Julianne had never given much thought to cancer before one dismal monday morning last april. the dawn clouds were gray and heavy, and it looked as though it might rain at any second as julianne meandered to the mailbox at the end of the lawn. as she opened the box, the rusty hinge made a screech much like someone scraping fingernails across a blackboard. the news julianne received in a postcard that day was much more unnerving. it was simply stated: "miss taylor, call our office to schedule a follow-up appointment as soon as possible. tests from your annual physical examination have revealed an abnormality." "abnormality? " julianne questioned. what kind of abnormality could a 24-year-old woman, who exercised religiously and consumed a healthy diet, possibly have? within hours she learned the answer to this question only to pose a thousand more in its place.

2 cancer, "the big c," as it is often called. her doctor felt sure but ordered more tests to confirm his suspicion. while cervical cancer in a woman julianne’s age was rare, her doctor admitted, it certainly was not unheard of in her demographic group. her doctor explained that this type of cancer is often caused by a common virus that many women do not even realize they have. the human papillomavirus can lead to this type of cancer if a woman’s immune system does not fight off the virus in its initial stages. julianne was devastated. her doctor began to discuss treatment options and suggested an oncologist specializing in this type of cancer, but julianne heard very little of what he said. her head was spinning with questions. overwhelmed, she wondered how she would break the news to her family and friends.

3 initially, they would feel the same shock and dismay julianne experienced after receiving the devastating news. as the shock wore off and cancer became the reality they would be living, they immediately offered tremendous support. along with her parents and a close friend, julianne went to the oncologist her doctor had recommended to determine a treatment plan to combat her cancer. the oncologist was optimistic that with a combination of surgery to remove the cancerous cells followed by six chemotherapy treatments to ensure that all of the cells were destroyed, julianne could overcome this cancer and go into remission. he determined that since julianne’s cancer had been discovered in an early stage of development, perhaps her fertility could also be saved. julianne had dreamed of having children ever since she was a child herself, so this news was very encouraging.

4 in may, julianne had an operation to remove the cancerous cells from the lining of her cervix. the surgery to remove the cells was painful in the days immediately following the procedure, but it was the chemotherapy treatments that were the most debilitating. for several days after each of the six treatments, julianne was unable to get out of bed. the physical pain coupled with the extreme bouts of nausea and vomiting were more than she thought she could bear. while her hair became thin and brittle during the treatments, she did not lose it entirely.

5 by autumn, julianne was looking and feeling much more like herself. in late october, the results of treatment were conclusive; she was in remission. even though doctors consider julianne cancer-free, she has made lifestyle changes to prevent the cancer from returning. these changes include increasing the consumption of certain nutrients that have proven to reduce cancer-causing agents from attacking healthy cells in the body.

6lycopene, an amino acid found in abundance in tomatoes and tomato-based products such as tomato sauce and paste, has been proven to be a preventative for many types of cancer. vitamins and minerals found in green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are also rich in cancer preventing antioxidants. julianne also heeded her doctor’s advice to exercise regularly and to engage in activities such as yoga or meditation to manage stress and keep cancer at bay.