God must have a sense of humor. My sister had passed away in 2000 after a six-year battle with ovarian cancer. I decided at her funeral that I was not about to get cancer! So I had a full hysterectomy. Nope, I wasn't going to get cancer now! I am sure God must have decided, "Oh yes you are; there are LOTS of other places you can have cancer." So, there I sat in my surgeon's office with my new husband by my side, having just been diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2001.
"Ok, God. You obviously have a plan. What am I supposed to learn from this? I am not that strong, not like Kathy was. I am not a fighter."
There was a 40% chance I would get cancer again even after chemo and radiation. Feeling scared and sorry for myself, I called my daughter at college. When I told her this statistic, she said, "That's great mom!" Perhaps she hadn't heard me so I repeated what I had said. "No, that is AWESOME! There is a 60% chance you will never get cancer again!" Ah - glass half full . . .
People ask me why wasn't I angry with God for giving me cancer; why I didn't ask, 'why me'. My reply is, "I never asked 'why me' when my life was good and I was healthy so why ask now?" God didn't give me cancer; he allowed me to have a disease that changed my life for the better in many ways. I wouldn't trade my post-cancer life for my pre-cancer life for anything. I like knowing that I am strong; I'm a fighter, just like my sister Kathy. And I am seven years cancer-free!
Chandler, AZ