Stand Up To Cancer

I had hoped to write a deep, thoughtful post about my experiences with cancer and how cancer sucks and how we all need to stand up to it. But, as we cancer survivors know, time is precious and right now there are other things I'd rather do. Here's the short version:

My aunt, my dad's sister, was diagnosed with uterine cancer in her 30s. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s. She was diagnosed with a different kind of breast cancer in her 50s. She lost both breasts, went through hell, survived it all and is an awesome inspiration to me.

Her mother, my beloved Nana, was diagnosed with lung cancer when she was 86. It was a swift and terrible illness that took her life and with it the chance for her to one day meet her great-grandchildren.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer at the ripe, young age of 26. I went through two surgeries but no adjuvant therapies and have been cancer free for ten years.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, in both breasts, when she was 60. She had a double mastectomy and no adjuvant therapies and is now, nine years later, cancer free.

We are a family of cancer survivors but, more importantly, we are cancer warriors. We fought valiantly against this devastating disease and so far we are winning. But not a day goes by that I don't experience a shiver of fear that my cancer will return or that I'll end up with yet another type to battle. And now that I have children the fear isn't about me and my own life, like it was back when I was 26, but it is for them and their lives. I don't want them to grow up without their mother. I don't want them to have to worry about their family history or experience the fear of fighting this disease themselves.

So, I'm standing up to cancer. I hope you will too. Watch Stand Up To Cancer tomorrow night, Friday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m. CDT.

(I guess I did have a longer post in me after all!)

(Thanks to Fire Mom for originally tipping me off to this.)

Comments

[FireMom]

I'll be linking you in today's post. You are an inspiration to many.

[Burgh Baby]

*applauds*

[workout mommy]

I love the fact that you say you are cancer warriors! You are definitely an inspiration!

[Issa]

Yep, I'm right there with you. Yay for standing up against cancer.

[Linda]

Thanks for sharing the cancer battles your family has fought and won! Two of my best friends are cancer survivors (and warriors -- I like that you put it that way!).