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Mentorship July 2, 2020
Changing life factsLast year, one of ENTITY’s valued team members, Taryn Hillin, was diagnosed with a gynecologic neuroendocrine cancer that is as rare as it is aggressive. The scant data showed her odds of survival were about seven percent. Nevertheless, she fought through seven months of radical surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and brachytherapy – a long battle that finally ended in April.
Now, two months later, her scans are clear and the cancer is nowhere to be seen!
To celebrate this news, we wanted to share with you some valuable life lessons Taryn learned along the road, some of which could really help you live your best life.
Here are her top five pieces of life advice as a cancer survivor.
“When you’re in your late 20s and early 30s you’re worried about getting your life on track, getting a good, high-paying job, and putting money into your 401k. You think all these things are super important, and they are…but when cancer comes knocking on your door your whole life basically becomes about facing the next day.
“I would tell my 20-year-old self to keep pursuing her dreams. I think many people in their 20s and 30s feel a lot of pressure to get to a certain level. We feel like we have to lay this really amazing foundation to have this really great life later on…but one thing you don’t think about is what if there is no later on?
“I would tell myself to live the life you want to live the way you want to live it now. Don’t be living for the life you’ll have when you retire.”
“They doubled me up on chemo and radiation and I was going to the hospital every day while also on lockdown, and it’s really tough. There are times you can’t breathe properly – you’re so tired, fatigued, and nauseous. You’re going through all that suffering so you can kill cancer cells.
“During this time, people would do things for me like bring groceries so my husband could work. My husband was constantly giving me massages and getting me water, and my mom was doing all my laundry. I had to move out of my house on a day I was in the hospital for surgery and my friends showed up and moved out for me.
“Stuff like that is really important. Checking in is really important. So many people were texting me once a week to check-in. Seeing those things come in sometimes got me out of bed and got me through the day.”
“Times are really weird right now. We are going through COVID and things especially feel really hard if you’re a recent grad. So many people are unemployed and people are worried about how they’re going to pay rent, and then we also have a country that is reconciling with this 400-year history of systemic racism.
“It feels like everything is happening all at once. It’s hard but it can always be harder. Humans are very resilient and have lived through incredible times. Dig deep, lean on your resilience, and try to help others in need.
“Have compassion, have empathy, don’t just think about yourself. Try to be a better human. These are tiny things you can do to help people — it can make a difference in the world if we’re all doing them.”
“Most people after cancer treatment might get a test every now and again. I have to check in once every three months for the next five years. They’re really concerned about the first year and after year three. There won’t be a celebration until around year five.
“I feel great that I’m cancer-free but it’s always kind of there. I’m grateful to have a clear scan – some people don’t even get to have that. They do all this treatment for cancer only for it to get worse or not change.
“My plan is to be cancer-free forever. I’m happy to be alive right now. Every day you’re cancer-free is a good day. We always say in our support groups that we have to take it one day at a time because you never know what will come next.”
“The biggest thing is gratitude and the people in your life. I had so many people from all walks of my life showing up for me. It sounds really sappy, but be grateful, no matter what you’re struggling with.
“Be grateful that you’re alive.”
