Humor in the face of cancer…say hello to Consuellama!

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.”

— Audrey Hepburn

Humor: one of the most important things indeed…especially when facing a difficult medical situation like cancer. It’s also probably why the phrase “laughter is the best medicine” is so popular! I speak from personal experience when I say that finding moments to laugh amid all the ups and mostly downs on the cancer journey is what allows me to be here today and to share a bit of inspiration through humor.

My intention in creating Consuellama™ is for you to have a source of humor and gain some inner strength through that humor. Now, you may be asking yourself, what does a llama have to do with all of this? And she has a name?  What?

First things first…why the llama?

The core of this inspiration was shaped by something I was randomly reading one day about llamas and learned that llamas are hardy and well suited to harsh environments. They are quite sure-footed, easily navigating rocky terrain, and it made me think that it is absolutely synonymous to navigating the “terrain” on the cancer journey. But beyond that, it is also the fact that you can’t look at the face of a llama and not smile! Admit it, you smiled when you saw her picture! And yet, they also portray a subtle strength in the way they stand and look and the fact that they will kick you hard and spit on you if they feel you need to be corrected. I love all of that! I truly do.

So, you say, ok, I can dig it, but how about, that name…

Ok, so here it is: ever since I was a small child, I had the tendency to give names to things that were special to me, even if they were inanimate objects — a tradition, I confess, that has continued into adulthood. So, an example, when I got my first work laptop many years ago, I named her Consuela. Because of my Latin roots, I’ve always favored Latin names, so Consuela (pronounced Kon-swell-ah) was the first name that came to me one day when I was living up north and headed to work on a particularly snowy, frigid day feeling stressed and overwhelmed by a bad boss…we’ve all been there! 

It somehow deeply comforted me to open my laptop and say, “alright Consuela, we can do this!”.

And so, I know you can see why now, after so many years, the two would click together so nicely to create the one and only Consuellama!

We hope you will visit Consuellama’s Corner frequently and channel your inner llama for a healthy dose of humor, strength, and levity – all part of the small pieces we have thoughtfully curated for your toolkit to help you discover how to Breast cancer!