World Cancer Day

Today is a day that will now forever be ingrained into my heart. Before last year, February 4th would have just been another day of the year. A day that I would have naively been going about my business, unaware of the importance that this day held to millions of individuals from all parts of the world.

But now, this day will always hold a bittersweet amount of emotion. This day will be honored as a day full of both hope and loss.

World Cancer Day takes place every February 4th. This is a global initiative to bring the world together by raising awareness towards one of the greatest challenges in our history.

Did you know that cancer is the second leading cause of death world-wide?

Over 10 million people die from cancer every single year. And at least one third of common cancers are actually preventable.

This positive worldwide movement helps to improve education and promote government action so that deaths from cancer can be minimized and cancer prevention tactics can be pushed.

Cancer on the Home Front

My personal bout with cancer has opened my eyes in ways that is hard to put into words. I have a different perspective on life. A new respect for those battling with diseases unseen. And an utmost empathetic heart for anyone that has struggled or watched a love one struggle with cancer.

Cancer used to be just a word to me, with no real emotion or tangible experience attached to it. Now it is a newfound purpose. A way to love, care and support others who are also struggling.

Early in life, I knew cancer was dangerous, but never really understood the gravity of its power. Growing up both of my grandmothers had thyroid cancer, but I was too young to understand what they truly went through. As a freshman in college, I lost two loved ones to cancer during my first semester in school. My dear Grammy Boots and Uncle Tom both lost their battle to cancer, and it really shook my world.

For the first time I began to view cancer differently, as not something that I only saw on movies or heard about from third parties, but something that had stolen from my family. I no longer was able to enjoy the presence of these loved ones because of cancer. Nonetheless, I was pretty sheltered at that time from the true harsh nature of what they actually went through. I still did not fully understand.

In 2020, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I was in constant chronic pain, and my body had trouble performing simple tasks. It was a very humbling experience, and shocking to understand just how detrimentally cancer can weaken your body.

On December 15, 2020 I had a full thyroidectomy. To remove the cancer in my body, while also removing my entire thyroid. My body had a very hard time after surgery. The first week was definitely the worst, as I couldn’t even get out of bed. But the subsequent weeks were just as hard, however in slightly different ways.

It is important to remember that everyone is different, and have different reactions to surgery and treatment. My body unfortunately did not react well. And still has not fully adapted to the medication that I now have to take daily in order to survive.

It has officially been 7 weeks since my cancer removal surgery, and I am just now beginning to feel somewhat human again. It has been a surreal experience to be so young, yet feel so old.

This week however I feel I have finally turned the corner in my recovery. Praise God! Each day is now getting a little easier, and I can sense my body working hard to recover. It will still be a process, but I will persevere.

Before experiencing cancer myself, I’ll admit that I was blind to the true invasive force of this disease. Now that my eyes have been opened, I see that cancer is all around me. Not just in my own household, but also affecting friends and family is so many different areas of my life.

Once I opened up about my personal struggle, many brave individuals have come forth and confided in me about their own battles with this disease. Their own heartbreaking experiences. I never could have fathomed how many people in my life had their own personal history with cancer. The vast amount was shocking.

A dear friend, fellow cancer survivor and sister in Christ shared this today. And I couldn’t have put it in better words myself.

“For me, today is all about gratitude and thankfulness. For others, it might be a day of sadness or hardship. And for some, it means nothing at all. Today is World Cancer Day. In the midst of all the chaos in our world right now, let’s not forget the journey some people, past or present, have to endure physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

We Can Make a Difference

The truth is, cancer is so much more pervasive than even I can fully comprehend.

People everywhere are struggling. They are hurting. And I’m willing to bet that if you start the conversation, you will be surprised at how many individuals in your own life have struggled or watched someone they care for struggle with this.

Because of my experience and now close understanding of this disease, cancer has become a cause that I am fully invested in supporting education and spreading awareness of.

But my hope is that you too, will take the time to educate yourself and your loved ones on the very nature of this disease. It could very well save a life one day.

Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year by reducing exposure to cancer risk factors such as obesity, tobacco, environmental pollution, alcohol, physical inactivity, infections, occupational carcinogens and radiation.

By educating yourself and raising awareness to your community, we will have the power to reduce the global impact of cancer.

The time is now to stand up and speak out for a cancer free world.

If you are interested in taking action or learning more, please visit this site.