|
SURVIVING CANCER
Cancer is a scary word. I am living it. But I am also determined to be a survivor. Even if it kills me. This is my story. |
"My name is Tracy. I have cancer."
This is what I had to say in 2016. Saying it out loud kind of sucked, but I'm very glad I can now say "I had cancer" instead. Why, you might ask, did I write this book? Well, I'm a writer. It's what I do. Plus, it was therapy for me. Writing has always been an outlet for me, even as a teen. As I journeyed through cancer, writing about it allowed me to not only let out my feelings, but understand them better. I realize this ability, this gift, is a blessing from God. He gave me a little piece of magic I can use to escape for a while. I can write about things that bother me, and then they don't hurt so bad. I can write about things I love, and leave a legacy. It's a pretty amazing thing.
So yes, I wrote about cancer. I wanted an open, honest account of what going through something so difficult felt like. What I thought as it happened. What family and friends experienced... all of it. Something told me I was supposed to write this story. I needed to.
Cancer can be a very hopeless thing. I belong to a support group, and I see story after story of people without hope. People who have lost family, love, body parts, security, dexterity, energy, humanity... everything. Cancer took all this from them. I'm one of the lucky ones. I have hope. I have that because I know that even if I lose the battle, I've won the war. I can cling to God's promises. He already conquered death, and that hope sustains me. How anyone could face something like this without faith, without hope is beyond me. Not having hope is unimaginable to me. I choose to live every day I have. I choose to hold onto my faith. I choose to survive - even if it kills me.
I hope my story brings you new perspective, because hope is contagious. And survival is a choice we can all make---no matter what.
This is what I had to say in 2016. Saying it out loud kind of sucked, but I'm very glad I can now say "I had cancer" instead. Why, you might ask, did I write this book? Well, I'm a writer. It's what I do. Plus, it was therapy for me. Writing has always been an outlet for me, even as a teen. As I journeyed through cancer, writing about it allowed me to not only let out my feelings, but understand them better. I realize this ability, this gift, is a blessing from God. He gave me a little piece of magic I can use to escape for a while. I can write about things that bother me, and then they don't hurt so bad. I can write about things I love, and leave a legacy. It's a pretty amazing thing.
So yes, I wrote about cancer. I wanted an open, honest account of what going through something so difficult felt like. What I thought as it happened. What family and friends experienced... all of it. Something told me I was supposed to write this story. I needed to.
Cancer can be a very hopeless thing. I belong to a support group, and I see story after story of people without hope. People who have lost family, love, body parts, security, dexterity, energy, humanity... everything. Cancer took all this from them. I'm one of the lucky ones. I have hope. I have that because I know that even if I lose the battle, I've won the war. I can cling to God's promises. He already conquered death, and that hope sustains me. How anyone could face something like this without faith, without hope is beyond me. Not having hope is unimaginable to me. I choose to live every day I have. I choose to hold onto my faith. I choose to survive - even if it kills me.
I hope my story brings you new perspective, because hope is contagious. And survival is a choice we can all make---no matter what.