I prevailed and beat Triple Negative Breast Cancer ~you too can against any of life's diversity's or struggles if you simply do your best.

Words to live by~

 Pain is part of growing. When life closes doors, it’s time to move forward.  Some won’t move unless circumstances force them to. When times are tough, remind yourself that no pain comes without a purpose. Move on from what hurt you, but never forget what it taught you. Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there. Its in Gods time not ours. Stay patient and stay positive. You will prevail. Remember that there are two kinds of pain: pain that hurts and pain that changes you. When you roll with life, instead of resisting it, both kinds help you grow.

 Everything in life is temporary. Every time it rains, it stops raining. Every time you get hurt, you heal. After darkness there is always light – you are reminded of this every morning, but still some often forget, and instead choose to believe that the night will last forever. It won’t. Nothing lasts forever.So if things are good right now, enjoy it. It won’t last forever. If things are bad, don’t worry because it won’t last forever either. Just because life isn’t easy at the moment, doesn’t mean you can’t laugh. Just because something is bothering you, doesn’t mean you can’t smile. Every moment gives you a new beginning and a new ending. You get a second chance, every second. You just have to make the best of it.

 Worrying and complaining changes nothing. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least. It’s always better to attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. It’s not over if you’ve lost; it’s over when you do nothing but complain about it. If you believe in something, keep trying. Don’t let the past darken the doorstep of your future. Spending today complaining about yesterday won’t make tomorrow any brighter. Take action instead. Let what you’ve learned improve how you live. Make a change and never look back.And regardless of what happens in the long run, remember that true happiness begins only when you stop complaining about your problems and you start being grateful for all the problems you don’t have.

 Your scars are symbols of your strength. Don’t ever be ashamed of the scars life has left you with. A scar means the hurt is over and the wound is closed. It means you conquered the pain, learned a lesson, grew stronger, and moved forward. A scar is the tattoo of a triumph to be proud of. Don’t allow your scars to negatively impact your life, and to make you live in fear. You can start seeing your scars as a sign of strength and not pain. Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most powerful characters in this great world are seared with scars. See your scars as a sign of “YES! I MADE IT! I survived and I have my scars to prove it! And now I have a chance to grow even stronger.”

Every struggle is a step forward.

In life, patience is not about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard on your dreams, knowing that the hard work is worth it. So if you’re going to try, put in the time and go all the way. Otherwise, there’s no point in starting. This could mean losing stability and comfort for a while, and maybe even your mind on occasion. It could mean not living life the way you except to.  It could mean stretching your comfort zone. It could mean making  sacrifices. Everything else is a test of your determination, of how much you really want it. I tell my children "Do not tell me you cant" Its means you wont, because if you want it "you can and will prevail". If you want it, you’ll do it, When you work hard towards your goals and dreams, the rewards are very gratifying, and it was all well worth it. So if you’re going to try, go all the way, and give your best. 

 Other people’s negativity is not your problem. Be positive when negativity surrounds you. Smile when others are negative. When other people treat you poorly, keep being you and move on, its not you its a direct reflection of them. Don’t ever let someone mistreat you, or change the person you are. You can’t take things too personally, even if it seems personal. Rarely do people do things because of you. They do things because of them.Don’t ever change for anyone. Change because it makes you a better person and leads you to a brighter future. People are going to talk regardless of what you do or how well you do it. So worry about yourself before you worry about what others think. If you believe strongly in something, don’t be afraid to fight for it. Great strength comes from overcoming what others think is impossible. Life is short and we only live once.  Do what makes you happy and be with whoever makes you smile, often.

What’s meant to be will, BE. True strength comes when you have circumstances to cry and complain about, but you smile and appreciate your blessings and see all the positives in your life instead. There are blessings  in every struggle, but we have to be willing to open our hearts and minds to see them. We can’t force things to happen as we have no control, trust in God. At some point you have to let go and let what’s meant to be, BE. In the end, loving your life is about trusting your intuition, taking chances, losing and finding happiness, cherishing the memories, and learning through experience, and maintain faith. It’s a long-term journey. You have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting . Laugh, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life. You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but you will eventually arrive precisely where you need to be. 

