What are your best qualities?
My mental strength, my organization, my love for my people, and my love for adventure.
Do you have any undesirable qualities?
My mental strength and my organization.
What do you love the most about your body?
My curves!
Tell us the story about your scars...
I was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative breast cancer at age 27. I’m just about to hit one year since diagnosis. Triple negative is the most aggressive breast cancer out there. I did 3 months of chemo, lumpectomy surgery, 15 rounds of radiation, and a year and a half of immunotherapy infusions. Oh, and before I did all that I did IVF to freeze my eggs since chemo messes with your fertility.
What was your response when you first noticed your body changing?
I was terrified of having a scar. I was more scared for surgery then chemo because the effects of surgery are permanent, the chemo would end, but the scar is forever.
How did those around you make you feel about these changes?
Everyone said scars are badass and make your even more beautiful but I didn’t believe them until I got to see my scar for the first time.
Describe your journey with body acceptance...
My boyfriend has done a lot to help with my body positivity. The longer we are together the more weight I gain and he just never stops telling me how sexy I am. He kisses my scars all the time and tells me how beautiful they are. Or what a badass they make me.
How do you incorporate self-love into your routine?
I like to think any little thing that’s nice or good that I do for myself is self love. My coffee in the morning is self love. My evening walk is self love. Anything that’s good for me that I do for myself is self love in my opinion.
What about self-love are you continuing to work on?
Not being so hard on myself. Loving my curves and imperfections as much as my boyfriend does. I need to stop comparing my figure to what it was in high school and love it for all its womanlyness.
What is one of your qualities you wish shined brighter than your exterior appearance?
Mhmm this is hard. Probably my love for my friends and family. I always want them to know how much they mean to me.
What lesson do you hope to instill in your children about self-love & body acceptance?
That all shapes, sizes, marks are good. My mother had a horrible accident with her leg when she was 18 and got a huge 12 in scar on her leg. She tried our whole lives to protect us from scars, often saying they would ruin you if you got one. She didn’t want us to go through what she went through but she also projected her fears and insecurities about scars onto us. Before my surgery I couldn’t get her words about scars ruining you out of my head, I was beyond terrified about what it would do to my femininity. I hope my children don’t take my insecurities with them.
What makes you the happiest in the world?
Traveling.