Standing Up to Cancer: What it Means to Me

When I think about standing up to cancer, I cannot separate the words from my own story. At just 21 years old, five months after giving birth to my son, I was told I had peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Doctors gave me 18 months to live. At that age, I had barely stepped into adulthood, and here I was facing a rare cancer diagnosis I had never even heard of before. Standing up to cancer, for me, started the moment I chose not to accept that as the end of my story.

Facing a Rare Cancer Diagnosis

How do you process a doctor telling you your life has an expiration date? The fibroid tumor that had been spotted during pregnancy did not go away after delivery. Instead, it grew. I went into surgery thinking it was a routine fibroid removal, but I came out a cancer patient with a prognosis that felt like a ticking clock. At first, I wanted to run from reality. But my faith kicked in, and something inside me whispered, stand up. Standing up in that season meant facing my diagnosis head-on and refusing to live in denial. It also meant advocating for myself when my initial doctor had no treatment plan to offer.

Finding Hope Through HIPEC Surgery

At first, the road ahead was not clear. The first doctor I was referred to had no treatment plan for me. It felt like he had already given up. But my mom did not. She shared my story with her coworkers and asked them to pray. One coworker mentioned a local doctor who, by providence, turned out to be one of the few specialists in the country treating peritoneal mesothelioma. That introduction was the glimmer of hope I desperately needed.

I met with the specialist and learned that I was a candidate for HIPEC surgery, a life-changing operation combining the removal of visible tumors with heated chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdomen. The surgery lasted nearly 12 hours. Recovery was long and painful, but each step forward reminded me that I was still standing.

Life Lessons From Standing Up to Cancer

Standing up to cancer has taught me many lessons:

• Strength lives within us. Even when we feel broken, there is a resilience we did not know we had.
• Community is powerful. We do not stand alone. Family, friends, and other survivors give us strength when our own feels depleted.
• Faith is an anchor. God’s presence reminded me that I was never fighting by myself.

No matter where you are in your cancer journey, know that it is okay to want your “old self” back. It is natural to reminisce about how things used to be before cancer. But one thing I remind others of is to feel your emotions and allow yourself to process them—just do not stay there too long. Take it one step at a time and one day at a time. And most importantly, take care of yourself.

Eighteen Years of Survivorship

I was told I had 18 months to live. That was 18 years ago. Today, I am a wife, a mother of four, a writer, and an advocate. I have stood on stages, shared my story at the White House Cancer Moonshot Forum, and connected with survivors around the world. Every time I speak, I carry with me the young woman who thought her life was over, and I honor her by living fully in the life I have been given.

This year, I experienced a moment when doctors told me that I would never see my 18-year-old son dropping off at college. It was a reminder that life has come full circle, and that the story doctors thought would end so quickly has continued to unfold in ways more beautiful than I ever imagined.

Thriving Beyond Survival

So, what does standing up to cancer mean to me? It means refusing to let cancer write the ending of my story. It means saying yes to life, yes to hope, and yes to thriving even in uncertainty. It means using my testimony to shine a light for others walking through the dark. Standing up to cancer is not just about surviving, it is about thriving in the midst of it all.

For me, standing up looks like advocating for women with rare cancers, mentoring survivors, sharing my story on stages and in writing, and reminding people to keep hope alive. For someone else, it might look like showing up for treatment with courage, holding their child a little tighter, or simply getting out of bed on a hard day. Every act of standing up, big or small, matters.

But thriving goes beyond surviving day to day. Thriving means finding joy even in the middle of pain. It means celebrating milestones doctors once told me I would never see, like dropping my son off at college 18 years after they gave me only 18 months to live. Thriving means laughing with my children, building memories with my family, and choosing gratitude even when life feels uncertain.

Thriving also means being intentional. I protect my peace, I value my time, and I remain present wherever I am. It is not about pretending everything is perfect, it is about living with purpose in the middle of imperfection. Thriving is giving yourself permission to feel the hard emotions but not staying stuck in them. It is choosing to move forward with faith, courage, and hope.

That is what standing up to cancer means to me: not just surviving, but living fully, deeply, and purposefully, showing the world that cancer may change our lives, but it does not have the power to take away our ability to thrive.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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