Eternally Grateful

When I was a young child my Grandma and my Godmother would watch all the CBS soaps and discuss what happened everyday. It looked like they would have the best time and even shushed us if we tried to talk while they were on. It was only natural that I would become a soap opera fan too. I have been a fan of "Young and Restless" ever since it began. When I got my secretary job 11 years ago, I worked the weekdays, so what's a fan to do? Record all the CBS soaps, of course. I am so grateful that I did. May 1993 there was a storyline about Dr. Olivia Hastings and how she had some female medical problems. I had some of the same symptoms so I went into have a complete physical. I had been married for 10 years and hadn't gotten pregnant yet. To make a long story short I had pre-cancer. After all the testing, by October I had to have a hysterectomy. I would never be a Mom and I was devastated to say the least, but I am eternally grateful because the doctor told me that he had gotten all the cancer.

When I reached my 5th anniversary date, my life was shattered again. The cancer had come back. This type of cancer is both rare and recurrent. After the second cancer surgery, the Oncologist/Gynecologist told me that both times I was within a month of having full blown cancer. I consider myself a 9 year 7 month two-time female cancer survivor. Who knows what my future holds, I just want to thank "Young and Restless" publicly for given me almost 10 years that I may or may not have had if it wasn't for that storyline. "Bold and Beautiful" had Macy having a hysterectomy from cancer as well. I hope that it reaches women of all ages and makes them think of just how important it is to have Pap Smears and Mammograms because early detection is life saving and I'm living proof.