Live to fight another day

In Packets of Hope: A Journey of Healing and Rediscovery, I was very specific in Day 54 when I wrote, “I lived to not fight another day.” Those were the words I shared with my friend as I recounted the attack I had faced the night before. But when I think about a person’s battle with cancer, I embrace the phrase as most of us have come to know it:

Live to fight another day!

I will not be brought down by cancer. I refuse. And now I’m doing all the things I wish I’d done years ago: getting proper sleep, eating well, reducing stress, having regular checkups, and avoiding toxins like alcohol.

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center treated my precious husband, John, when his prostate cancer returned. They also identified nodules in my lungs while monitoring me for breast cancer. 

A friend at Hollings read my book and invited me to participate in their annual Linda Floyd Forum on Women’s Cancers, which took place this past week. Four inspiring physicians spoke about the latest advances in women’s cancer care, along with the head of Hollings, Dr. Raymond DuBois.

My role was different. I was there as the patient voice, and I shared something I deeply believe: even the best medical institutions cannot do everything for us. We must take an active role in our own care.

The faces and voices of the brave women in the audience have stayed with me. People who have been through cancer treatment are often called “survivors,” but I don’t think one “survives” cancer. Cancer is a constant battle. It requires strength, determination, resilience, and the willingness to ask for help when we need it. These women are battlers.

The Charleston event was the first of many speaking engagements I’ll be doing, including guest lectures at Lifelong Learning Institutes. I’m also deeply immersed in writing Packets of Hope: The Journey Continues, and I’m excited to share it with you in the months ahead.