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Alexandra Gronfors ♡
@art.by.alexandra_

9,532 followers

Life often presents us with challenges, how we choose to perceive these challenges can make or break us. At age 29, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and my little world was flipped upside down! I choose to use this unfortunate circumstance as an opportunity to fulfik my passion. A few months before my diagnosis, I was experiencing very “sneaky symptoms.” I never put them all together because they weren’t severe enough to make me worried.. I noticed a bit of weight loss, hair thinning, slight itchiness, tiredness. Hard swollen lymph nodes brought me into the doctor's office and closer to my diagnosis, I often felt feverish. Cancer put my life on hold very suddenly and in unimaginable ways. I was unable to work my regular job. Cancer stripped me of my hair, making me bald and harming my self-esteem. It forced me to move back home; I felt like my independence was taken away from me. Chemotherapy is so tough on my body and it caused a whole new wave of side effects. Being immunocompromised, I’ve had to completely isolate myself. I was a 29 year old bald, single, cancer fighting woman, living at home... These were all new “problems” I’d have to suddenly learn how to solve. I look at this negative time in my life and I’ve tried to see my potential. How can I still grow? I immediately decided that I still have fire - I can channel that negative energy into something positive. There is an opportunity here and I’m still SO excited about what I can accomplish… My art. I have to thank cancer for giving me the opportunity to grow my passion. To grow my small business into something special…and I have to thank my art for moving me forward when everything felt like it was going backwards. I play with bright and happy colours and pray that someone will see the beauty in it too. Finishing a piece gives me a sense of accomplishment..I feel like I have moved my life in the direction I want to go. Even the small baby steps are still steps to move my life forward in the direction I want to go. I pray that each small step will make me into the person I want to become! #chemo #hodgkinslymphoma #bloodcancer #bloodcancerawareness #cancerjourney