Well I have two stories actually..My Longer Story is 6150 words & my short story is 2300 words. I honestly dont know how you can fit Cancer in 450 words. So hear is just...the end.

I remember every time I would pass myself in a mirror. I would look at my reflection in bewilderment. I'd wonder who was that in the mirror as it couldn't be me. It wasn't me... it had to be someone else. It had to be a bad dream and I would actually say out loud " This is ridiculous... An (expletive) nightmare." I felt like I looked like some alien from a science fiction thriller, bald with one boob hanging and the other one lopped off, with no nipple... only scars. At times tubes (dialysis catheter, & drainage tube) were hanging out of my body. From the infusion of toxic drugs my skin tone had changed to a purple polka-dotted appearance. That look alone was enough to make me want to vomit. There were many times I thought of killing myself, but then who ever heard of anyone killing themselves because of cancer? And anyway, I wasn't going to die without my hair. I figured that's not the way I want to be remembered.

Where and how I got the strength to go on day by day, I don't know, but I thank God every day that he helped me. I thanked Him for every day that was not so bad, and I thank God now that it's all behind me now, though in truth I did not talk to Him for the first several months.

Here is the recipe for surviving through diagnosis & treatment:

• Dissect your heart, feelings and mind from your body.
• Store your heart and feelings in an airtight sealed container to be used at the end only.
• Add some energy (multi-vitamins are optional).
• Open your mind and use it to search, locate and investigate all information possible, any way possible.
• Put all your information aside and have a cup (or cups) of coffee (do not forget to breathe).
• Now that you are ready, take all information and make "YOUR" decisions (speaking to intelligent friends, associates and/or professionals is recommended).
• Add some more energy (At this point, Valium or other relaxant is useful).
• Take it one day at a time.
• Be honest to yourself and advise people (the caring ones that call a hundred times a week) that you don't feel like talking right now. (However if you do feel like speaking with someone, do not hesitate to disturb him or her at any hour of the night). Remember, this is all about "You".
• You may modify any of your decisions, depending on any new outcomes
• Make plans for things to do when all treatment is over (skydiving, whitewater rafting, European vacation, a hat burning or hat stomping ritual, a boob party (if you are having breast-reconstruction).
• Try thinking your last month of treatment is not that far away. It's not 5 years... or even one year. It's 5 months. Every 4 weeks puts off another month behind you, and one less month to go. Every week puts one more week behind you and every day behind you shortens the week you are in. Day by day as you put more time behind you, you get that much closer to the end. Soon it will be 4 months, then 3 then 2 and finally only 4 weeks left, then 3, 2, 1, the End!