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What gives you hope?

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I have been thinking about what gives people HOPE and I would just like to know what gets you through a bad day? What makes you HOPE for tomorrow? What "Inspires" you to move forward? And, what or who helps you through the tough times?

What gives me HOPE is my kids and my husband. I have reason to make it through the rough times. I have a friend that is there for me for anything which is awesome. What helps me make it through is love and compassion, but I also love to go to the state park and listen to the birds and the river running, while lying in the sun, I absolutely love being outside on a beautiful day. It gives me peace and serenity and helps my sanity :)

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Cancer Surgery Stress Breast cancer

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The things that give me hope are my children and my lovely granddaughter. She is only 3 and I hope to see her grow up. I intend to spending my golden years with my husband. We have been married 28 yrs and I know the best is yet to come. I have friends that make my life complete. I have hope because of all these wonderful people in my life. And I am not ready to give them up just yet. ;)

Promising research and results give me hope. I don't want my daughter or another generation to suffer from this disease like my mother did or I am.

What a wonderful question.....it really gives us something to think about. My HOPE comes from success stories, and stories of long remissions and feeling good again. I volunteer in my doctor's gynocological chemo room. I talk with and listen to the ladies while they get their chemo treatments. The good stories are the ones I gravitate to and use as my inspiration for HOPE. Granted there are some really sad stories BUT it's nice to know there is HOPE and it reminds me to be thankful for everyday that I feel well. I am in chemo now for a recurrance of stage 4 Ovarian (but I just had an 18 month remission). We all have a story and it is good to talk and to listen to others.
HOPE is hidden in all kinds of places just waiting for you to find it.
God Bless You
(aka) Pinky

My husband, family, Friends & every one here on the site. I also love to work outside in my flowerbeds, mow lawn & being outside. When the weather is nice and I need a boost I put on my IPOD and work outside, my husband will come home and find me with dirt up to my ears from weeding just a singing along. We also just started riding a motorcycle and this past weekend was my first time with him on the bike, what a wonderful time for me to be on the back. One thing I did when I went through my surgerues, & treatments when I had a bad day was get out my crayons & coloring books. Best wishes to you & have a glorious day, here is a toast to HOPE.

Saw my oncologist yesterday. We are preparing for the worst, while hoping and Praying for the best. Starting Doxil next month. This will be my third chemo.
♫“As one by one, we all come to understand what that really means; And Pray to the Son, Let thy Kingdom come. Let Thy Will be done ♫”. My Hope is in the LORD. Sometimes, I get angry with HIM. I lost my Mother to this disease at age 14. 10 years ago, my daughter had Hodgins.
But, then, I think, He gave me my Mother and my daughter. Now, my daughter is pregnant and due in September. I think about holding that little baby girl [whom I have nicknamed "Hope" and for whom I am writing a journal with pictures] and I just have to be here for her!

While I have a wonderfully supportive family and an extended family at the school where I teach (who has supported my immediate family by among other things preparing all our meals the whole time I was doing chemo (June-Oct of last year), it is the knowledge of my future that gives me hope. I have a son who went home to be with the Lord 20 years ago -- I know God has a purpose in allowing things (NOT causing bad things), and that "all things work together for the good of those that love Him." I know that if I don't survive this, I will be with Him and will see my son. That gives me hope.

My friends and famiy give me strength. I am girded up on all sides by them. They remind me when I am doing too much. They tell me it is okay not to do this club, not to do that activity, to let the house go, that the grass and weeds will still be there if I don't weed my flower bed. They give me strength.

My work, seeing teenagers from very, very rough backgrounds, teenagers who struggle to read at the 4th grade level, and teenagers who are able to escape their background go on to college, that is what I believe is my goal and responsibility while I am still here. It is my purpose to pass on to them all the support, strength, tools for success, that I possibly can. My work and the times I see students soar--ah, those are exhilarating.

My CA-125 has gone up from 12 in February to more than doubling at 34 in late May. So, my doctor is concerned. I go back in July. We're all hoping it was the overwhelming stress of finishing up yearbook, clearing the accounts, finals, etc., that caused the jump. We shall see. I've decided that I'm probably going to have "chronic ovca." My hope is the Lord.

Sorry I was so long-winded.
Lynda

I went through a really, really rough time with my daughter about 4 years ago. Life was not looking too pretty those days. One of the things I started doing then was keeping a gratitude journal. Every day I had a mission to find something about that day that made me grateful. I knew I was grateful for family, friends, etc, but sometimes just looking at some wildflowers while out on a run, or listening to the frogs peeping, or enjoying the colors of the sky made me realize how important each day really was. And then I started to really seek out something every day to write about - it made me so much more aware. I kept up the journal for the last four years, so it was second nature to continue once I had the cancer diagnosis and the treatment started last fall. It made me realize that even on the worst chemo day, I could still find something to be grateful for. And today, I'm grateful for a beautiful bike ride into town along the creek, which is surging with spring runoff, to have breakfast with my buddies.

