“It was the Spring of 2013 when I was first diagnosed. I was in my body weight range, I walked everyday, I ate healthy and I’m a registered nurse. I kept going to the doctor because I was always getting so tired. I was having a lot of lower back and hip pain. They said you’re in your 50’s, it’s the start of menopause. Finally, I bloated up and by that time, it’s too late. It was ovarian cancer, stage 4. Two days later, I had 2 big surgeries, followed by 6 months of chemo. After surgery, they said I wasn’t going to make it until Christmas, because a lot of cancer was still in there. I went into remission for a year and a half. It came back last Fall. I had a large tumor in my neck. I could feel it. I started feeling cruddy again. Fatigued. Beyond tired. So I had another surgery in Rochester. More chemo. Another 6 months of being really sick, crawling to the bathroom. It was so bad some days. Now I go every 3 weeks instead of every week. They said I won’t go into remission anymore. I’m on maintenance now until the end. I’m surviving. I’m really tired now. I go for a walk everyday. Fresh air is huge for me. I find if I don’t do something physical, it’s hard to keep the mental part going. My health means everything because without it, I’m not here. That’s always in the back of my mind, that I’m going way sooner than I had anticipated. I know I’m not going to be here very long, but walking makes everyday better for me. It just gets everything moving. I think better. Why would I want to get up and waste a day not feeling good, being crabby or being depressed? What a waste of time when I have such little time left. I’m doing my bucket list. We were just in California. We did all of these different things I’ve never done before. We walked everywhere. We biked up and down the coast. After California we spent a week in Oregon hiking in the Cascade Mountains. I am thoroughly enjoying nature. After being sick for so long I developed a new appreciation for all of the beauty that surrounds us. I see things differently now. I am more positive and more grateful. There is so much that doesn’t seem important anymore. The simplest of things bring joy now. Most days I feel an inner peace I’ve never experienced before. It’s an amazing place to be.”