One of the hardest things you will ever do is stop living life for yourself. No matter our trials, we all have a purpose and mine, well I have been blessed to have found it and it may not be what everyone may feel is purpose but I found mine when I was told in July 2017 that I had very aggressive stage 3 breast cancer.
After being on a bike trip to beautiful Eureka Springs Arkansas… I found a large lump in my right breast and by a couple of weeks was on hard chemotherapy. As I lost my long black hair, to being bald, being Apache it was part of me, part of my heritage, crawling from my bed to the bathroom 20 times a day for weeks, I begin to change. I was alone. No one to drive me, except for my best friend of almost 25 years who would come in from Colorado as much as she could to drive me. I begin to watch those that was taking treatments as well as myself… I could only pray for them. More than myself. Some I would walk in to give my big hello to only find they were no longer in my life and no longer on this earth. I still did not stop my love to them even knowing I may never see them again. It made for me what I was going through easier as I tried to help those also alone.
From a woman that rode almost daily trusted old Harley or my beautiful horses who are my only family to being in bed after 14 rounds of hard chemo then surgery onto 34 rounds of radiation. Depression definitely set in and I tried as I may to ride only to find out that would be my first bike wreck in my life of riding. So I had to rely on my trusted horses to give my medicine of therapy being upon their backs as if they knew that they had to take care of me. While I was down I meet four of the most amazing men that took on the battle of working on my 2001 Fatboy. I had always dreamed of having one of the most badass bikes that in my eyes was perfect. She got a new paint job new 20 in apes along with a beautiful custom one of a kind made just for me bobber seat with hand tooled work. Then to have custom paint job just for me as well for a ride I was wanting to take for my cancer ride after the aftermath of what I had just gone through. I could not have been more proud to ride a bike as this one. It was done just for me. I have found out that I have had to become a little more of a badass to ride her like I ride…lol which is alot. But I love her. Both my horses and my Harley saved my life.
My message to you brother and sisters is never ever give up on life. You take the good with the bad and ride this life the best you can. As I was told even though I am cancer free my type of cancer has a 90 percent chance of coming back. I made choices in life for myself to never take anything for granted. To love all you can. To care for those less fortunate. To smile even though you feel you can’t because it may changed the day of someone who may have wanted to give up. As I did myself. I am a loner and I have always been…. my given Indian name given to me was Ba’cho.. which means wolf in apache…so therefore my name given is Lone Ba’cho…. so as I write this having just finished my cancer ride to Colorado mountains I will leave my favorite sayings …. Always stay humble and kind. Even the most hurt people can give more love than even imaginable.
Never give up on your dreams….
Sincerely,
LONE BA’CHO
Stephanie Woolsey from Oklahoma
A special thank you to Nick Floyd owner of Nutbuster Cycle David Hanson with Hanobles Chop Shop Kustoms and Mick Eason with Inner City Customs
And my dear and best friend Barbara for being by my side through hell and back and never complained… I love you all