Ana Hernandez-Diaz
In late June 2018 my husband, Keo, and I went on our yearly summer trip to Malta. I remember climbing to the top of a rock and jumping into the crystal clear water of the Mediterranean. This memory replays in my mind often and I never want to forget how I felt prior to having cancer. I don’t want to say that I took my body for granted, but cancer taught me to appreciate every part of my body. On Monday I was jumping from rocks feeling invincible and on Friday I was in a wheelchair feeling my world crumble.
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s primary bone lymphoma on July 24, 2018. I’m 31 years old and have no family history of cancer. There was no explanation of a cause and that left me in shock. I started chemotherapy right away, (6 cycles), and am currently in the second phase of my treatment, (radiotherapy). I tried to keep in tune with my body throughout my treatment. Chemo is a story of its own and is different for everyone. I ate and slept when I could and kept my mind busy. I was unable to walk for eight weeks and making myself feel useful was my goal every day.I set up a routine that incorporated meditation, audiobooks, journaling, and most importantly crying when I needed to cry. Recognizing the hardships and confronting cancer gave me the WILLPOWER to fight every day. Cancer is physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult, but I was determined to have my life back.
I was officially in remission on November 19th, 2018. Cancer came into my life like a tornado. It caused mayhem…it interrupted my life. I spent many nights in pain…many nights mentally alone. Asking and wondering, WHY? The truth is: no one is “safe” and no one is “exempt” from health issues. I know cancer will always be with me and I respect its fury. All I can say is that I am not the same person who was jumping from those rocks into the Mediterranean Sea. I am stronger, I am wiser and I want to LIVE.
Halfway through my treatment, I started a blog. It has been therapeutic for me and I hope it can help someone in a similar situation. If you would like to follow my journey as I continue my life as a flight attendant my story can be accessed at www.walkwithluna.com.
Instagram @walkwith.luna
Medium account: Ana Hernandez-Diaz.
GRYT is giving a dream a chance and accepting failure.
GRYT is knowing that you are surrounded by love and support.
GRYT is believing in your mental and physical strength.
Editor’s Note: As of May 2022, Gryt Health attempted to reach out to Ana to update her website and account information after not finding the links to work appropriately or the accounts on the specified platforms. To date, we have been unsuccessful in updating the information.