My mom is a breast cancer survivor. One of her sisters is a breast cancer survivor. She lost another sister to breast cancer. I am a survivor of breast cancer - 5 years and a survivor of OVCA stage IIIc for 1 1/2 years. My daughter gives me hope every day. She is 17 and I so much want to be here for her. I hope and pray for a cure so that we do not have to hear "you have cancer" anymore!
God bless all -
Mary Ann

Thank you for your responses. HOPE is something I too seek everyday. I feel it in my blood, I know that good things are still out there waiting for me.

I write, continuously and love it and have been writing about my HOPE for me, my family, cancer patients, survivors and their families and I thought I would get some input on what it meant to those who have been touched with cancer. I don't want to say burdened because cancer touches us in a way that no other thing can and although it may feel like a burden at times, we learn something new everyday that helps us to lead a more "touched" life with HOPE.

I hope to hear more about what HOPE means to others on the site.

God Bless you all!

My hope is in the Lord! He is my rock upon which I lean on when times get tough. He gives me strength to face those times when I am most weak. There's a verse that I have hanging at my front door that reads...
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
He has great plans for me, and I am resting in that!

Blessings and hugs!!

kellyr1: I also bought myself a coloring book and crayons when I went for my surgery! It must bring a level of comfort to us!

Hang in there, Lynda, as you do wonderful things to help others!

When I was first diagnosed the first time, my goal was to see my daughter graduate high school and I did. Then with my first recurrence, I knew that I had the best hubby and family in the world that I had to keep living for. I want to see my daughter graduate college. I want to see my 3 year old niece grow up. I want to celebrate a lot more anniversaries with my hubby.
We've got to push ourselves to beat this disease. One day there will be a cure, probably not in our lifetime, but hopefully before we lose too many others to it.

Take care & God Bless

I find hope by planning my future - I have way too many places to see and people to meet. I live my life and do not let cancer live my life.

Hi GL71 (by the way...what's your first name??)
When i'm struggling I find HOPE in a few things...
Mostly I remember of how Jesus suffered and died for me, and for the love he has for me even now. i am lucky to have a strong belief in Jesus and life after death. I trust God in all things. I find much comfort in prayer, and knowing others pray for me.
I also find HOPE in looking at how far I've already come, what I've been able to endure over these past 14 years. I believe in myself, my spirit! I like to think that God has more for me to do before i leave this world.
HOPE in telling myself that there will be a better day someday.

Suzanne

What gives people Hope? What a wonderful question to ponder...and youranswer ...so, perfect.
"HOPE is hidden in all kinds of places just waiting for you to find it."
Short, on-target, and inspirational.

Thank you so much.

Elaine

What gives me HOPE is my belief in God. Almost every night I thnk Him for another day and to please continue healing me and my ovca sisters - you all - and my friends with cancer.
I could not have gone through this without my family and friends and my co-workers.
Everyday I wake up and am grateful for another day. Sometimes I see a rainbow on my way to work and I think of the miracles God has created and I believe that one day ovca will have a cure.
I like to watch funny movies, enjoy music and people. Try not to get streesed out cause that's not good for us.
Someone once told me, "The greatest faith is going to sleep believing that you will wake up in the morning". We all have that great faith.
Don't think I am crazy....but I talk to my angels too. Invite them into your life and they will be there for you.

Hugs,
Marilyn

Hi GL71,

Holding onto HOPE is one of the most important things we can do to help ourselves and our loved ones. When things are going badly and I don't know if I can go on, the embrace of my husband is what keeps me going. And when i think of my children and grandchildren, I know that I have to try harder. My faith is strong but I will admit that sometimes it wavers on really bad days. I have to try harder there too!

I also find hope in memories of good times in the past. And I hope that at some point that I might get strong enough to make some new memories too.

And for everyone on this site, my daily prayer is that you will have the hope and the strength to make your dreams come true!! Eileen

My hope is the beauty all around us. From the blue sky to all the wild flowers I encounter on my walks and travels. The sunrise and sunset -- and the real beauty of our world that has been bestowed upon us. All of this gives me hope to carry on for my husband and children with the hope that I can continue to enjoy that and share it with them.

My new granddaughter gives me hope along with my children since I want to be here abit longer for all of them and to enjoy my grandchild, and hopefully grandchildren. Hearing miraculous survivor stories gives me hope. Coming to this site and all of you give me hope. My family and friends give me hope. Being needed gives me hope. And most importantly my faith in God gives me hope. And Eileen, don't feel alone, even with my faith, I have my days of despair. I think that is normal for anyone in this kind of situation.

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