María Marín was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago and she received a double mastectomy to free herself from future ailments with cancer. It was an emotional roller coaster, and even though it’s the most difficult thing that she’s ever experienced, it was also life-changing, which is why she calls it a blessing.
“I had to do a double mastectomy which was something so difficult because you feel like someone is taking a part of your body, it’s terrifying,” she says in an interview with Dr. Juan in Despierta América. “I remember the night before I was taking a shower and when I was soaping up my breasts, that’s when I realized that I was going to lose them and at that moment I said, ‘Oh my god’ and I said goodbye to them I told them, ‘you are leaving but I thank you for being a part of my life, for making me look good, for being part of this body, of this temple.'”
She was very emotional but she knew that had to happen in order for her to move forward, to be healthy, to survive. Marín knew that after the surgery it was going to difficult to accept that she no longer had breasts. “I had already prepared myself, I knew that it wasn’t going to be something pretty. When I saw it I was surprised, it wasn’t a pretty picture, you don’t have breasts, you are plain, your skin is wrinkly. But at that time you don’t give that too much importance to how you look because you know that it’s more important to be alive,” she says.
“The most difficult moment in my life was when I woke up after the surgery, I couldn’t drink opioids (pain medication) because I’m allergic. When I woke up I felt like I had an elephant on top of my chest like as if it was stomping me. The pain was horrible at that moment.” She started praying to God to help her get rid of that pain. “At that moment I felt the presence of my mom, I felt her grabbing my hand telling me that everything is going to be ok,” she recalls. Marin’s mother passed away from breast cancer when she was just 9 year’s old, so she knew that she was there for her and felt her pain.
“I always say that having breast cancer has been a blessing. It’s one of those experiences that have helped me grow spiritually and ever since I went through this I feel more compassion towards others. I identify with the pain of others,” she says. Marín is doing well and just getting a second chance at life has inspired her to follow through on her dreams. She now has her own show called María Marin Live which streams live through Facebook every Wednesday.