CityView Magazine

64 | March/April 2015 hard to build continued to thrive. Un- like the Biblical character of Samson, Schindler's strength was not in her hair, but came from a place deep inside. Aer completing radiation treat- ments through Cape Fear Valley in January 2015, Schindler felt like that well of strength had finally run dry. Her pink ribbon, so bright and hope- ful at the beginning of the journey, was faded. Schindler refers to this period as the second tsunami, the indescribable fatigue and emotional response that comes as the initial post-diagnosis out- pouring of support and help wane. Recent experiences have solidified Schindler's dedication to helping in- crease the motion, stamina and confi- dence of anyone who has been touched by cancer and is trying to figure out what life looks like in the wake of it. One particular incident stands out to Schindler and illustrates the impor- tance of being present with each patient. During countless radiation treatments, the drill was always the same: on the table, machine lined up, gown back, ra- diation blast. e difference was in the way the technicians treated her gown. While some of the younger ones threw it back impersonally over her shoulder, one woman took her time, folding it gently and deliberately sliding it under her shoulder, as if tucking her in for the night. at small gesture went a long way for Schindler and she brought that story back to her staff. "In that moment I asked myself what we could do better," Schindler says. As her business continues to expand and grow, so does Schindler. No longer needing to work fourteen-hour days to establish a budding business, Schindler is slowly remembering what she en- joyed doing before she was consumed by work. She spends time in her garage, making cras and unleashing her crea- tive side. is year, she's even commit- ted to taking a vacation that isn't work related, traveling to Chicago for a mo- saic class. Not putting herself first is no longer an option. Aer all, she's got a team of well-trained professionals who aren't afraid of tough conversations watching out for her. CV University when it came time for surgery. Hwang performed a bilateral mastectomy in October of 2014, a month to the day af- ter her final chemotherapy treatment. "I knew she was the right doctor for me. She told me the numbers and statistics, but said ultimately it was my decision. I was the one who would have to live with it," Schindler said. is approach is something Schindler took back to her staff and daily practice. "Hard conversations are tough," Schin- dler said. "Some people avoid them." Schin- dler learned first-hand that sometimes the most caring thing to do is be blunt. "You have tough conversations looking someone in the eye, not out the window," Schindler said. As she started to lose hair from chemo- therapy treatments, those conversations became difficult for Schindler. e act of taking off her hair was not empowering. It shook her confidence; there was no hiding her condition, and she worried her practice would suffer when word spread. Instead, the incredible business she had worked so Recent experiences have solidified Schindler's dedication to helping increase the motion, stamina and confidence of anyone who has been touched by cancer and is trying to figure out what life looks like in the wake of it.

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