"I'M A SURVIVOR"

I'M A SURVIVOR............

IN MARCH OF 2001 I THOUGHT MY WORLD WAS COMING TO AN END. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER.I HAD HURT MY NECK AT WORK AND HAD TO GET A XRAY. IT JUST SO HAPPENED PART OF MY RIGHT LUNG WAS IN THIS XRAY. THERE WAS A SPOT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER ON MY RIGHT LUNG I SMOKED FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING HERE FOR MY FAMILY WAS THE HARDEST PART. WHEN MY SON HUGGED ME AND SAID DAD I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE I WAS SO SCARED I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO . AFTER SEVERAL TEST'S IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TYPE OF LUNG CANCER I HAD WAS A LARGE CELL CANCER THAT IS NOT AS AGGRESSIVE AS SMALL CELL. IT WAS CAUGHT IN THE EARLIEST STAGE AND IT COST ME HALF OF MY RIGHT LUNG I BELIEVE THAT GOD WAS LOOKING AFTER ME WHEN I HURT MY NECK. YOU TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED WHEN EVERYTHING IS OK BUT WHEN FACED WITH DEATH YOU REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT LIFE AND TIME HERE ON EARTH CAN BE. I TRY TO LIVE LIFE NOW TO THE FULLEST AND TRY TO ENJOY EVERYTHING I DO. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD NOT TO BE MAD BUT MAD TO ME IS WASTED TIME. I AM IN GREAT HEALTH NOW I DON'T SMOKE I STILL DRINK BEER ON WEEKENDS. SHED ABOUT 30 POUNDS BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IT'S 2014 I AM STILL HERE WITH MY FAMILY AND WAS ABLE TO WRITE THIS NOTE. I NEVER HAD TO HAVE CHEMO OR ANYTHING I WAS TRULEY BLESSED WITH LEARNING HOW PRECIOUS LIFE CAN REALLY BE. EVEN THOUGH IT COST ME HALF A LUNG. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON WHO IS LOOKING BACK AT YOU IS WHO YOU TRULEY WANT TO BE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!! AND PLEASE DON'T SMOKE IT WAS COOL IN 1975 BUT DEADLY IN 2001·