The best thing you can do is to keep going. Don’t be afraid to get back up – to try again, to love again, to live again, and to dream again. Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart. Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes. There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong. When you feel like quitting, remember that sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right. Sometimes you have to go through the worst, to arrive at your best.

Yes, life is tough, but we are tougher. Find strength,courage and be positive. Don’t stress over things we can’t change. Live,love,be truthful to your self. Work diligently. And even if you fall short, keep going, as we are always growing. Grab silver linings and help others. You mental positive attitude is 80% of any battle won. 

I prevailed and beat Triple Negative Breast Cancer stage 3c. After my diagnosis I simply was not going to entertain it. I was going to come out swinging, and fight with all I had, remain positive, grateful, and wipe it off my plate. I prevailed as you too can against any of life's diversity's or struggles if you simply do your best.

I conquered TNBC I am a survivor from all of life's circumstances and chose to gather all strength from life's defining moments.

It never fails to surprise me when people or organizations make the wrong choices or miss the mark, as my disappointment is present. I pray sometimes for a "thicker skin" or the ability to turn off my feelings and simply say, its not my problem. That is simply not who I am, and I never seem to lack in opinions, strong emotions or compassion. Both my weakness and my strengths, I whole heartily believe is what gives me the ability and drive to help others and have my voice heard. I feel strongly in utilizing my own talents to reach out and help to the fullest ability that I am able. My husband read a quote from a book that came from a large study. It referred to "life changing or altering events". Examples where from prisoners of war, soldiers who faced tragedy, and cancer patients. The findings where very interesting, as it listed three types of behavior from survivors.Those who where permanently disrupted, either became  negative, lost hope, or frightened,worried often even after their circumstance improved.
Those who got their life back to normal, maintained faith and hope became stronger, and remained positive.
 Or those who used it as a defining moment, turned the circumstance into helping others, making a positive change and difference in not only themselves, but others as well.

I have Triple Negative Cancer survivors like myself reach out to me, and healthy people who have no association with cancer and say:
Thank you Heather for sharing your story... "Your positive mindset and attitude is contagious and enhances both yours and others lives! "  

Your approach to this topic is unique and informative. I am writing an article for our school paper and this post has helped me. Thanks.

I have read this and I must say this is the best I feel about being Tnbc .. I am living in fear every day .. I breath cancer 24/7 it never leaves my mt mind .. I have had lumpectomy grade 3 , 3 cm tumor , clear margins , no lymph node involvement . 4 more weekly taxol left , and still feel defeated by Tnbc until now ... Thank you xxxx

Good for you Heather Fox! We are lucky to have such devoted survivor to advocate for us! Thank you!

When I write I share very private emotions, physical surgeries, what I endured and how I prevailed and beat TNBC stage 3 is because I want to give hope. I want to ease fear, I want my being positive to be contagious, and I want to help others!
When I lost both of my breasts, I gained such strength, and the pure blessing of a positive perspective. 
When I am often asked if  I'm scared cancer will return, my reply is never. I do not live with what If's ever. It that was the case I would throw my car keys in a basket and quit driving. What if there was an unforeseen car crash, or life event beyond our control? That is a waist of my energy to devote any of my thoughts and time to. I do not worry about my debit due to my medical treatments and bills, God will provide. I do not worry about others actions or things beyond my control. I grab silver linings everyday. I enjoy my children and family, and I reach out to others regardless of what my circumstances may be and do my best to help.

What if we smiled everyday, reached out to help others, lived our life to the best of our abilities, gifts, and talents?
What if we prayed to the only one who has control (God) and had faith?

I am a survivor from all of life's circumstances and I chose to gather all strength from life's defining moments.

I conquered TNBC stage 3 and you too can prevail!