When Shirley Gaudon, a Windsor-based author, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, she soon realized she didn't know herself all that well.
What she's learned over the past quarter century, whether it's surviving toxic relationships or rediscovering her wants and needs, is now included in a book about surviving cancer.
"Cancer Heroes" is a compilation of stories from eight women, all diagnosed with different types of cancer, curated by Shirin Ariff. Ariff is the author of two previous books, "Keepsake - A souvenir of love" and "The Second Wife - seduced into slavery," but this is Gaudon's first book.
"The idea behind that was for us to share the experiences of going through the cancer, but also what we learned about ourselves and our families, and how it took us to different areas in our lives," said Gaudon.
Gaudon said she's known Ariff and other writers who contributed to the book for years. She started life coaching in 2019.
"It kind of was a blessing," said Gaudon about the experiences of all the women. "I learned I was the product of generational trauma, that I had been indoctrinated to be in a relationship regardless of how toxic it was, and it was my role to make it kind of work. I spent a lifetime being a married single mother. By the time I had gotten cancer, I was numb."
"At the same time I discovered the lump in my breast, I found out my thyroid had stopped. It took me probably two years to leave that relationship," continued Gaudon. "That's when the journey started of my development and growth started. I didn't really know who Shirley was, and I wanted to discover who she was."
Gaudon said the book is for anyone who is going through cancer, has survived it, or is a caregiver or family member.
"It's for anyone who is dealing with cancer. It might give them some perspective on what people are dealing with on an emotional level.
"It's not just the physical aspect," said Gaudon.
The book is available now. It came out last November when November 27 was declared "National Cancer Hero Day" in Canada.