Susan Bostick

Co-Survivor

Once upon a time, there was this woman named Susan. She was diagnosed with breast cancer two days before Christmas in 2004. When she received the call from her physician, she was alone in the house. “It’s bad,” the doctor said, and she was so afraid. Her husband came in from the store and found her crying on the phone, and took the phone from her. He spoke in hushed tones to the doctor, “Yes, I’m sorry, too. Thanks for calling as soon as you got the results,” he said. She and her husband sat by the warm fire in their home and cried and cried.

Dave, the husband, kept asking why this would happen to such a very happy couple, but she thought somehow she deserved it because she smoked, had an unhealthy diet and NEVER exercised. She blamed herself, and thought God was mad at her for the life choices she had made over the many years. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to leave behind her beloved husband, family, friends and pets. She did not know how she and her husband would get through it. She kept saying to everyone, “This is just a little bump in the road.” But really, inside, she didn’t know if she would live to celebrate another holiday, birthday or wedding anniversary.

Friends offer their support
Some friends became closer friends, just like family. Some friends drifted away and were rarely heard from again. Everyone was sad and scared. Her friends and family gathered around her and gave her courage when she was afraid. They gave her strength when she was weak, and they gave her love when she felt unlovable and scarred from the double mastectomy she had to have. They helped her make jokes when her hair fell out and her clothes didn’t fit quite right. They gave her cute socks and hats and scarves to help keep her head and feet warm in the winter months. Everyone gave her special pins to wear.

Many of these friends cooked wonderful meals, so Susan and Dave would have something hot to eat when they were so tired or too overwhelmed to cook. A special friend, named Mary, gave her Angels to keep near, so that when her spirit felt weak, she would know they were there to guard her and her husband from harm. Her friends made her a scrapbook to make her laugh when she was going through chemotherapy and feeling blue. They sent her funny cards and stuffed animals. They would have little get-togethers in her honor and they gave her a gift certificate for a massage and pedicure.

Not alone
The friends refused to allow Susan and Dave to feel alone at any step of the way. Susan and Dave felt this tremendous love and support and it made them stronger, and it made them feel they could succeed at beating this disease and it made them feel they were never, ever alone. The friends gave of themselves with so much love. And these friends, they prayed and prayed and prayed. They all loved her and prayed for her and Dave. They knew God was really the One in charge, and they took their thoughts and prayers to Him. Susan and Dave went though some very trying times. The “little bump” she talked about was more of a mountain, and some days were very hard, but after several months, some days were actually good days.

She was able to come back to work, and all of the friends were so happy to see her whenever she showed up. They said she was brave and courageous, but she knew the truth. She was not ever brave or very courageous. It was her friends that got her to this point in her life. It was her friends that gave her and Dave strength and carried them when they felt they couldn’t go on. You see, when Dave and Susan asked God, “However will we get through this,” God said, “I will put these friends in your life. With my guidance, they will help carry you through and will give you strength and courage and HOPE. I will never leave you, but neither will your true friends.”

You see, this is not a sad story of a woman and her husband who were diagnosed with breast cancer two days before Christmas in 2004. This is really a story about how God takes care of all of us, sometimes in unexpected ways. You see, Susan & Dave truly believe God placed all of these wonderful, generous friends in their lives to help them when they needed it the most. This is simply a little story about a bunch of friends who prayed so hard that their friends, Susan and Dave, felt strong and courageous and hopeful and loved, and never, ever felt alone