45, cervical cancer

When I was told of my cancer diagnosis, I couldn't believe it had happened to me. I expected to die of extreme old age. Before then, I would never have thought anything positive could come from such a scary disease. It has had a big impact on my life. I guess what I want to say is that the impact was not all negative. During and immediately after my treatment I was on a real emotional roller-coaster. There were lots of positives and negatives - but now my memories are mostly positive. Surviving a life-threatening illness changed my life. It helps me to make more of an effort to see the positives in everything and everyone. It helps me stop worrying about the little problems (most of the time). When I remind myself that I have survived cancer, I become much more realistic about the significance of my problems. I try to re-evaluate what I think is important and focus on the 'real' things. So now, even after 14 years, I look back and remember the unexpected expressions of kindness and the wonderful friends I have made and I think the cancer journey has made me a stronger person.