When I talk with others who have received a cancer diagnosis, they often want to know what my secret was.  What did I do to survive cervical cancer and thyroid cancer? They are looking for a glimmer of hope.

Give Your Body What It Needs

People don’t ask me what I specifically did to beat cancer. Rather, they ask about the chemotherapy drugs that were given to me — Cisplatin and Alimta.

I often share that I was in the best shape of my life when I received my second cervical cancer diagnosis, as I had just run a marathon. I also tell them that I continued to exercise during my cervical cancer treatment. It was important to me to keep moving and let cancer know what I thought.

I also encourage people to let their bodies get the help they need. As much as I stayed active during my treatments, I allowed my body to rest and soak in the medicine during the weeks that I underwent chemotherapy.

Find The Right Treatment

Another thing people want to know is why I chose to travel thousands of miles from my home in Florida to MD Anderson for cancer treatment. I knew of MD Anderson’s reputation and credentials as a leading cancer center, so I decided to go there for treatment.

I am thankful that I was treated at MD Anderson. It wasn’t easy to fly for treatments, but it was worth it.

Taking Time To Live During cancer Treatment

I also continued to live during my treatment.  I didn’t stop doing things because I had cancer. A friend told me that I changed what the face of cancer is for her. She said that most people give a sense of doom and gloom while having cancer. She says that I did not.

During the week that chemotherapy knocked me down, my friends didn’t hear from me. But as I started to gain strength again, I lived my life like I didn’t have cancer.  There were plenty of “live like you’re dyin'” moments with my friends, but the emphasis was on living. Yes, we skydived, and yes, we rode a mechanical bull. But most importantly, we lived — and we gained a new perspective on what it meant to.

The way I lived and looked at life during my diagnosis were not conscious decisions. It was the only way I knew how to face cancer. Everyone has to do it their own way. You have to find your own inner peace on your journey. Republished from MD Anderson Center’s Online publication Cancerwise Volume 2014.