Cancer Was Never A Thought In My Mind

Now cancer is on my mind every day.

I was a busy mom of three beautiful little girls, and life was normal?until 2009. I was diagnosed with lymphoma and our world was turned upside down.

A dear friend of mine who worked at Livestrong sent me a Livestrong Guidebook to use during my treatment. It was virtually a lifesaver for me and my family as we struggled through both the dark days and the hopeful times.

In 2011, I passed the Livestrong gift forward when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She used their navigation services and also became a Livestrong advocate. When my mom passed away in 2012, my family leaned on Livestrong again to help us cope with our loss.

Livestrong Navigation helped both my mother and I with the day-to-day challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis, and they helped my family cope with the devastating loss of my mother. Having someone by my side during this difficult time was invaluable, and it reminded me that I wasn’t alone.

I’m proud to say that I participated in the Livestrong Austin Half Marathon in 2013, and I plan on being a supporter of Livestrong initiatives in the years to come.

Thank you for fighting with me and for the people we love.

Pamela, 43, lymphoma cancer survivor

Originally published at endpoint89551e0f.chios.panth.io on December 23, 2014.

Cancer Was Never A Thought In My Mind was originally published in Livestrong Voices on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.