I'm living in pink.

Actually, it felt like I was basking in pink while attending the Living in Pink Breast Cancer Support Group meeting this month at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

Never have I felt such love and understanding. The circle of fellow breast cancer survivors welcomed me with open arms, encouragement and laughter — lots and lots of laughter.

Five minutes into the meeting, I realized I should have been attending all year.

My brother in Texas had tried to convince me to go to a support group at least a million times. I did think about it, but I was stubborn and naive.

I actually believed I could handle the emotional impact of a double mastectomy and four months of chemotherapy alone.

Boy, was I wrong! But by the time I realized I needed help getting through what has truly been the dark night of my soul, I was unable to reach out to anyone, much less perfect strangers.

It took a divine intervention, at least that's what I like to think it was, to get me there.

On what may have been the darkest night of my dark night of the soul, two old friends showed up out of the blue with words of encouragement — Donna and Dale Blackwelder.

As it turned out, they attend Blaise Baptist Church in Davie County with Vicki Rhyne-Hunter of Salisbury, who started the Living in Pink support group this past January.

Donna told me I needed to meet Vicki, over and over again until I finally agreed as long as she went along. We had lunch together at The Wrenn House last month.

I was totally inspired by Vicki, who will celebrate her fourth year as a breast cancer survivor in February. Her optimism, enthusiasm and joy simply could not be contained.

That may have been why Dennis Lanning of the Radiation Oncology Department at Rowan Regional asked her to facilitate a breast cancer support group there.

Her commitment to help other breast cancer survivors is shared by her best friend, Teresa Lanning, who joined us for lunch.

I promised them that I would be at the next Living in Pink meeting, and I kept that promise. The December meeting also happened to be the support group's Christmas party, so it was an especially fun night.

Even before Vicki introduced me, Joyce Salvatoriello recognized me from my "Hope, faith and fear" columns chronicling my Feb. 12 surgery and subsequent treatments.

She said she was diagnosed right after me and read my columns to see what to expect next. I noticed right away that her curly brown hair had grown back much faster than mine.

I sat down beside Sylvia Tyree, who whispered joyfully that she had just celebrated her fifth-year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor on Nov. 30. She showed me the pink ribbon breast cancer survivor symbol tattooed on her left leg just above the knee.

Sylvia said she had been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while, but after her breast cancer diagnosis, she decided on the pink ribbon. "I may have had cancer," she said, "but it didn't have me."

I was impressed by Sylvia's spunk and knew immediately that she and I were destined to be friends.

"I'm so glad I got it," she said of the tattoo when I called and asked her about mentioning it in this column. "It's a reminder for me to be strong and a reminder that I am a survivor and to take one day at a time."

Brenda Avery, who was diagnosed after me, brought tears to my eyes when she said she asked her family and friends to read my columns so they would understand what she was going through.

Then she made me feel right at home when she told me that she was also still wearing a wig.

Bonnie Laster inspired me with her courage and strength when she shared her journey through breast cancer. She gave me a silver angel ornament adorned with the pink ribbon breast cancer survivor symbol and the words, "Bless this woman."

The only thing that surprised me about the Living in Pink meeting was that the Girl Scouts were there. Really.

It seems the members of Troop 1938 at Concordia Lutheran Church, for one of their community projects, had painted clay flower pots with pink and lavender designs and filled them with all kinds of goodies for the support group members.

Sara and Amber Coe, Jasmine Belush, Ashley Hancock and Jade Musselwhite joined in the meeting, helping pass out gifts and posing for pictures with recipients of their beautiful flowerpot creations.

One of the Coe sisters even suggested calling the Jan. 2 meeting, at which members plan to wear their old wigs, the 3Ws — Wonderful Wig Wednesday.

Some of the breast cancer survivors brought family members with them to the meeting.

Vicki's mother, Leota Wilcox, who lives part of the time in Salisbury and part of the time in Robbinsville, and her younger sister, Donna Lewis of Chapel Hill, attend regularly, helping her with the programs and offering support to everyone in the group.

My first Living in Pink meeting was a wonderful experience. We all enjoyed the beautiful pink Christmas tree, tongue-twister gift exchange, drawings for other gifts, sharing of useful information and personal stories and lots of good food.

For me, the most poignant moment was when Nadine Hudson closed the meeting with prayer, giving thanks that in its first year, the circle of breast cancer survivors had not been broken.

It took me way too long to join, but I'm proud to be a Living in Pink member. More importantly, I'm proud to be living.

nnn

The Living in Pink support and education group for people with breast cancer and survivors of breast cancer meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of Rowan Regional Medical Center's Patient Tower. For more information, call 704-210-6870.

nnn

Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249 or kchaffin@salisburypost.com.