The most powerful approach to winning an audience of readers is through the art of storytelling, especially true stories where you know the character. In my story, The Dreaded CAT scan, I stressed the importance of being proactive in regards to your health. The story depicted my experience ten years ago with cancer; how I faced fear of the dreaded CAT scan, but never faltered in keeping my appointments, 20 in all over a ten-year period. Twenty scans were normal. Eleven days ago, my surgeon told me, my 21st CAT scan was abnormal. The dreaded CAT scan and my proactive nature were about to save my life a second time.

After I posted that story on Facebook I learned over 17,000 of you darlings saw that musing. Several of you wrote personal notes on Facebook and on www.honeygood.com, which I joyfully answered. I was pleasantly stunned, grateful and taken aback, so much so, I wanted to email each of you a personal thank you note letting you know your caring words helped propel me back to health.

Your outpouring of love and concern for my emotional and physical welfare and your appreciation of my post on being proactive about your health was most uplifting over the past eleven days because: 99% of you do not know me. I don’t know 99% of you, yet we have created a Sisterhood through the written word, that is unbreakable. How special is that!

As I reflect on the past eleven days of my life there is one unbroken thread that weaved a stable pattern through my mind. People.

My devoted husband who never left my side, my loving and devoted children and daughter-in-law who were constants in my life, my grands who text messaged and called from as far away as London, my charismatic and loving close girlfriends who phoned, texted, and sent gifts. The doctors and nurses who showered me with concern and excellent care and you, my darlings, at www.honeygood.com. PEOPLE.

It was a time of realization of what I was about to encounter. It was a time of not wanting to face the inevitable. It was a time of gratitude when the surgeon said, “Your PET scan is normal.” It was a time of fear when the surgeon told me after surgery, “It was malignant.” A time of hope when he said, “Stage 1.  Your cure was the surgery. No chemo or radiation.”  It was a time of sadness that cancer had reared its ugly head. It was a time of anger when I questioned, “why me.”  

Several contrasting and shattering emotions raced through my mind over the past 11 days and one unbroken strong thread helped weave stability through my fragile mind, PEOPLE.

OMG I am so lucky to be surrounded by my family and all of my fabulous friends who I know and you fabulous darlings who I don’t know, but feel I do know!!

I am so truly blessed and grateful to the inventor who developed the dreaded CAT scan and to my surgeon who got rid of my only enemy in the entire world…Cancer.

I love all of you, over 120,000 strong and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart for being an important part of my daily life.

Here is a sample of some of the beautiful messages I received from the www.honeygood.com community:

Elizabeth Clay: You have millions of fans pulling for you, Honey. Lots of support for you, Lovely Lady! ‪️‪️

Sande Chernett: I’m a survivor and know you will be again. I’m sending prayers and good thoughts your way tomorrow. L’Shana Tova, May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a healthy New Year.

Ines Grzeslo: You are in my thoughts, prayers and positive visualizations! Your strength is admirable and transparency inspiring.

Georgina Rose Bowling: Thank you for sharing your health update. Many women are not as strong as you are in sharing health updates. You are truly educating our age group! I pray that God gives you peace tonight and all the days following your procedure. May God bless you and keep you safe.

Connie Adams Colquitt: Oh Honey. I hear you. God bless you beautiful friend. I had the upper lobe of my left lung removed two years ago. They found a small 1-A cancer. I, too, continue to go for the dreaded Ct scans and follow ups. The surgery lasted 5 hours. I barely remember due to so many pain meds. I am with you. LET GO AND LET GOD. I feel great now and thrilled they removed it.

Zina Abramowitz Rosenbaum: Honey my thoughts and prayers are with you during this trying time. Just remember you have a guardian angel watching over you.

Karen Brookshire-Jackson: I have been in constant prayer for you over these past three days. Early this morning in my devotional I was given this verse, “Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
I will continue to pray for you as you walk through yet another journey. As we Episcopalians love to say, “God IS good all the time and ALL the time God is good.” May you have peace today as you take another step on this journey and know that so many are walking the walk with you through prayer.
I have included one of my favorite quotes from The Rt Rev Steven Charleston. It sums up what I think God as well as those who read your blog would say of you.