Laura Spicciate-Booyens

If collecting cancer diagnoses were an Olympic sport, I'd unfortunately be a medal contender. My first encounter with cancer came in my 20s with Hodgkin's disease, and over the years I've developed an uncanny talent for catching cancer the way most people catch colds. While I wouldn't recommend this hobby, it has given me a front-row seat to the resilience of the human spirit—and a PhD in navigating waiting rooms.

Through every diagnosis, treatment, scan, and surprise plot twist, I've relied on two things: a sense of humor and a stubborn refusal to let cancer have the last word. I've learned that sometimes laughter is as important as medicine, positivity can be powerful fuel, and finding something to smile about on the hard days is an act of courage.

I have also learned that no one fights cancer alone. I have been blessed with an incredible circle of family and friends whose unwavering love, support, encouragement, and occasional ability to make me laugh when I least felt like it have carried me through some of life's most difficult moments. They have celebrated every victory, stood beside me through every setback, and reminded me that even on the hardest days, I was never facing the journey by myself. Simply put, I could not have done it without them.

My experiences have taught me one lesson above all others: be your own advocate. Ask questions, trust your instincts, seek second opinions, and remember that nobody knows your body better than you do. While cancer has been an unwelcome recurring guest in my life, it has also shown me the strength that comes from speaking up, staying informed, and refusing to surrender hope.

Through my writing, I hope to share not only what I've learned about surviving cancer, but also how to keep living, laughing, and finding joy in the middle of life's biggest challenges. Because if cancer insists on being part of the story, it doesn't get to write the ending.

Special thanks, to my Mother (Marie), Husband (Johan), Brother (Brian), Sister in Law (Jayme), Aunt Diane, and Fur Baby (Brooklyn). Plus Dad and Gram fighting with me in spirit.