Overcomer Living Her One Wild Precious Life
Deidra Bowling-Meade
The Ashland Beacon
American poet Mary Oliver asked, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Those words resonate in the life of Tami Cook as she strives to live each day with purpose, determination and making a difference.
The written words of poets and authors have been Cook’s comfort throughout her life as she’s faced hardships. Cook explained, “I'm no stranger to life's hardships. I grew up in a poverty-stricken town in southern West Virginia, the oldest of six girls. I endured a childhood of abuse and alcoholism and because of this I left home at 16. Reading was always a refuge for me, and I loved going to school because that was the only place I felt seen and special. We had a tiny library at my school with maybe a hundred books and a little bookmobile that visited once a month. We were only supposed to check out two at a time, but the driver knew I was an avid reader and would let me take as many as I wanted.” Cook’s love for reading led to her decision to become a school librarian.
The path to becoming a school librarian has been a challenging one. Cook worked several other jobs before getting the opportunity to be a school librarian. Her dream plans were halted when Cook was first diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Stage One in May of 2016. Cook couldn’t go back to school to finish her degree because she needed to make sure she had insurance coverage during and after her diagnosis. Cook recalled, “I was 35. I found a lump during a self-exam and was sent for a mammogram. The mammogram came back clear, but because I could physically feel it, I was sent for an ultrasound, which led to a biopsy. The news was shocking, and I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. The hardest part of my diagnoses was telling my 10-year-old, which I waited to do until I had all of my treatment plans in place. I'll never forget the look on his face when I said the word ‘cancer.’”
Her son, Dylan Todd, remembered, “As a kid, you only hear bad things about cancer. I immediately started to cry. I remember how strong she was. She would go to radiation and go straight back to work at the doctor’s office. I could tell she was rundown and had burns on her body from the treatment. She had to take medication four to five years. It was tough.”
Cook discussed her treatment plan, “I opted for a lumpectomy, radiation, and drug therapy instead of a mastectomy because my genetic testing came back negative for the BRCA gene and because mine was a slow-growing, non-aggressive form. I mostly lived in a stated of disassociation during the process of treatment. My mom passed away when I was 27 and not having her there for support was devastating. There was nothing more in the world I wanted than for her to be there to rub my head and tell me that everything was going to be okay.”
Just like Matilda, Cook’s “strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
Cook shared, “After having breast cancer, I decided that it wasn't enough to just be alive, I had to really live. I plan on spending it in service to children and sharing joy and laughter with the world regardless of how many times it knocks me down.” Cook decided to go back to school to become a librarian.
Her life seemed to be back on track; however, Cook faced more adversity even after having breast cancer. The reality with breast cancer is that some women still have to face yearly challenges.
Cook noted, “Having had breast cancer means having three month, then six month, then yearly testing done the farther you get from your diagnosis. Every year, I have to fight with the insurance companies because they don't want to approve a breast MRI, even though medical professionals consider it best practice for women with dense breast tissue (me) and my initial mammogram didn't show the malignant tumor.
This past summer, I had a scare that involved questionable testing results. Instead of waiting the six months that I was asked, my husband and I traveled to Columbus to be seen at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center. The experience was phenomenal and after additional testing, the original area of concern no longer showed up. It was definitely another hurdle we had to face together but one that only made our relationship stronger.”
In the midst of this storm, Cook still pursued her passion and finished 52 college hours within 10 months in order to get the opportunity to apply as the librarian at Ashland Middle School. Cook shared, “My husband, Jason, was so supportive and took care of everything while I spent every evening, weekend, and break writing papers and taking exams, while working full-time. I graduated this past July with honors and am now officially a librarian.”
Cook continues to show others how to live your best life. “I've always faced every challenge head-on, knowing that I've already overcome so much, and being a librarian really shows how things can come full circle if you find what you are passionate about and don't let anything stop you. Now, I'm the one who gets to offer a safe space for every kid and help them discover their own love of reading.”
Todd praised his mother, “She overcomes everything. Dealing with her health, job, getting a master’s degree, and raising a family–she never halfway does anything. No matter what she does, she puts her all into it. She gives and sacrifices for family, mostly as a mom. The whole time growing up, every living moment, she teaches or does things with me. She’s devoted.”
Cook inspires others with her devotion to her family and living each day with purpose. Cook voiced, “To me, being a survivor means that you've been given the chance to fight and even though the outcome is oftentimes out of our hands, you can show up every day and make the decision to live and have joy. My advice to anyone facing breast cancer is to take each challenge as it comes and try not to get overwhelmed. Ask for help, and accept it when it is offered. Celebrate each little victory and really go all out for the big ones.”
