Author: Glenda Gilbert
My name is Glennda Gilbert, and I am a three-time cancer warrior! My cancer journey began when I was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma at 13. I now live with metal from my hip to my knee in my right leg.
Much later, doctors discovered I have a rare genetic mutation called MUTYH, which increases my risk of certain cancers. In my 30s, I was diagnosed with schwannoma, and later, clear cell carcinoma.
Nothing has healed my broken spirit the way my ink has
After recovering from those cancers and treatment, moving forward required not just medical monitoring, but internal healing, too. I’ve done both yearly tests and counselling for PTSD. Defying all odds has left scars which I’ve learned to live with. One way I have found helpful for my healing is my tattoos.
I didn’t start getting tattoos until my mid- to late-thirties. I was never someone who wore dresses or makeup, and never really felt like I belonged. My tattoos have given me a path to closure, healing, and helped me figure out who I am. They have helped me add colour to a dark world. They are a way of talking without talking, they are my amour and my storybook on my skin.
My tattoos show my story of lost loved ones, pride in progress and beauty in the darkness I never thought would pass. These are my favourites:
- Zombie on my back (not pictured) represents my experience with both hospital food and chemo.
- Crests on my chest for each of my parents, who did their best to help me through my first battle. (My other two cancer battles I kept to myself as my family had faced enough.)
- Alice in Wonderland on my leg. This was my favourite childhood story. Sometimes we need to escape reality, even if for a short time.
- Firecracker on my arm. This speaks for itself!
- The lantern on my neck shows the light in the darkness of the storm. I’ve been walking in a storm my whole life, but in any storm, light can break through.
Nothing has healed my broken spirit the way my ink has. It has made me feel brave, beautiful and powerful. This is my story, worn for all to see. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.
STAY WARRIOR STRONG!
*Glennda has worked with London, Ontario, tattoo artist Dave Schultz since the beginning of her journey. She has also come in top 10 and top 2 in her category for Inked Magazine’s contest for the past two years.