Dear friends,
After sending my holiday note, I felt ready to take the next step and begin sharing more honestly about what recovery has looked like for me.
When my radiation treatments ended, I assumed the hardest part was behind me. In some ways it was. But in many others, it was only the beginning.
The aftermath wasn’t just physical. It was emotional, spiritual, and deeply personal. My body had carried me through surgery and radiation, and once the treatments stopped, it began asking something different of me. It asked me to listen, not push. To tune in, not power through.
Two coaches who have supported me throughout this time, Nancy and Albert, reminded me of something simple and powerful. Fear contracts the body. When I live in fear, I close myself off from the life force, the God energy, the universal current, whatever words resonate for you, that wants to move through me. Much of my recovery has been about remembering how to open back up to that energy.
Annie, my massage therapist and Reiki practitioner, became part of that listening as well. Through fascia release and energy work, she helped me uncover fears stored in my body that I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
I want to be clear about something. What I’m sharing isn’t a formula or a recommendation. It’s simply my experience. My hope is that something in it might resonate with you, or with someone you love who is navigating a challenging season.
One insight has stayed with me throughout this process. Healing doesn’t end when treatment ends. In many ways, that’s when it begins. Healing asks us to become our own advocates, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. It asks us to move toward a truer version of ourselves.
As I listened more closely to my body, something unexpected started to emerge. A sense of purpose. Not loud or dramatic, but steady. It began as a question. What would it look like to rebuild trust in my body through something meaningful, something that required presence, patience, and respect for my limits?
That question is what eventually led me to a very big goal…
Climbing Kilimanjaro!
In the months ahead, I’ll be sharing more about why climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2026 became part of my healing journey. Not as a conquest, and not as proof of strength, but as a way of honoring my body, one deliberate step at a time. It’s become a symbol of integration, recovery, and listening.
I’ll also be sharing more of this process in real time, the preparation, the reflections, the setbacks, and the moments of clarity.
For now, know this. Healing, at least in my view, isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reconnecting with life itself. And when we do that, we lighten the energy we carry, and that shift quietly touches everyone around us.
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for walking alongside me as I continue to listen and learn.
With love,
Patty
P.S. Several of you have asked how you can support me as I continue this journey. If contributing financially feels aligned for you, you can find the donation page here.
Please know there is no expectation, your presence and support already mean so much.
P.P.S. I’ll be sharing more of this journey as it unfolds on social media. If you’d like to follow along, you can find me here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattycontenta/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePattyContenta
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pattycontenta
