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Cancer Taught Me: Robyn’s Story

I’ve been a nurse for 32 years and a cancer survivor for 17 months and they are both a big part of who I am. I love being a nurse. I love taking care of people. Then one day, I’m told I have breast cancer. All of a sudden, I’m a patient. I’m on the other side of the bed and I don’t like it. I’m out of my comfort zone. My life was changed in that instant and I was afraid. But my family and friends, and my second family at Tunnell rallied around me. They held me and fed my soul. I prayed every day that I would beat this and that I was stronger than what I was fighting. So I decided I was going to beat this. I wasn’t going to let cancer define who I was.

So what has cancer taught me?

Family and friends are everything. True strength is courage.

Ringing a bell means more than you’ll ever know. A musical note brings me peace.

Make the most of everyday. Life is like glass, it looks lovely but shatters easily.

Be strong even when everything seems to be wrong. Find the true beauty of each moment. I try to remind myself of the day to day pleasures that I pass by.

I believe laughter is the best healer. I believe that tomorrow is another day. I believe in miracles.

Cancer leaves you speechless. Being a survivor turns you into a storyteller. But it should only be a chapter in your life, not the whole story.

Cancer. Been There. Beat That!

Cancer Taught Me

Cancer Taught Me

Cancer Taught Me explores the stories of patients who received treatment at Beebe's Tunnell Cancer Center. The stories are in their own words.