Waiting for Wings: A Woman's Metamorphosis through Cancer

In this story of story of survival and of healing, Heidi Marble takes you through her transformation from despair to hope and beyond. Intertwined throughout the book are photographs, journal entries and personal insights. The photography is a blend of the artistry of several amazing friends who have lovingly documented her metamorphosis. There are references to nests, birds and butterflies, which she describes as delicate reminders of hope. Her oncologist writes in his forward, "Heidi was diagnosed at a very young age with inflammatory breast cancer. This is a virulent form of breast cancer that is fast growing and has a tendency to spread early and quickly. Heidi was determined to survive. She would survive for her child. She would survive for her husband. She would survive for herself. She did survive, against the odds, and at a great price. Then came the next hurdle: the need to heal and become whole. Many women undertake similar journeys to a cure, which involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatments and years of hormone therapy. Each step involves loss: the loss of the breast, the loss of hair, the loss of appetite, the loss of energy and the loss of self-image. Survival is one thing. It is one BIG thing. But after survival comes the next big thing: healing. The person who had cancer tries to become whole again." Mahatma Gandhi offered a comment on the mindset that we find in Heidi Marble. He said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Heidi's Buttons-N-Dollars campaign to raise money for those who cannot afford their own treatment, is a beautiful expression of Heidi's metamorphosis. She is now committed to using her artistic creativity in her commitment to helping others. Her richly illustrated book is an intimate look inside her world, and chronicles her path, from diagnosis, through treatment, survival and healing to now go forth with a new calling, to express herself through art, and also to use her talents on behalf of other cancer patients as she raises money for treatment. The illustrations alone tell an inspiring story - with Heidi's poetry and journal entries, she offers us a compelling statement of the unconquerable human spirit.Marble, Heidi J. is the author of 'Waiting for Wings: A Woman's Metamorphosis through Cancer', published 2006 under ISBN 9781885852465 and ISBN 1885852460.