Reporter's Dispatch

Many of us believe that things happen to us. Well, cancer happened for me. Insidious and stealth, it came along without warning, stealing the wind from my sails and leaving me feeling powerless.

The healing process has been slow, especially internally. Sharing my story soothes my soul and helps me come to terms with my doubts and fears. A friend of mine once said, “The universe rewards forward momentum.” Small steps I take to reclaim my life.

It was a joy to report the stories in this series. Dr. Bernard Chang is one of the kindest physicians that I have ever met. Chang is in such high demand that his surgical consultant, Sonya, often has to schedule his surgical procedures months in advance.

Photographer Ken Cedeno e-mailed me his award-winning picture story. Robert Visser, a mutual friend and photographer, helped me build the slide show, and I wrote captions. Thanks to Visser’s technical expertise the slide show looks great. I interviewed Cedeno, and then we uploaded the audio clip to my blog.

The Women’s Boutique, a specialty store in Baltimore, Md., offers health related products and services to women. I first met Elisa Lawson and her daughter Jennifer Knott last April due to my preoperative fitting for surgical garments. My interview with Lawson was a breeze; she loves what she’s doing and was more than willing to share her story.

All in all, it was an excellent opportunity to report meaningful stories.