Compostelle en tandem: when beckoned me 

Everything happened so quickly

In April 2018, a lump suddenly appeared in my breast. The diagnosis was breast cancer. I was 37 with no family history.
 
After the shock of diagnosis came the earthquake of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, followed just a short time later by a breakup with my boyfriend.
 
Despite this tsunami that had devasted my life, I managed to pull myself together. And that was when fate intervened.

As I was waiting for my appointment with my doctor at the hospital, I came across a poster with the words “Voyage ta vie” advertising the charity walks organized by the Quebec Cancer Foundation. I picked up the phone and called the Quebec City Regional Center.
 
Compostela: I’d already dreamed about it for 15 years. But with work and the ups and downs of life, the opportunity never presented itself. But this time, I made up my mind immediately. Life had put this gift on my path and I knew the time was right.
 
I talked to my family, my friends and my workmates. It was thanks to their moral support and their donations that I was able to take that journey.

 
In Compostela, I sang

I threw myself into the Compostela adventure even though I didn’t know anyone. That was the biggest challenge of the trip. But thanks to the preparatory walk the Foundation organized in August, I got to meet other walkers and that reassured me.
 
The group was just perfect. We gave each other lots of support. We waited for each other so that we were not alone.

In every village we came to, we were able to have a friendly chat with the locals and exchange stories with the other walkers. A real joy!
 
The only downside was the blisters on our feet! But everyone was so positive that we always ended up laughing. The energy in the group was exceptional.

I lived the adventure every day as it came, with no prior preparation. And even though I was not as fit as I was before I had cancer, I was able to walk the road to Compostela with no major problems.


 
And whenever I was invaded by sadness along the way, I would sing, dance and try to make people laugh. My travelling companions and all the other walkers we met were always ready to give me a hug. We let ourselves be carried along on a beautiful wave of love and solidarity throughout our entire journey. The best emotions were always there when needed.
 
At the beginning of the adventure, I told myself that if ever the opportunity arose, I would get a tattoo as a souvenir of this trip. As luck would have it, there was a tattoo parlour in the same street as our hotel. Without hesitation, I had myself tattooed with the legendary symbol of Compostela. My enthusiasm seemed to inspire the group, since five other walkers, including our magnificent dean, also got a tattoo at the end of their journey! The adventure had marked us forever.

Turning the page

Compostelle en tandem allowed me to conclude that bad period of my life. To turn the page on cancer. I’m proud that I did it.

As is the tradition, when I arrived I put down a stone. And with it all the weight, the suffering of that entire year dropped away from me. I arrived far lighter than when I set out.
 
Compostelle en tandem made me realize my dream while contributing to a good cause - supporting people with cancer - that awful step that undeniably changed my life. Because cancer has put my priorities into perspective and made me realize that I have only one life to live.
 
I listened to the signs and I accepted them.