This past Saturday, April 12th 2014, I made my way over to Baker City, Oregon where I met and did a boudoir shoot for Megan C. Megan had contacted me and booked one of my boudoir spots well in advance and had been anxious for the 12th to come around. She had told me that she has always wanted to do a boudoir shoot, so when she saw my ad she knew it was time.
Throughout our conversation over email, Megan had informed me that she was going through chemotherapy. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t sure if she had lost her hair or not.. I wasn’t sure if there were some poses that would be uncomfortable for her or if she would have enough strength. I honestly hadn’t worked with or been around too many people that have been battling cancer. I felt a little ignorant. But I knew that no matter what I would capture beautiful images, no matter the circumstance.
I scheduled Megan with a stylist for hair and make up. She then informed me that she has no hair so a hair stylist wouldn’t be needed.
As silly as this sounds, this came as a challenge to me. I use hair so much in the poses I have women do, and now I had the opportunity to see what I could do without it.
When I first met Megan, I was taken by surprise. We seem to think of an illness such as cancer as weakening, debilitating. However Megan was the opposite of that. Her presence was full of joy and strength. She was happy and you could see it. Her mother came with her to help her with her wardrobe. They were both so much fun to work with. Her mother had expressed how hard it was when Megan started chemotherapy, but yet they both seemed so peaceful, as if the illness didn’t exist.
Megan was so kind as to let me ask her some questions about her journey so that I could share it with you all!
Me: How long ago were you diagnosed with cancer?
Megan: I was diagnosed January 28th with diffused large b-cell lymphoma.
Me: How have the physical changes effected you and how have you overcome them?
Megan: I have noticed weight fluctuation that is caused by the steroid that is part of my chemo treatment and I just have to keep remembering it’s just temporary I’ll lose it when my body is healthy enough to work out. I just have to keep telling myself this is only a short time out of my whole life I have to do this. My body obviously needs a little extra food to fight this so i would rather that happen then my body not be able to fight it.
Me: What advice would you want to give to women that are going through similar situations?
Megan: Love it and embrace it. It’s not going away and you just have to try to make the best of everything. It can be hard, I have had hard days that’s for sure, but dwelling on it isn’t going to make it go away. Also a fish once said ” just keep swimming” that has kinda been a line that friends have used a lot through this.
Me: What is the biggest inspiration you have in life to keep you strong?
Megan: Knowing that I have my son to fight for is a huge inspiration. Cancer isn’t something I have had to watch a close family member go through or anything so I had so much unknown and that was hard for me but my son needs me and I couldn’t do this fight without the support of my boyfriend he is a lot of my strength.
This is the best example I can think of, of loving yourself in the now. I love Megan’s outlook on this. How this is only temporary. She came in with such confidence. Confidence that I feel all women need and should have. She is truly intimate, daring, and beautiful.
-Amber Tyler
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