MS taught me to live in the moment…

Cancer taught me to appreciate the moment.

My story is not unlike most people’s stories in the sense that life has thrown many “nudges” (challenges) my way. What is different is how I’ve chosen to respond. In January of 2002, I was diagnosed with MS. I knew I still had a lot of life to live, and I was determined to walk the challenging path that had been laid in front of me with joy, grace, and mindfulness. 

A year-and-a-half later – life threw another nudge my way. This one was salivary gland cancer and required eight weeks of radiation in eight locations, directed at my head each time. I was, as you may imagine, incredibly ill during this treatment. I saw the shock on my mother’s face when she came to help me, and resolved then and there that this was not the way I was going out! This declaration was rooted in moving through the pain, and the meditation and mindfulness skills I’d developed helped me find physical, emotional, and mental strength. Within a day, my physical symptoms began to improve, and a year later I was completely healed.

Outside of my own diagnoses and health challenges, I’m also well acquainted with grief. I supported my father through my mother’s death, and when my father was at the end of his life, I was right beside him as his primary caregiver. 

My lived experiences – through health challenges and different stages of grief – with the power of mindfulness and transforming my own thoughts inspired me to pivot from a twenty-year acting career into wellness coaching.  Now I help my clients develop the skills, mindset, and techniques they need to embrace the spectacular beauty life has to offer.