Jodi Roderick

Survivor

So my story began in May of 2019 when I received the dreaded call that I’m positive for Breast Cancer at 47 years old. I’m the Mother of 2 adult children and the grandmother to a beautiful 5 year old granddaughter. My own daughter is a special needs 30 yr old woman with chronic health issues. So when I was diagnosed I told my family that this is just another obstacle for us to over come as a unit. It’s no different than the past 28 years we’ve had to fully take care of my daughter whom has multiple serious conditions. She’s blind, deaf and is a Quadriplegic who requires full care and is bed bound. So the Cancer diagnosis was frightening to me but not the way people imagine. Was I scared hearing the news absolutely but only for a few minutes because my priority is my children first.

This made me once again reflect on life and the need to stay as positive and healthy as I can because my daughter especially needs me around. In that very moment on my drive home from work after getting my awful news I had tears streaming down my cheek in fear of what how and who can take care of her like I do. Then within minutes the tears dried and I said to myself “I Got This”. I told myself that this is temporary it’s a year of Chemo Treatment but I will face this standing tall as I always did in the past taking care of such a complex individual is harder than anything I could ever face. So the only difference is it’s me sick this time around not my daughter.

I was Diagnosed with Stage 2 triple positive BC. I had a double Mastectomy in August of 2019 and 8 lymph nodes removed. My reconstruction was in February 2020 right before Covid hit us all. I went thru the remaining 9 months of treatment during a Pandemic which was a bit nerve racking too but I stayed positive through it all. I was a avid runner/in the gym 3-4 days a week before and during the first 5 months of treatment. I’ve run multiple 1/2 Marathons in recent years. I would go into work then go to the gym to workout then most days go jogging 4-5 miles before going home. I only spent 3 days sick in bed out of the full year of treatment. As of 9/18/20 I’m done with treatments and I’m Cancer Free!!!! I encourage people to think positive exercise and eat well the body is a machine so keep it tuned up. We are all warriors in our own way dressed in a suit of armor to battle this disease in in the end win our individual battles. I pray that this disease will be a distant memory someday for all affected by it. My 2021 goal is another 1/2 Marathon and who knows maybe a full Marathon too. I’m back running up to 5 miles again and I’m nothing but grateful for all the support I’ve been shown by so many people near and far family friends and coworkers alike.

Stay encouraged stay well and absolutely stay positive.