Annie’s Story

“I guess one of the great things that I got out of the Look Good Feel Better class was that I went in with not too much confidence. Afterwards I came out a totally different person. I went in wearing my beanies, which when I lost my hair I was wearing them everywhere.  After the class I left bald. I left, I walked out bald and that took a lot for me. I thank LGFB because of that.”

Annie’s daughter, Stephanie, was her support person at her Feel Better Class. She shares that Annie is a strong person who doesn’t really like to show much weakness or even ask for any kind of assistance.  So even when she wasn’t feeling great inside she would never show it to anybody. I think she would have lost a little confidence, especially with losing her hair as she is a very social person.

Annie before the class was someone who would get up every morning and do the best that she can without showing anybody that she is struggling. That’s the Annie. She loves to host, she loves having people over. So any chance she can have people over – even though she is feeling like not the best that day she will definitely say yes.

She’s the person who would put the someone else before herself, always, constantly. Even when she is not at her best.

Annie found that having to juggle everything as well as treatment was a big challenge because she liked to do everything herself. She is an independent person that relies on herself. So one thing she learnt was that with cancer and chemo you’ve got to rely on people and she found that out the hard way. “So now I’ve learnt ask for help – and it doesn’t have to be family, it can be LGFB.”

“So when I look in the mirror now I see confidence, I see someone that doesn’t have cancer and that’s massive for me.”

Stephanie, as Annie’s support person for LGFB, says “It was very positive experience for her. She came out like a new person – it was inspirational. Just be in that environment and to just have like-minded people, being with people who were going through the same experience as her.  She definitely came out stronger.”