The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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September 29, 2009

Personal story: A celebration of survival - by Marilyn Ogden

I am a breast cancer survivor of 17 years. I went home from the hospital the day my granddaughter, Kayla was born. Her birthday celebration each year is my celebration of survival. 

I really do not have a big dramatic story. I am just grateful that my husband had gone to Enid High School with David Selby and Elaine Davis, who are the ones to which I owe my survival.

Both David and Elaine had had very personal experiences with breast cancer, and they knew exactly what my family and I were going through and helped us maintain the sanity and calmness to call on our faith in God to get us all through it.

It was Christmas time and people could not understand our dealing with all the “what ifs” at a holiday time.

When they came to our home, they saw a Christmas tree and a nativity depicting the hope that we should all see at that time of year, and I think a few of our friends thought we were crazy.

They questioned how we could celebrate Christmas? How could we not? A new baby in our family and hope I would be OK kept us going like the Energizer bunny.

Early detection was the secret to my rapid recovery.

A mastectomy seemed a small price to pay in order to live and watch my grandchildren grow and finish raising the rest of my own family, whose support was the foundation of all our hope. 

My husband and my children were the mainstay of my attitude and determination to go on with life and let this be just one thing that happened along life's way that could either be the end or a fortifying experience.

Marilyn Ogden, Enid

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