Who I Am

When I was 34, my husband and I decided to embark on an adventure. We sold our home in southeast Michigan and packed up for Portland, Maine, one of the most renowned foodie capitals in the U.S. This coastal city is a gem, and we were excited to be near my sister, a longtime resident of Maine.

A week before we moved, we learned that I had stage II breast cancer. A lobular or ductal carcinoma. The doctors couldn't quite tell. In the ensuing months, I endured surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The chemo was necessitated by the cancer's migration to my lymph nodes.

In the year or two that followed, we faced more than one of life's challenges: we were told we couldn't have children as a result of my specific chemotherapy regimen; my husband's epilepsy (which had been on a six-year hiatus) returned, only to manifest in a series of stress-induced seizures; and then my body became turgid as a mysterious swelling began. After three doctor's visits to determine the cause of this perplexing bloating, we learned that I was four and a half months pregnant.

It's a daring move to share a story so personal and vulnerable. I aim not to evoke pity or even compassion. I share this because it speaks to who I am as a person. A survivor. This story has become the quintessential illustration of my personality, a distillation of my endurance, my passion and my ability to overcome adversity. I am cancer-free. My daughter, aptly named Liv, is a healthy, curious child with the wit of a thirty-something.

I am here. I am whole. And I am prepared to be a part of something bigger than myself. That's how I have come to this place, ready to embark on a journey with you. Excited to embrace the challenge of helping you make your SHIFT.