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I am a cancer survivor.
My story is about Attitude.
To me, live strong means to set goals and to have dreams bigger than what others around you expect. To make a statement that says "I have cancer, but I can get through it" and to ignore anyone else's opinions to the contrary.
I've worn the yellow wristband because it symbolizes the attitude I carried throughout my cancer treatments. I stayed strong, took control over my life, and refused to allow my cancer to dictate what I was capable of.
I was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer during my freshman year of college. I was a competitive rower before my diagnosis, but as I went through my surgeries and radiation treatments, rowing became more than just a sport to me: it became a declaration of who I was and how I was going to make it through my cancer. I wasn't just going to sit around and let the cancer control what I could do. I was going to live strong throughout my battle with the cancer and show that I wasn't going to give anything over without a fight. Even though the radiation treatments were physically and mentally exhausting, I was rowing faster than I had ever rowed before. Coincidentally, my spring season came to a close just as my radiation treatments were ending, and my coaches were commenting to me that I was looking pretty tired. Nevertheless, it was an amazing feeling to be able to surpass the highest goals I had set for myself that season as my doctors, family, and friends were telling me that I might not be able to achieve them. Carrying an attitude of determination and perseverance, as well as complete stubbornness towards the cancer, was my way of saying to the disease, "You may be strong, but I can live stronger."
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