Cancer may change the way you go about doing the things you love, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop doing them. That’s the best way to live with cancer, ovarian cancer survivor Rhonda Gold tells SurvivorNet: do the things you love and take care of the people you love.
Rhonda, who was treated for her disease in Baltimore, Maryland — and shared her story as part of SurvivorNet’s new resources for the Baltimore community — says that when she was first diagnosed, she was naturally scared — of what treatment held and of telling her family.
RELATED: How Serious is My Illness? ‘Staging’ Ovarian Cancer
“The hardest part for me was telling my family that I had cancer,” she says, “and worse … that I had ovarian cancer. Most of us know that that’s a pretty horrific cancer.”
Rhonda was diagnosed at stage 3c. Even though her life changed drastically after the diagnosis, dealing with cancer did bring out another positive in Rhonda’s life. She would often participate in showing dogs and was heavily involved in the dog showing universe. Cancer treatment put that on hold for Rhonda for awhile, but she didn’t have to stop participating altogether — mostly due to some pretty amazing friends.
“I would receive photos from shows where my friends were wearing their teal bracelets [teal is the color for ovarian cancer awareness campaigns] or painted their nails teal and they kept taking photographs from all over the country and sending them to me,” Rhonda says. “It was so heartwarming and really just incredible.”
RELATED: Your Emotional Health is So Important for Living With Cancer
Her overall advice for anyone facing cancer is to not let it stop you from being you — and living the life you want.
“Make sure you do all the things, now, that you love,” Rhonda says. “Take care of yourself, your spirit, your soul, your friends, your family, your loved ones … that’s the best way to live with cancer.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Cancer may change the way you go about doing the things you love, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop doing them. That’s the best way to live with cancer, ovarian cancer survivor Rhonda Gold tells SurvivorNet: do the things you love and take care of the people you love.
Rhonda, who was treated for her disease in Baltimore, Maryland — and shared her story as part of SurvivorNet’s new resources for the Baltimore community — says that when she was first diagnosed, she was naturally scared — of what treatment held and of telling her family.
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RELATED: How Serious is My Illness? ‘Staging’ Ovarian Cancer
“The hardest part for me was telling my family that I had cancer,” she says, “and worse … that I had ovarian cancer. Most of us know that that’s a pretty horrific cancer.”
Rhonda was diagnosed at stage 3c. Even though her life changed drastically after the diagnosis, dealing with cancer did bring out another positive in Rhonda’s life. She would often participate in showing dogs and was heavily involved in the dog showing universe. Cancer treatment put that on hold for Rhonda for awhile, but she didn’t have to stop participating altogether — mostly due to some pretty amazing friends.
“I would receive photos from shows where my friends were wearing their teal bracelets [teal is the color for ovarian cancer awareness campaigns] or painted their nails teal and they kept taking photographs from all over the country and sending them to me,” Rhonda says. “It was so heartwarming and really just incredible.”
RELATED: Your Emotional Health is So Important for Living With Cancer
Her overall advice for anyone facing cancer is to not let it stop you from being you — and living the life you want.
“Make sure you do all the things, now, that you love,” Rhonda says. “Take care of yourself, your spirit, your soul, your friends, your family, your loved ones … that’s the best way to live with cancer.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
