Yolonda Beatty

Tulsa, OK

Breast Cancer Survivor

You just can't put a price on great care ... physical, emotional, spiritual care ... when you're going through cancer. That's why I chose Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) when I started treatment for breast cancer five years ago, even though they were out-of-network for my insurance company. They were like family to me when I went through treatment, and here I am, five years later, still celebrating life as part of that big family. At CTCA, you're not just a patient. You're in a permanent relationship with people who really care. They just don't forget about you. That's priceless.

My reference to celebrating life refers to CTCA's annual party, Celebrate Life, which is held each May for the hospital's cancer survivors who have reached the five-year mark following diagnosis. Festivities include a tree-planting ceremony, celebratory meal, congratulatory speeches, interactions between survivors and newly diagnosed patients and much more.

For my husband Darrell and me, our cancer journey has actually been longer than five years, as Darrell was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001, three years before I received my own cancer diagnosis. Although I believe it was harder on me to see Darrell go through cancer than to have it myself, I still find myself struggling from time to time with the changes to my outward appearance that a mastectomy made.

Cancer is one of the storms in life and some of those storms are bigger than others. In our 35 years of life together, we've definitely survived both large and small ones. But, I've learned that God does give peace in them -- in those unchangeable circumstances when you wonder how you'll go on or how youll get through this. In my cancer, He ministered to me out of Psalm 23 and assured me that even though I was in a valley, it was only temporary, and He'd walk me out of it.

Like anyone who has suffered a major loss, though, there are times when I finds myself becoming emotional and my eyes tear up. To deal with that, I cultivate a daily philosophy of focusing on blessings I has rather than on what things I doesn't have.

I read a book once, written by either Oral or Richard Roberts, that basically tells you it's okay to stop for a bit to grieve over something, but don't stay there. They said to put yourself in gear and get going again, because other people need to get to the other side of their grief, disappointment, frustration or whatever, and you can use what you've been through to help others get through their storms. So, I let myself cry for a minute or two, and then I change my focus like you change a channel on TV or the radio.

I also have faith that for everything God allows in our lives, He has a purpose for good, and nothing we lose or go through overrides that purpose. One of the good lessons I've learned through cancer is how God loves us through other people. For instance, I knew my husband loved me, but through my cancer, I've seen the most loving, patient, sensitive husband in the world who cares way more that I'm alive and here with him than that my appearance may be a bit different. That, too, is priceless.

Being a five-year survivor makes me feel like I've reached a goal, and now, I'm looking forward not only to more years with family and friends, but also to more years of serving the Lord.

Even while I was going through treatment, I was determined not to let cancer keep me from serving the Lord in ways I had been or in whatever He wanted me to do in the future. And the most joyous part of celebrating life for me is thinking of having more years now to do just that.