Janice McCurley, who lives in Maple Valley, will be modeling in Macy’s 12th annual Breast Cancer Survivor Fashion Show this Saturday. The sold-out event at the Macy’s store in downtown Seattle will feature 16 women who were selected after writing essays about their victories over breast cancer. Valley Medical Center nominated four of them, including McCurley, whose essay follows:
“I accept myself. The good (my hair looks fantastic), the bad (is it hot in here or is it just me?), and the ugly (I don’t like this scar on my chest). I accept myself. Just. As. I. Am. Wow, that feels good – really, really good. That acceptance of self is huge and it is because I had cancer. No doubt about it.
“A cancer diagnosis changes everything. It does strange things to you. It took me to the bottom physically, mentally, and emotionally. What I experienced was a palpable sense of sadness, terror and physical pain I didn’t know existed. I also have experienced my filter coming off and the opening of a whole new world. Insights and faith have flooded my senses and changed my life forever.
“I also learned all types of new information. I didn’t know that the active ingredient in Taxotere is derived from the needles of the European yew tree; that organic green juice actually tastes great or that I love my husband, my family, my dog, my cat and my life as desperately as I do.
“Yes, cancer is awful. Sometimes when the phone rings, I still pray that it will be the hospital calling to tell me there was a mixup on my pathology report and I never had cancer. But that call has never come and I don’t think it will. I wonder if all of this love and acceptance of self would be a part of me if I hadn’t had cancer. Life really does go on. As I sit and write this, the sun is shining and I’m shining. I’m still me. I’m still here. It’s all good. Yay, life! Yay, God!”
The fashion show’s master of ceremonies will be Lori Matsukawa of KING 5 News and radio station Warm 106.9’s Daryl Summers. The featured guest speaker will be Virginia Concannon, an oncology nurse for Valley Medical’s cancer services.
Event sponsors include KONG TV, KING 5 TV, Valley Medical Center, Warm 106.9 FM and Wacoal.
