Welcome to Emily’s Wildflower Therapy! This blog is a combination of cancer diary, nature photography, and travelogue, sprinkled with dashes of health and wellness. For the last many years, my favorite pastime has been taking pictures of wildflowers. Looking for wildflowers means that I am outside, in the fresh air, taking in lots of beautiful scenery and keeping my eyes open for any interesting pops of color. But, as adult life goes, work and obligations would often get in the way and my camera would go for long stretches without seeing the light of day. And then, there was cancer…
It all began in 2011, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, just weeks before my 33rd birthday. I had a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and an intense DIEP flap reconstruction surgery. My second cancer journey began in early November when I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava, a tumor so unusual that it accounts for only 1 in 100,000 cancers. The end of the year was filled with anxiety, medical research, tons of imaging, a lengthy surgery, a difficult recovery, and more than one trip to the emergency room.
You know all those people that say writing is good therapy? They might be on to something. The experiences I relay may sometimes be a little dark, or sad. But I assure you that putting them on “paper” has helped me to process them and I am feeling much lighter.
I am trying to rebuild myself, both physically and emotionally. Seems like a pretty good time to get back to my favorite floral pursuits. So, I would like to share a little bit of that with you by blending the harsh realities of cancer with the beautiful, resilient grace of wildflowers. Do these two things go together? I think they do, and if nothing else, they will give you something pretty to look at while I regale you with all my cancer-fighting woes.
What else should you need to know about me? I love my cat, marmots, lichen, coffee, kale, and the color gray. I have a super-dooper husband. His name is Dragos, and he has been there to hold my hand every step of the way. The two of us hold dear in our hearts a particular slice of the Brazilian rainforest and the sugarcane spirit that comes from there, called cachaça.
Speaking of heart, I am eternally grateful to all of you that have been sending me prayers, happy thoughts, and good vibrations these past few years. I am super lucky to have had such a tremendous support system around me for all of my forays into cancer-land. Thank you for taking the time to read these posts, look at these photos, and go on this journey with me.
Love,
Emily
It all began in 2011, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, just weeks before my 33rd birthday. I had a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and an intense DIEP flap reconstruction surgery. My second cancer journey began in early November when I was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava, a tumor so unusual that it accounts for only 1 in 100,000 cancers. The end of the year was filled with anxiety, medical research, tons of imaging, a lengthy surgery, a difficult recovery, and more than one trip to the emergency room.
You know all those people that say writing is good therapy? They might be on to something. The experiences I relay may sometimes be a little dark, or sad. But I assure you that putting them on “paper” has helped me to process them and I am feeling much lighter.
I am trying to rebuild myself, both physically and emotionally. Seems like a pretty good time to get back to my favorite floral pursuits. So, I would like to share a little bit of that with you by blending the harsh realities of cancer with the beautiful, resilient grace of wildflowers. Do these two things go together? I think they do, and if nothing else, they will give you something pretty to look at while I regale you with all my cancer-fighting woes.
What else should you need to know about me? I love my cat, marmots, lichen, coffee, kale, and the color gray. I have a super-dooper husband. His name is Dragos, and he has been there to hold my hand every step of the way. The two of us hold dear in our hearts a particular slice of the Brazilian rainforest and the sugarcane spirit that comes from there, called cachaça.
Speaking of heart, I am eternally grateful to all of you that have been sending me prayers, happy thoughts, and good vibrations these past few years. I am super lucky to have had such a tremendous support system around me for all of my forays into cancer-land. Thank you for taking the time to read these posts, look at these photos, and go on this journey with me.
Love,
Emily
Copyright © 2020 – Emily LaCroix-Axinte