.
When the cancer recurred 4 years later, I was temporarily knocked down, but quickly realized that my being down on the ground meant the bell could ring any minute and that cancer could win. I got back up and came back stronger than ever and continued on my rampage of fighting back the enemy called cancer. As time went by I realized how easy it actually was to fight this beast. For me, it was life or it was cancer. I knew deep inside that it wasn’t necessarily about how long I could live, but more about how I actually lived. I could live with allowing cancer to control me, or I could control the cancer by living to the fullest.
Nine years after the 2nd diagnosis, the cancer returned, and I was disappointed but not knocked down. I appreciated the fact that I had accomplished a lot in the previous 13 years. I already knew I was a winner, but I also knew that a new fight was about to begin. I repeated what I had done in the past. I became a voice for many; I dove right in to the fire pit. I thought to myself, “Bring it on”. I visited many, many sick people; I talked for hours on end with other cancer patients. I walked, I ran, I raised money, I spoke, I attended conferences and retreats. My volunteer status became my life.
I know that it’s very hard for most people to understand that even through living, breathing, sleeping, eating, and dreaming cancer, I never once allowed the cancer to penetrate my thoughts and make me believe that cancer would consume me. I always believed that you keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. This year, my nineteenth year after my 1st diagnosis, I had a 4th recurrence. I feel no different. I’m just in the ring again for round 4.
A couple of weeks ago, I was taking a walk with a friend of mine and I said to her, “You know, this year has been one of the most exciting years for me in a very long time.” I told her that on January 1st, 2013, I said to myself, “Deb, in Dec of 2013, you’re turning 50, you’re not going to wait until December to celebrate, no way, you are going to celebrate all year long. My friend looked at me in disbelief and said, “Have you not forgotten that you just went through another surgery and radiation due to a 4th recurrence of cancer?” I looked at her and laughed and said, “That was merely a bump in the road, cancer is NOT going to win this round.”
