collecting space: 2011

This week marks two years since I was diagnosed with a spontaneous pneumothorax. It occurs when a small area in the lung ruptures and the air leaks into the space around the lung. I suffered for three weeks as the buildup of air put pressure on my lung and with every breath it felt as if I were suffocating. I remember this same feeling of fear and suffocation as my family and I dealt with the shock of my mother being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. This week also marks three years since her diagnosis, mastectomy and the beginning of her treatment. She was lucky enough to survive this disease; a battle which she fought with such incredible strength and courage.