b'No eyebrows. My eyelashes even fell out. When you lookJennifer: After 33 radiation sessions, I was told that I was in the mirror, you see this alien. You dont know who thisdone, but I didnt feel done. I had a lot of uncertainties. person is looking at you. You know who you are, but youMy oncologistbless himhe hears from me all the dont recognize the person looking back at you. time, with all of these questions and fears. This experience definitely sets you in a place that is different from Angela: I also lost all of my hair. My hair was always a bigyour normal. I was never fearful of anything until this part of me; it was long and full and I loved it. I didnt wanthappened. And I never thought it was going to be me. I the whole world knowing I was sick, so I opted for a wig,didnt realize the impact the whole experience would have which we called Moira because I love Schitts Creek. Myon me. Youre so busy from the time you get diagnosed. kids were like, Is Moira going to the beach with us? Is MoiraThen you sit in silence and you have to reflect on what you going to the grocery store? It was always about Moira.just went through.Humor is good medicine.Thats not the reaction that most people expect. We Angela: Yes, especially when you have setbacks that extendassume being cancer-free is the end goal, the finish line, your time in treatment. I had low platelets and then I gotand everything is good. But that wasnt completely true, COVID-19. But there were silver linings all along the way.was it?Meeting these ladies is one of them. Angela: I had an amazing support system, but everyone whod never been through this type of experience assumed, Individually and as a group, youve been through a lot:Oh, youre done. Its over. You should be back to your chemotherapy, radiation, several surgeries. But youve allnormal self. You are anything but that. I felt guilty for been told youre in remission, is that right? feeling sad and anxious. I should have been so happy to be Nichole: Well, I dont believe in remission. For me, thedone, but I wasnt. I was in a dark space. The mental and term is cancer-free and that is how I insisted it appear inemotional stuff got heavy.my chart.Jennifer: It can get really heavy. I felt a little forgotten When you were told you were cancer-free, what was thatand lost. You have to go through the stages of grief, but like for you? its almost like you go through them backwards. First, you just survive. Then you grieve. Youre no longer busy, youre 22Cone Health Philanthropy'