A Fighters Story

Hi my name is Ronnie Renee Williams. I was born April 23, 1964. I am a breast cancer survivor who has been dealing with my disease for 44+ years. My faith in God keeps me going because if I didn’t have GOD in my life I wouldn't still be here.

Despite my diagnosis, I am still here

People I've grown up with have died and gone and I'm still here. And I do understand why. God knows who I am and know I can handle what and how much. I've always been sick from childhood. But fast forward a few years when I was 13 years old I found a lump in my right breast. It was the summer of 1977 and it was time for my monthly breast exam. I was taken my shower and was examining myself and felt a lump in my left breast. It was about the size of a marble. Most people my age would have been screaming after discovering this, but after I found the lump, I finished my shower and went to my mom and told her about the lump.

My journey

So as I was telling her, she just was like a wet noodle. I didn't get upset, nor cry, or even get scared. So after my mom got herself together, she began to tell me about my grandma on my dad’s side who also died of breast cancer. That the disease came from my dad’s side. During that time there was barely a phone. So she found a doctor through a friend. I was examined and the doctor said that it was a benign tumor. And you know back in 1977 technology was not good. So I was set up with a surgeon.

We didn't have insurance So I was referred to a charity Cripple Children through Shiners of Alabama. So the person there gave us several organizations that would help out. So after I had the surgery I thought everything was fine. So about a year later, I had two lumps that appeared, one in the primary site and one in a secondary area in the same breast. Went through the same organization and had those removed. I thought I could rest but no. So the third year about the same time I had three lumps removed one in the primary area, a second in the secondary area, and a new site with the same breast. I had those removed. In three years straight I had 6 lumps removed. So again I thought I was out of the fire but no not yet. So jump forward 27 years later. But during those 27 years, I always had abnormal mammograms and pap smears.

Some of my family have been diagnosed too

My mom also told me that almost all my aunt's and some uncles died of cancer on my dad's side. Out of 13 of my dad's siblings, 8 died of cancer, he included died of cancer. And also on my mom's side, my other grandmother also died of cancer. I don't know how many are on my mom's side but seems like I got a double whammy. So I have done a lot of research on both sides and I found out a lot about both sides. But more on my dad’s side. So when my cancer came back in 2004 I already staged 3 and it was back in the left breast. So in 2005, the cancer went to my lungs and I am at stage 4 which is metastatic breast cancer or HER2/positive and it was in the left lung. It has been in the left breast 3 to 4 times, lungs 3 times, right breast once, one rib bone on the left side, I've had a spot on my liver, at one time something was going on with my adrenal glands, it's been to my spine twice, upper and lower, it's been on my sacrum. I've had blood clots on the lungs.

Cancer is not easy

I ache all the time but one thing I do know is that God is alive. I also have a cyst on my thyroid and the doctors are watching 3 nodules on my left side. But there is a lot of things that people don't realize is that the ones who seem like they are left behind are the last ones that will be the first one in GOD's eye. The bum on the street, the mother who has only one child but can't make ends meet, or the mother who is tired because things are not going like they are supposed to. GOD sees everything that goes on. And like my situation I don't know what God had in store for but I plan to be ready for it. Like it says in the bible "If you have the faith of the size I a mustard seed" everything will be fine.

Feeling saved by my faith

I hope he can say to me "GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT." I have tried to live my life right I know in my heart that God is with me, a normal person who does know GOD. The average who doesn’t know him would have ended this, saying to themselves this is too much to handle. Out of 44+ years my life of being allowed to live where others would have closed the door. But through GOD's grace, and my faith, patience, wisdom, and other things this is the second time I've broken down my life. Basically, all you need is GOD to tell you that you can do this. The best verse in the bible to learn that has gotten me through thick and thin is Psalms 23. “And tell the devil or Satan to get in front of you because you don't have eyes in the back of your head and when he's back there you don't know what he's doing.” Demand he gets in front of you. Be stern, be brave, and best of all believe in yourself and believe you can do this. I believe in me. I promise if you say this every day and do these things every day, your fear and everything that goes along with fear will be gone. THAT'S A PROMISE!