| Barbara Moore is a cancer survivor and the new Relay for Life chairman. |
Survivor Spotlight Part I – The Emery County Progress begins a new series on cancer survivors in Emery County
I am a four year survivor of uterine cancer and my name is Barbara Moore. Hearing those words “You have cancer” is something you hope you’ll never hear, but when you do, it changes your life forever.
I was very lucky because my cancer was detected early and was taken care of with surgery, but my whole life still changed.
Part of my time was spent going to the doctor and hospital and the rest of my time was spent working, recovering and trying to stay positive and not let the negative side of what was going on into my life.
A good support system is very necessary when you’re going through anything like this. I was fortunate to have wonderful support from my family. They were there through it all. When I had surgery both my parents and four sisters were there. My mom went to every appointment and took care of me during my recovery. I love my family very much for everything they do and for being there for me.
Another support system I had was the Relay for Life. The first year I was able to participate was in 2001. I didn’t know what to expect when I got there. Being a part of the Survivors Victory Lap was an embarrassing experience, but later, during the Luminary Ceremony, I realized that I should be proud to be a survivor. The Relay reminds me of how lucky I am. Every year I get to add another year to my survivor years. Having cancer changed the way I look at my life. The Relay changed the way I look at other people’s lives.