My story on Lifetime

http://www.mylifetime.com/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/a-26-year-old-brides-mission-to-overcome-breast-cancer

I want to share my story that's featured on Lifetime's website for the movie "Five," which comes out next month in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It features five different women and their personal journeys dealing with breast cancer.
I was given the amazing opportunity to be interivewed by Lifetime and to share my story about my breast cancer and my wedding planning, and how I'm fitting it all together in this blog!
I had my Lifetime interview a few weeks ago, and to be honest, when I first found out my story and my blog would be featured on the Lifetime website I was ecstatic! (Ok, that's an understatement ... I actually couldn't sleep!)
I knew, when I was diagnosed, I wanted something good to come out of all of this. I wanted to share my story. I didn't want to hide. I wanted to be honest about what I was going through, no matter how disturbing, upsetting or grueling. Because I knew I wanted people to read and understand, and I wanted young women to be aware: healthy, young women - brides - get breast cancer. For me, it doesn't matter if one or one million people read my story. I just want someone to read it, and even if they don't understand, I want them to learn. I want to touch other people in a million different ways.
I can't even begin to explain what being on the Lifetime website means to me. It accomplishes, in a few mere paragraphs, everything I want to come from this breast cancer experience. I am so honored and blessed to be able to share my story with the world.
At first I was hesitant about telling other people about my breast cancer. At 26, who will really understand? But it was only a few weeks after my diagnosis that I realized: now is the time to talk. Now is not the time to hide. Now is as good a moment as any to break free from any restrictions and tell my story. Because it will help educate, inspire, encourage. Because the breast cancer has not shut me up or shut me down; instead it has opened me up. I'm going to talk. I'm going to shout. I'm going to now live harder than I ever have before.
Like I've written about in a previous post, I see all cancer fighters and survivors holding hands - holding onto all of our light and passion. We've all got each other's backs. Having this blog, and sharing my story on Lifetime, opens my hands and my grasp a little bit wider. I'm here and I'm talking.