S3 E.9 Turning your Pain into Passion | A Conversation with Shannon Cury, Adriana’s College Friend and Sorority Sister
In this EpisodeIn this episode, Adriana and Mariah welcome the amazing Shannon Cury, Adriana’s friend from college! The girls talk about college memories, validation, following your purpose, and turning pain into passion. Shannon is a true inspiration and this episode is a must-listen.
Adriana and Shannon met at college. Shannon was Adriana’s Delta Zeta “little” and from the second that Adriana met her, she was obsessed with her energy. They bonded and have vivid memories of a conversation about middle school photos during Rush. Shannon knew Little Words Project as Warm Fuzzies (if you know, you know!) and has been cheering Adriana on from the sidelines since then.
Shannon lived the typical NYC life – a fast-paced Corporate America environment with nightly happy hours. 3000% of her energy went into her job and each day looked very similar to the last. Everything felt numb and mundane. It wasn’t until COVID hit that Shannon’s life took a dramatic and shocking turn.
Amidst the pandemic, Shannon was staying with her family in Florida. She noticed a rash on her chest, and then shortly after, she experienced chest pain and an on-and-off cough. Shannon says that she knew something wasn’t right, so she went for a chest X-ray where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. The pain was not only persistent, but it was worsening. She made an appointment with a pulmonologist for a Wednesday in September. The weekend prior, the pain was unbearable, and given the happenings of the world, Shannon did not want to go to the ER. Luckily, the pulmonologist was able to push her appointment up to Monday—while she was there, he instructed her to go to the ER as soon as possible.
While at the ER, Shannon got a CT scan done and the doctor had said that she developed an infection from the recent case of pneumonia. She was admitted and put on pain medications – her diagnosis was still unknown. A few days later, she had a biopsy performed on her chest, where it was discovered that she had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
This diagnosis was shocking - a week ago she just had a case of pneumonia, and now she had cancer. Because there was no time to test Shannon for TB, she was forced to stay in an enclosed room separate from everyone else for 4.5 hours. Shannon recalls that she was scared beyond belief, but simultaneously, she felt as if this experience was going to drive her purpose.
As if the first week after the diagnosis wasn’t hard enough, Shannon’s sternum broke, making it nearly impossible to move. Shannon was told that there was a 6 week wait to begin treatment. Luckily, she had a contact that was able to push her forward. The tumor had grown from the size of a softball to a cantaloupe within days – she started chemo the same day as her appointment.
The next 6 weeks would consist of 6 rounds of chemo. 5 days inpatient, 2 weeks home, and the process repeated. Shannon says that the hardest pill that she had to swallow was losing her hair. Hair plays a huge role to her and represents femininity and beauty. Prior to her 2nd treatment, she made the decision to shave her head. This experience allowed Shannon to appreciate her beautiful body for what it does and not what it looks like.
Shannon was introduced to Hypno-breathwork during treatment and became hooked. The techniques cleared her energy and put her into a meditative state. After seeing the positive effects herself, she is now a certified coach to bring support to others! As we always say, energy is so important - when you put positive energy out there, it will return that way.
Currently, Shannon is in remission and is moving out of NYC to live a more intentional and purposeful lifestyle. Prioritizing yourself is NOT selfish - every single traumatic event or feeling is valid, no matter the level. Sometimes the most traumatic events result in the most beautiful things – you have the power to take control and turn your pain into passion.
We are so proud of all that Shannon has overcome. She is truly a warrior and to call her a friend is a blessing. Show her some love, and we’ll catch you next time!
Important Times0:50 - Welcome back!
3:20 - Welcome Shannon!
4:43 - Shannon and Adriana in college
10:43 - Little Words at TCNJ
12:20 - Showing up
15:45 - Validation
20:50 - Cancer
28:23 - “Glowing” through it
31:43 - Treatment
35:51 - Advocating for yourself
37:40 - Shannon’s decision to shave her head
44:00 - Pre-cancer/pre-COVID
47:47 - Post-cancer
49:30 - Getting through difficulty
53:53 - Breathwork
1:02:35 - Helping others
1:10:47 - Everyone has trauma
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Welcome bestie.
We’re so glad you’re here.
We’re Adriana and Mariah. Co-hosts, entrepreneurs, BFFs, and girls just like you trying to figure it out as we go.
