Survivor: Sarahlyn U. Argrow (3)

Painted during TAC session one

"Circle of Hands"
Acrylic on canvas
16" x 20"

Circle of Hands

Have you ever looked at the hands that are around you? Have you ever noticed the many different shapes, sizes or colors? Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if your family, friends, associates, etc. did not have the function or their hands? Or how things would be if they did not extend a hand to you?

I am now a Nine Year breast cancer survivor, getting older and if you know me you know I have my own saying for this, which is “I am a Nine Year Overcomer of the big C. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2001.

There I was going on with my happy life, making new strides on my job and in my personal life as well, overcoming the big hurdle of poverty, etc. I was living large for once in my life, I had started this great new non-profit 501(C)(3)organization designed to assist single working women and their children entitled AWWIN, Inc (Assisting Working Women In Need). I was making great money and feeling pretty good about who God was making me. I had no more financial problems. I was now really able to provide for myself and my children. I was able to pay tithes, pay all my bills, buy grocery, go shopping, and do some of the things we desired to do. I was traveling for Carson Products and becoming a woman of the world now (SMILE).

I guess you are wondering how or what happened to make this possible. Well, I’ll tell you. God gave me this great job at Carson Products as a temporary assistant to the IT Department, which I later went on to become the EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Coordinator.

While working at Carson I also had a great insurance plan to go to the doctor. I learned how to do self checks of my breast for lumps and as I became more knowledgeable of this self-checking procedure I did it on a regular bases. It is not that I was really looking to find something (and who really is), just trying to be proactive and the fact that I now knew how to do this and had the mindset to do it was fascinating. Well what do you think happened to this now found woman of the world?

One evening while trying to be… I noticed there was a lump in my left breast so the next day I called and made an appointment with my OBGYN, not really expecting him to find anything, but he did. He sent me to get a mammogram and after checking the mammogram they decided I needed to get a biopsy. Can I tell you I began to get nervous, you see I did not tell anyone what was going on but my co-worker Kendra. I did not want to scare my children, again I had to be this pillar of strength, therefore I went to get the mammogram and biopsy alone. WOW what a mistake, but again God provided. The persons in Mary Telfair Women’s Hospital were so amazing and patient with me. They allowed me time to cry as their hands so carefully did the mammogram and biopsy. They were comforting with their words as their hands handled the machines, guided the needles and gave me tissues to dry my tears away.

As I went through this chapter in my life I watched the many hands that dealt with my body, my mind and my soul. From my OBGYN, the persons that administered the mammogram and the biopsy, the person that wrote the prescription for the mammogram to the person that received it I knew I was in good hands. There seemed to be something about the hands that really stood out. I began to focus on the hands and take notes in my mind about the hands that were assisting me now. In all walks of this chapter they were definitely different shapes, sizes and colors and it did not matter to them what shape, size or color my hands were, they were all there to take care of me and they did.

In looking back at the phone call that I received from the surgeon telling me that the test were positive, I can remember my hands shaking a little and using them to cover my mouth and asking God “Why”, as I began to cry. My hands muffled my mouth as I asked God “Had I not got through enough?” “Why did He now allow me to experience cancer TOO?”

You see I thought He (God) had made His masterpiece through me and was giving me a break. He had given me this great job and the ability to start AWWIN to serve others, to become a woman of the world, etc. I imagine He figured I could take one more test and I knew I needed to pass this as I had all the others.

Going through this ordeal, there was only one hand that I could not physically see or touch, but I had to believe beyond belief that it was there and that was the hand of God. He had carried me through so many times before and I had to believe He had me in the palm of His hands at this time. I also had to know He had already given me the natural hands I needed to pull me through this as well.

God gave me hands of all shapes, sizes and colors. When I sat in the chemo room I watched as the hands of all shapes, sizes and colors would so carefully hook us up to the chemo pumps in the chemo room to give us our treatments. I watched if there was an emergency in the room how quickly those hands would run to the problem. It did not matter who it was they were treated by those hands as if it were their very own lives.

When I had an appointment to talk with the oncologist (Dr. Bala)I would watched him reading my chart to see my progress or my … he would speak and his hands would continue flipping a page or two of the chart to discuss what was going on in detail and he would verbally begin by saying Ms Argrow... He was kind and caring and as his hands flipped the pages of the chart or wrote a prescription, etc. I knew I was not just a patient to him but a person that desired to live.

There were times after the treatment when my children (Katie, Daveeda, Daysha, Catherine and (Day) Thelena) hands had to drive me home and get me into bed. My mother’s (Catherine) hands were there to make me homemade vegetable soup and to make sure I took my medication. That soup seemed to be the only thing I could keep on my stomach and when I seemed as though I did not have the strength to feed myself she would say “Let me feed Monkey” (that is her pet name for me). All of these hands were there no matter what time of the day or night. I can remember when I needed someone to scratch my foot one day after treatment, WOW can you imagine, but they were right there with the so much needed hand just to do that.

My sisters (Faye, Jodi, Teke, Heather, Beck and Ann) would come to Savannah just to sit, talk, and treat me like a queen and all family dinners were at my house. The sister Circle of Hands was so amazing, they made sure I knew that their big sister (Me) was a very important part of their lives.

I can remember going back to work after a couple of days after each treatment when I was able to do so and watching as my co-workers took the time to make sure I was well taken care of. I refused to work downstairs as I should have done, but again if you know me I had to be this pillar of strength and not show my weakness. My co-workers would assist me up the stairs and made sure my work area was good also. They either prepared or purchased dinners with their hands for me and my daughters. Carson Products was an awesome place to work.

When I went to church Rev Marsha Postell Buford made sure someone always had a hand extended to me if and when I got up to praise God and most of the time it was her that extended that hand. She just would not let me be Ms I can handle this.

If you are wondering about how AWWIN did in this chapter of my life, God had given me Tammy & Wakia as the lead volunteers and their hands never skipped a beat in keeping my dream alive.

There was not a place I went that there were not hands to take care of me or my needs. They did not just take care of me and my needs, but it was done with love, respect and done with a GREAT BIG caring attitude.

As I began to paint the Circle of Hands I kept telling the other artist that I was not an artist. I was wondering how the canvas was going to become a piece of art. Well, God began to show me the importance, the significance of the hands of the people He had placed in my life and the canvas began to come alive with paint. The AMAZING “Circle of Hands” He had given just to me is what you are seeing.

THANK YOU TO MY “CIRCLE OF HANDS” mentioned and un-mentioned in every aspect of my life!!!

Sarahlyn U. Argrow
Nine Year Overcomer & Getting Older

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