Breast Cancer Survivor Creates Songs to Encourage Healing for Survivors
Springfield. MA — Fighting breast cancer was a difficult journey for Linda Washington. She had no idea that after recovery she would be challenged again trying to find love after a double mastectomy.
Washington shared that she was physically, mentally and verbally abused by those she dated for years. The scars on her body weren’t the only ones she endured.
“When you are physically and mentally abused for so long, that scarred my soul,” Washington said. “I was told no one’s ever going to want me because I wasn’t a real woman anymore.”
For more than a decade she quietly suffered until she finally decided, “it was time to stop the silence and start speaking up. I didn’t want any other breast cancer survivors to go through what I went through.”
Washington turned to music not only to heal herself but to help other survivors. She hopes to remind them that they matter, that they need to enjoy life and inspire them to find love. She wrote five songs related to her breast cancer journey, with the track “Need Love” sharing a painful journey to find love.
“It’s giving you the power to believe again, that there is life after breast cancer,” she said. “You don’t have to look like what you’ve been through.”
The songs are available on SoundCloud, a streaming platform for artists. The R&B songs are Washington’s first time recording music, compiled thanks to a friend, Superstar Lamar. She said he pushed her to create the songs to help others. That in turn helped Washington to heal.
Incorrect Diagnosis
When she was 35, Washington found a lump in her breast. Her first doctor suggested reducing chocolate and caffeine to fix it. A year later when the lump didn’t improve, Washington visited a surgeon who gave her a correct diagnosis of breast cancer. At first she was in denial.
“If it wasn’t for (the second) doctor calling me every day, telling me ‘Linda you have cancer,’ I wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “If somebody finds a lump, go get it checked out.”
She’s using the Standout Truck to let those who have survived breast cancer know that they should start to enjoy life again. She wanted to try something different in her former hometown of Springfield, and thought the Standout Truck would be a good option.
What’s Next
Dating is still a challenge for Washington, particularly trying to trust others again. She’s discovered that too frequently there is more focus on exterior appearance.
“You’ve got to get to know someone from the inside, not judge them from the outside,” she said. “I want to believe and trust again, but it’s a journey.”
Although she has yet to find someone who accepts her scars, she wants others to know that they can heal and not to give up believing in love.
“I think everybody wants to find that one person. Being a breast cancer survivor, it takes a little bit more work to find that special person who accepts you for who you are, and not the way you look or what you went through,” she said.
Listen to Washington’s music at https://soundcloud.com/linda-washington-872008726/tracks
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