In this guest blog on wbur’s page, author Marie Coloantoni Pechet’s Essay: How Cancer Changed Me In Unimaginable Ways discusses her experiences of her body image and mind at odds with each other because of her stage IV colorectal cancer and the operations/procedures that came with it.
At first, I didn’t realize how old the piece was, as it dates back to 2012, but experiences like this are capable of upholding the test of time and are incredibly relatable to those that have had similar experiences such as myself, who had Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia between 2011-2013.
I find her sense of humor to be realistic and refreshing as she talks about the more difficult sides of cancer such as hair loss and coming to terms with scars, as I share that same perspective. While some may view it as a dark sense of humor, I have a deep appreciation for her ability to poke fun at even some of the most difficult cards a person can be dealt.
One of the quotes that stuck out to me in Pechet’s personal essay relates not just to those who endure cancer, but I think most people at one time or another. Pechet writes,
“Like my body, this is not the life I envisioned. It falls short of the “me” that I hold in my mind.”
I found this to be powerful, as I think at one point or another, we all get a little lost or disappointed in the life we live versus the one we envisioned for ourselves, but as Pechet explains,
“If I feel that my body, my life, or I, fall short in any way, it is because those things are not what I imagined they would be, and not necessarily because of what they actually are.”
It just takes a little reframing of your own perspective to be content with the life you’re living, no matter what the circumstance may be.
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