Julie Spielman

My cancer diagnosis couldn't have come at a worse time. My family and I had recently lost a number of family members and friends to the disease. Now, it appeared to me "the curse" was spreading. But scared as I was, I was determined to beat it. Determined, that is, until the clinicians working with me stole my hope away, instilled fear and made me believe my life was on the line and I was about to die.

That's when my husband told me to call Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) in Tulsa, and I did. I was in hysterics from the reports I'd received; I couldn't sleep; I just kept crying. But when I called CTCA at 4 a.m. on a Thursday morning, the woman I spoke to had me laughing in about five minutes. She had all the paperwork completed that same day, and on Sunday, we were at CTCA for appointments the next day. When things move that quickly, I believe it's the hand of God. Some people think miracles have to be like the parting of the Red Sea. I believe waking up each day is a miracle in itself and that God moves miraculously in many ways.

That was in late October 2008. Following my PET scan at CTCA, I learned my cancer wasn't as grave as I'd been previously told. I had Stage 1 Grade 3 breast cancer in my left breast, and it was treatable. Following a mastectomy, I completed my chemo and also underwent a hysterectomy and gall bladder operation.

In addition to the cancer, my family and I faced financial difficulties that required us to move from our home into a travel trailer we'd purchased a year earlier. I relied on my faith to navigate these difficult waters. God has shown me through all this that He's in absolute control of our lives, not me. He knew what lay ahead and had provided for us ahead of time with that trailer.

When bad things happen, I believe God has a reason, and you just need to see it. Well, I finally saw it. After talking to a number of other women with cancer, I found out we weren't the only ones losing possessions and home while going through the cancer experience. I found out I wasn't the only person and the only Christian who cried and struggled emotionally. And I decided we'd gone through all this so we could help others.

My family and I are currently working on plans to start a organization to provide educational, financial and emotional support for families going through cancer.

My cancer affected my whole family. We fought it as a family. Now, we want to help others, so it's not so difficult a journey for them. CTCA provided me with the educational, nutritional and emotional support I needed. Most patients don't know what to expect with their cancer; CTCA gave me that information. Most people don't get nutritional support, but I did. They've helped me deal with a host of emotions, including depression, guilt, fear, anxiety. Again, most people don't have that support ... not in treatment and not at home.

Out of my tragedy, I want good to come for others. I want to be there for them as they face the unexpected. People need to know someone cares when you're fighting for your life. And their family members, and children, need to be supported as well. My doctor calls me a hurricane, because I've got so many plans for this thing. I know we'll have to do a little at a time, as we can, but we've already got people signed up to help with fundraising and other things. I know God's got me pointed in the right direction.

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