Carol Ann's Story

"I had to rebuke the lies the enemy told me. It was such a lesson in renewing my mind - washing my thinking with truth and not dwelling on the negative over and over. The depth of my relationship with God is so different after cancer, which is why I say it was worth it. It taught me to depend on Him over myself; to use His Word to renew my thinking, and I watched how it would change my emotions.” 

Carol Ann was considered young when she was diagnosed with cancer in her early 40s. Her eldest daughter, Scarlett, was only two years old. She had already endured the deep grief of losing a baby girl, Gracia, at full term. Even amid that tragic loss, God had made Himself known to her, and her faith endured. Then, surprisingly and almost out of nowhere, her faith seemed lost. The Bible sounded hollow, and she doubted everything that once seemed so sure. It was a season of extreme doubt. 

"Two weeks later, I was diagnosed with stage 3B cancer with lymph node involvement. The cancer was what they called a mixed bag (all different sizes and types of cancer). At that moment, I went back and said God, I'm looking to you. Fourteen years later, I know God provided an opportunity for me to have that time to get to know Him. I thank Him." 

Carol Ann's treatment consisted of chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy, and the removal of 26 lymph nodes. "Cancer wreaked havoc on my body, but I grew in my spirit." When I asked Carol Ann to share a little thing that went a long way during treatment, she said, "At the time, it was easy to take up someone else’s experience and wonder if it was going to happen to me. Whenever I would get worried or receive a bad report, my husband, Sean, would look me in the eye with his hands on my shoulders and say, "That is not your story." 

Nowadays, we have access to a plethora of information on clean eating and wellness. However, 15 years ago, Carol Ann did her own research to find a routine that worked for her body. "I changed my eating habits. I was more careful. I ate whole foods, cut out sugars, and increased protein. I started to follow people who had been in my situation and observed what they did."

As we discussed Carol Ann’s current routine, she spoke of how her journey taught her the importance of the little moments in life that many of us often overlook. "Carving out time for rest and just intentionally enjoying the little moments in life is so important. When you’re a busy person, everyday things can become tedious, but they are amazing gifts." During treatment, Carol Ann would put on worship music and paint. "I'm picking up painting again - I haven't done it in 12 years, but I want to pursue it. Since my diagnosis, I’ve begun to enjoy the calming, expressive, and pure things like celebrating a birthday, putting my daughter to sleep, and walking with my husband." 

Carol Ann closed our interview with a lingering thought. "I want to be mindful and intentional about remembering where I've come from. I have come so far in this journey and seen miracle after miracle, and as time passes, you remember but don’t always give it the credit that’s due. God was so real and showed up so big that I started witnessing miracles in MD Anderson Hospital. I was reading Matthew 8, and the Holy Spirit taught me that Jesus did not just limit our healing to spiritual healing. In the passage, He physically healed people just like me! I am going to start looking back on my journey and celebrate and be thankful for those blessings."