“Persistence should be my middle name. After three bouts of cancer I know one thing to be true. You have to be a fighter. 

I see myself as a gladiator. A warrior. For me, fighting means never giving up hope. I am living proof of that. Today, I’m doing the things I love including writing, running, kayaking and hiking. 

I didn’t notice any of the classic early warning signs. Just bleeding one day. It’s easy to make excuses and ignore the symptoms. ‘Oh, I just have gas. It’s something I ate. I didn’t exercise this week.’ If something doesn’t feel right, do something about it. 

I’ve always been proactive about my health care. And I believe my persistence helped save my life.”