I am a survivor. I think I always knew I would be. When the diagnosis of cancer came, it was not a matter of whether I would live or die; but that I would get through it gracefully and with dignity. I am the type of person who does not give up easily. I can be very determined and have been told that I have a very strong will. I am also not the type of person to just accept what people tell me. I need to check things out for myself. Unfortunately, this does get me in trouble sometimes. But in the case of cancer, this attitude has served me well. I did not accept the diagnosis from the oncologist that I would die within the year, if I did not follow his advice. I didn't believe it. I believed there had to be something that I could do. I sought out alternative methods of healing. It took a lot of discipline to carry on in spite of the facts before me. However, I have a very strong belief system. I did not listen to my friends who could not agree with what I had planned to do. I stayed the course. I believed I would be well.

The dictionary defines a survivor as someone who lives through an affliction. It's not easy to be a survivor. Anyone who watches the TV show "Survivor" would agree. It takes a lot of determination and self motivation. To be a survivor is to carry on despite hardships or trauma. It is to persevere. You cannot give up when things get tough or in my case you see very little results.

It's imperative that you have a reason for wanting to survive. I wanted to live. I made the choice to believe that I would live and not die. Then I did not look back. I searched for anything and everything that would help my body to heal. I read stories about people who were survivors. What I found was peace and joy in the midst of the situation. My peace was based on hope that I found from other survivors and from the hope that is found in the Word of God. I took great comfort from the Psalms. I repeated over and over verses such as I will lie down and sleep and wake again, because the Lord sustains me and I will not die but live to declare the works of the Lord. I believe in the power of prayer and it became a way of survival for me. It helped me to carry on in the face of much opposition from family and friends.

I am a cancer survivor not once but twice and if I have learned anything through my experiences it is to go with what you believe is right and stick to it. I put my faith and trust in God and the power within my body to heal itself.