One day while praying this question kept coming to my mind, “When you think of cancer, what is the first word you think of?” The first word to flash in my mind was FIGHT! I got to thinking about the word FIGHT and what it meant and how it connected to cancer. Then I got to thinking about each letter and I came up with an acronym of what FIGHT has to do with cancer. 

F.I.G.H.T 

“F” stands for fellowship and faith – After a devastating diagnosis, you need that fellowship with the people you love, trust and cling to in hard times. If it wasn’t for my family and friend group I don’t know if I would have made it. They listened to me when I complained and cried, they put me in my place when I talked nonsense and would ask God to go ahead and end it all, and they were there even when I lied and told them I didn’t need them. They showed up. My faith was absent at first but now it shines bright! Faith is really what changed my outlook on my diagnosis. Faith made me realize that I was asking the wrong question from the beginning, I was asking Why me? And I should have been asking what can I do to serve you LORD in my diagnosis. Ever since I’ve changed my mind set my life has been different and more positive. It’s been easier to navigate cancer and enjoy my life. 

This brings me to “I” – Ignite the fight! Cancer is not for the weak and it doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve done. It does not discriminate, that’s for sure. But when you hear “you have cancer” it sparks something in you that you probably never felt before and that’s a fight to survive. You have to be the winner and if you’re not the winner you sure are not going to let cancer win easily. Cancer has taken a lot from me, but my determination to fight was not going to be one of them. I knew that I had a lot of living to do and the only way I was going to do it is by fighting! Now since I have ignited the fight I’m really living my life! I have to be honest, sometimes the fight is not there but that is when you go back to F and rely on the fellowship and faith to get the spark lit again! 

“G” – is for gratitude! I’m grateful for my cancer not because it’s literally made me weak, taken things I’ll never get back, but it’s made me express gratitude and be grateful for things that I was ungrateful for before diagnosis. I’m grateful for my small town of Woodbury, TN. The support that they have shown is overwhelming. I didn’t know so many people cared for me like the people of Woodbury does. They have raised money to help with treatment, they have made dinner for me, brought me coffee, wore shirts to support me, and most importantly prayed for me! They have prayed for me continuously and still do. I’m so grateful that I live in place that not only supports me physically, but spiritually too. They have been my prayer warriors for sure. Community makes a difference and can really carry you when you think you can’t go anymore. 

“H” – is for Healthy healing: you have to have healthy healing to fight cancer. What I mean by this is to do stuff that makes you feel good, energized and makes you feel healthy. The three things that I make sure I have healthy healing in is spiritually healing, physical healing, and social healing. Spiritual healing I spend time with GOD! I read my Bible to grow closer to Him and I pray and have conversations with Him. I express my worries, doubts but I also thank Him for the good times he allows me to have. I laugh because sometimes God does stuff to humbly humor me. Physical healing is so important as well. Cancer breaks you down physically and it does it fast. So we have to be on our game. Hydration, exercise, and good ole Vitamin D can take you from blah to energized. People don’t really think of social healing but it is so important. You have to have a social life even when you don’t want to. It’s good to be social and have conversations that are not about cancer. Have a cancer free night! Go to your favorite restaurant with your best friends and order the highest price menu item and add dessert– you only live once! Dress up and go on a date night with your husband or wife! Take a vacation and go somewhere you’ve never been to! Don’t let cancer steal memories! 

“T”- is for Transparency. Transparency is one thing that is hard but so needed in cancer diagnosis. Be transparent about you’re feeling because it helps you to emotionally heal. It also helps people understand what you’re going through because sometimes people just don’t get it. I wasn’t transparent about my feelings when I first was diagnosed. I let it build up and boil inside me and then I finally spewed. When I finally spewed it made people realize how I finally felt about everything and it made people understand what I was going through. It brought me closer to people and really connected me with everyone I share my story with. 

So with that, just know don’t give up and keep the FIGHT! Cancer thinks it can win but it’s wrong because we are the winners in this battle. After all, we are FIGHTERS! We are not the only FIGHTERS though. Our supporters and caregivers are FIGHTERS too. We don’t travel this road alone so supporters and cargivers take the acronym and use it too because sometimes you need help too. Caregiver fatigue is real and doesn’t need to be dismissed. I know my Momma has experienced caregiver fatigue. Spending multiple days at the hospital sleeping in a chair that doesn’t recline back is physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. Having to deal with my emotions on top of her emotions is hard. Supporters, Just know we (The Patient) see you and the care you give us. We see the work you put into making us feel loved, supported, and cared for. We see the worry in your eyes when the Doctor gives news that we weren’t expecting. We might not show it all the time but you make the difference! You make it easier because we know you’ll always be there for us! We LOVE you and KEEP UP THE FIGHT!