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When Lauren Lopez turned 30, instead of celebrating another decade, she faced an uncertain future. Lopez had just been diagnosed with recurrent stage four incurable cervical cancer and the doctors only gave him six months to a year to live.
It was a shocking news. Instead of despairing, the young woman decided to embrace hope. Now, two years later, she finds something that makes her smile or laugh every day.
"In the present moment, it was devastating. I slept on it and woke up the next day with unique mental clarity, "said TODAY, a 32-year-old Westford, Mass., Yoga teacher." I have little time left. " I will choose to be happy. Coming from a place of gratitude, I do not think you can feel anything but joy and joy. "
"We caught it early"
Lopez's experience with cervical cancer began with an annual gynecologist exam at the age of 24 in 2012 when her doctor was performing a routine Pap test. The results showed abnormal cells that were cancerous. But her doctor assured her that she had nothing to fear. She underwent two knife biopsies and felt that the procedure had removed the cancer.
"They told me," You do not have to worry. The prognosis is incredible and we took it early, "said Lopez.
While she had heard about other sexually transmitted diseases, she knew very little about HPV, or human papillomavirus, the infection that had caused her cancer.
"Nobody talked about HPV," Lopez said. "I did not have any vaccines. We did not really talk about vaccines. "
About 79 million Americans, mostly under the age of 20, suffer from HPV, although not all of them cause cancer. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer, but HPV testing and vaccine have significantly reduced the rate of new cases and deaths.
Lopez would like to know more about HPV before developing cervical cancer.
"Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that does not have a genetic component, as I understand it. It's a kind of cancer with equal chances, "she said. "It's really important to get your projections regularly. And ask your doctor about the vaccine. "
When she was diagnosed for the first time, she entered life after graduation and was worried for the future.
"It was really scary," she said. "I was leaving college. I went out recently with my husband now.
After the biopsy, however, she expected a return to normal life and good health. Three years later, doctors discovered another cancerous mass and in 2015 she underwent a hysterectomy to remove it. Once again, the outlook was good.
"Even with my hysterectomy, it was still a question of saying that you will be ready," she said.
Choose hope and happiness.
In 2017, she learned that cancer had returned. This time the doctors could not heal and offered palliative treatments.
While she is struggling with an incurable illness, Lopez has chosen to be optimistic. Every day she finds something she must be grateful for.
"It forces my brain to celebrate the little moments," she said. "It started with something simple, which has grown."
She meditates, practices and teaches yoga regularly and volunteers at the hospital.
"Teaching gives me such joy," she said. "Serving others is really my joy."
She and her husband recently visited Greece for two weeks. Lopez shares her story because she wants people to know that living with cancer is not just a sadness and nausea.
"Even when they give you a final diagnosis … it is normal to plan and dream," she said. "You can be happy in case of cancer."
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