O1xygenAustralianJulyAugust2015_

saved our lives

Middle East. Life was good. However, the

week before I was planning on moving

home to complete my final year at Purdue,

I found out I had melanoma. Since then,

I’ve had surgery four times and had seven

areas removed. I began the classes like a

normal student – my professors, and even

my mother, told me the best thing to do

would be to drop the classes since I was

f lying to Florida to see my doctors every

three weeks. I didn’t drop a single class. It

was very stressful, time consuming and

draining. I remember sitting in my kitchen

after I got off the phone with my doctor

and I was so mad at my life. “Why can’t I

ever have a break?” I shouted out.

I really hit a low point in my life. On top

of the cancer, my husband was also to

be sent for another deployment after I

graduated. So with my studies and trips to

the hospital, there was no time to really be

with him before he departed for another

six months away. It was a lot to take in.

I felt everything was so out of control that

the only thing I could do was my best. I

went from trying to control every aspect of

my life to understanding that life can – and

will – throw anything my way.

Resisting the inevitable, complaining and

feeling sorry for myself did absolutely

nothing, so I decided to simply change my

attitude. My husband has now just left for

his deployment and my melanoma will be

with me forever, but I have accepted it and

how things are.

Now, every two months I go to the doctor

for my exams, which consist of full body

screenings, lymph node exams and CAT

scans to monitor everything. Come

September, I will also be having another

melanoma area removed for the second

time. This illness will be something I have

to live with everyday and watch caref ully,

but by maintaining a positive attitude I will

get through it.

LIFE IS TOO SHORT! I REALLY

FEEL THAT MY APPARENT

OBSTACLES ARE ACTUALLY

BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE AND THEY

HAVE MADE ME APPRECIATE MY

LOVED ONES, MY LIFE, AND ENABLED

ME TO REALLY FOCUS ON MY HEALTH.

YOUARECAPABLEOFANYTHINGYOU

MORGAN’S JOURNEY

YOUARECAPAB

PUT YOUR MIN

BLE OF AANYTHINGYOU

PUT YOUR MINDDTO TO.

MY PERSONAL FITNESS

JOURNEY WAS A MENTAL

CHALLENGE AS WELL AS

A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND

PHYSICAL CHALLENGE.This is

never an easy topic to discuss but

the relevancy of such an issue is

unbelievable as many men and

women suffer from related issues

butaretoofearfultoseekhelp,

let alone make vast and crucial

changes. I had battled a severe

eating disorder throughout high

school. My life seemed out of my

own control. I was suffering from

the stresses of failing relationships

andaverydifficultfamilylife.In

mymind,theonlythingIfeltthat

I could control was every morsel I

put into my mouth. I soon began to

react to my problems by controlling

everybiteItook,causingmetolose

over 13 kilos. I now stand at 67 kilos

• so if you can imagine me at about
  52 kilos, you may be able to picture
  the severity.

BEFORE

AFTER

PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL BUCETA

oxygenmag.com.au | JULY/AUG 2015 | 53

FITNESS

SISTERS