Dear Cancer! in Honor of My Mentor!

Dear Cancer,

You forced your way into my life and since that day that you made your presence known I haven't been the same. Before I met you I had my whole life ahead of me, there's was so much to look forward to.

When you came into my life you made me sick, you threatened my life and I hated you for it. My days were spent hating you and fighting you. I wanted you out of my life and I would do anything to achieve that. You tried to take my life but I kept fighting you. It was the hardest thing that I have ever done but I kept going.

You made me question who I was and you made me feel like a weak person.   I lived in fear of you every day. Even when you left my body the ripple of your presence was still affecting me. There were dark days when I hated what you did to me and my life.

I was scared that you would come back, every doctors appointment and test felt like you were knocking on my door but I knew that I wasn't going to let you in. But slowly you went from the enemy to the catalyst for my new life. Before I met you I thought I had it all, but I came to realize that I didn't have it all, not even close. I have come to appreciate things in my life that I didn't before.

I have been blessed by your presence. I might have walked the rest of my life with my priorities in the wrong order. I know now what means the most to me, what I want my footprint on this earth to be and I thank you for that. I have learned to stop and enjoy life and all the little things.

I thank you for the friends that I have that have stood by me and for the new friends that I have met during this experience. I know what an awesome family I have that stood by me and was determined that I would make it through even when I didn't believe it. You are not welcome in my body but I am thankful for the lesson that you taught me. I will fight you with every ounce of my being and I will dedicate my life to fighting you. You will not win.