I Was A Fat Woman Who Danced

I helped to raise money for a shelter for abused women

Photo by Jade Destiny on Unsplash

Before I got cancer, I was a healthy weight. I gained a lot of weight, though, when I got cancer.

I used to love to dance. In college, I’d always go dancing whenever I could. Before that, when I was in grade school, I took ballet classes. I still have pictures of me as a slender child in pretty leotards and recital outfits. I remember doing the Tarantala in a red tutu with a black and red corset.

Then I got cancer. The treatment was brutal. I was so dehydrated, if I pinched my skin it would take a long time to get back to normal. I was throwing up constantly.

Even after I was in remission, I was very weak. I needed lots of sleep and there were days I had no energy. The chemo had been very hard on me.

Then a few years ago, I got a mastectomy because the cancer had come back. And then my husband left.

A few months later, a friend asked me if I would participate in a dance-a-thon. It was to raise money for a woman’s shelter.

I agreed, even though it was years since I’d danced and I had gained so much weight. But… I wanted to do this.

So I went. And I danced. And I helped raise money for the shelter. It made me feel empowered. I…