Keep God Weird

Imagine dedicating your life to lovingness for people with malignant neoplastic disease only to happen out that this time, you are the 1 with the disease.

For 27 years, Arlene Spires, the head executive director of the Ulster Cancer Foundation, have devoted her clip and energy to helping others with the illness.

Then, just five hebdomads ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"It was interesting as I have got spoken to so many 100s of people over the course of study of my career," Arlene said.

"I've spoken to them; I've understood what it's been like for them.

"It was phantasmagoric in a sense. I thought; 'Is the operating surgeon talking about person else?'"

Arlene started her calling as a nurse hoping to educate women about breast cancer, a hard undertaking in itself, at the clip it was a disease no-one spoke about.

Now, after working in every facet of the charity's outreach and prima the arrangement as its head executive, she confronts a rough reality.

"I immediately thought of my family, my hubby first and foremost, who was even more than apprehensive than I'd ever known him in our life together.

"My sisters, because I have got two ses and indeed my brother, so I thought about what it was going to be like to state them.

'Difficult time'

"So many people have got said the most hard portion of that journeying was telling their closest friends.

"I have got many friends over Northern Eire and abroad but my household were the cardinal people when I got the diagnosis."

It is a complete function reversal for Arlene to travel from carer to receiver.

The issue is the same, but now the focusing is on her.

"I said to the oncologist: 'Everything you've said to me is nil new, I understand all that, I cognize because I've gone through it so many modern times with others.'

"I have got the further penetration of what it is like for a household member to travel through breast cancer, my sister some old age ago, was diagnosed with breast malignant neoplastic disease and I think that helped me because she have been a truly inspiring individual in my life.

"She is now doing extremely well."

At this point, it is now up to Arlene to take the advice and attention she have given to so many and focusing on getting well.

"I am extremely positive about the result of my breast cancer.

"I'm clearly not looking forward to the adjacent six calendar months during which clip I will have got a series of chemotherapy treatments and radiation therapy treatment at the end of that.

"However, it is good news and my end is to be portion of that good news story."

In recent years, the result for breast malignant neoplastic disease endures in Northern Eire have improved and Arlene states this is what assists her expression to the future.

"At the end of the process, my breast malignant neoplastic disease should be treated successfully.

"I will retrieve from the treatment and move forward to life a normal life again, if anyone can ever dwell a normal life again after having a diagnosing of cancer, however that's my end and that's what I be after to do."