Life has many twists and turns. You never know what's coming your way, so you have to be ready for the challenges that will inevitably come. In December of 2013, I was faced with the biggest challenge of my life when I was diagnosed with Non - Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Unfortunately, cancer has been prevalent in my family throughout most of my life. My father died of colon cancer when I was 9, and my mother and sister both lost their battles with stomach and breast cancer respectively. My brother is in his 8th year of recovery, but he lost his wife to breast cancer. That certainly is a lot for one family to go through. However, many families have dealt with and continue to deal with these unfortunate circumstances. This disease can certainly put a lot of stress and strain on everyone involved. It doesn't just affect the patient, but also the caregivers, families, and friends.
For me, the initial uncertainty and fear was the biggest obstacle to overcome. The month prior to entering the hospital I suddenly lost my appetite and began to rapidly lose weight. I wasn't sure what was happening to me, but I knew it wasn't good. After checking myself into the hospital twice before my final stay, there was still no solution to what was going on with me. Finally on Nov 25th, two days before Thanksgiving, I became so severely ill that a friend had to take me to the hospital. I was extremely dehydrated and weak and had dwindled down to 116 pounds. After two weeks of tests and diagnosis, a lymph node was discovered in my neck. The result of the biopsy was Non - Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Although initially frightened by the news, I was also relieved because at least now I knew what was causing my illness. Because I've always been a person with an optimistic viewpoint and a positive mindset, I was ready to tackle this head on. Don't get me wrong, I was scared, yet ever faithful that I would make it through. My strong faith in God has always been the one thing that has given me peace of mind during tough times.
Quite honestly, the toughest part was enduring all the test and diagnosis prior to the discovery of the lymph node. There were times when doubt began to creep in. Seeing doctors and nurses frustrated because they didn't know the answer didn't make it any easier. However, I knew that I couldn't lose my faith. I simply looked at it as a test from God. I decided at that moment that I would just completely believe in him and let him work it out. I firmly believed that he had a greater purpose in life for me. In addition to that faith, I also had a great support system. Two of my best friends in the world were there everyday to see me through it. I also had family and other close friends who supported me. That made an amazing difference in my survival and recovery. After six months of chemotherapy, I was pronounced cancer free.
My purpose here is not to preach and tell anyone what they should or shouldn't believe in from a religious point of view. That is what works for me. You have to tap into what works for you! My point is that you must be strong mentally and maintain a positive mindset to aid in your recovery. It all starts with the power of believing you are going to survive and conquer this disease. If you don't have that mindset, it just makes it a lot harder to overcome. The mind is the most powerful tool we have. When it comes to surviving cancer, or overcoming any obstacle in life, it all starts with our thinking and positive reinforcement.
My motto for life; "no weapon formed against me shall prosper, I'm more than a conqueror.
