Cancer Stories

LIVE STRONG

September 10th, 2006

When I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer back in October 2004 all that came to my mind was that I was going to die. That word CANCER will scare anyone into thinking that they are about to die. All my hopes and dreams of becoming a mother was dashed. But there was some light, my nephew Remy (who was 4 at the time of my diagnosis). He was my strength to beat this because I wanted to be here to watch him grow up. I had a total hysterectomy on November 5^th 2004 and they had reached my cancer in its early stages and it didn’t have a chance to spread anywhere else so I didn’t have to undergo any chemotherapy or radiation. I was lucky!

I was watching TV one day and I caught the segment of the Oprah Winfrey show where she did the story on Lance Armstrong and about his cancer story. At that point I was beginning to feel like I was a fake and that I cheated somehow. I was feeling like such a fake and I convinced myself that I WAS NOT A SURVIVOR. In my mind I didn’t survive anything. I had surgery and that was it. I didn’t go through anything that Lance had gone through so how can I be a survivor. I convinced myself that I WAS NOT A SURVIVOR. My Mom also saw the story on Lance Armstrong and she suggested that I get one of those “LiveStrong” bracelets. I didn’t deserve it, so I thought nothing of it.

My nephew came for a visit about 2 months later and we were waiting on breakfast one morning at Starbucks. This older gentleman sitting in the nice comfy chair asked my nephew about his yellow bracelet. This is what he told him…”I wear this for my auntie who had cancer but went into the hospital and is better now…” I asked him who gave him that bracelet, he said grandma did. He said he wanted everyone to know how much he loved me and he didn’t want me to die. Right then it hit me, I AM A SURVIVOR! It took my little nephew of all but 4 years old, to realize that yes, I am a survivor of cancer and yes I WILL LIVESTRONG. I purchased a whole lotta bracelets and handed one out to every single friend that I have. I attached a little note to each one saying that I thanked them for all their love and support and I asked them to wear this bracelet to show their support. I told them that I had donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation so that others who didn’t have the love and support that I did could find some…I have a reason for living strong and its for my nephew…. REMY!

Entry Filed under: Survival Stories