Remaining Positive Is Important: Clark says a positive attitude a must when dealing with cancer

Marilyn Clark of Jasonville says it's crucial to try and keep a positive attitude when dealing with breast cancer. She said, "Keep a positive attitude, because the medical field is unbelievable. I turned off the news to keep a positive attitude and only read inspirational literature. The 91st Psalm was the best pain pill there was." (By Halea Franklin)

JASONVILLE -- When faced with a battle against breast cancer, remaining positive is crucial.

"Remaining positive is so important," said breast cancer survivor Marilyn Clark of Jasonville. "Keep a positive attitude, because the medical field is unbelievable. I turned off the news to keep a positive attitude and only read inspirational literature. The 91st Psalm was the best pain pill there was."

In April 2006, Clark was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer after a routine mammogram.

After having a mastectomy as well as having several lymph nodes removed, Clark went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Those treatments quite often make patients suffer from a variety of symptoms including nausea and hair loss. Clark, however, was not the average patient.

"It (chemotherapy) never made me sick," Clark recalled. "Radiation truly was a breeze."

Unlike many patients who undergo treatment, Clark did not lose her hair.

"I was tired, that was about the only symptom I had," she said.

During that time, Clark and her husband Dorman, were starting to publish a weekly newspaper -- The Jasonville Independent. Clark said that while learning computers and digital photography was tiring for her, it also kept her busy and kept her mind off of her health issues.

"You have to have something to look forward to," she said.

Clark also had a strong support system in her family and friends.

"Not everyone has the support system I had. I had a wonderful support system," she said. "I saw people who didn't have family and I think that's heartbreaking.

"I'm thankful that I had Jesus. He gave me a family that was so loving and had a great sense of humor. It made it so much easier."

Despite battling breast cancer, Clark said the past four-and-a-half years of her life have been some of the best.

"It made me aware of what's important. It made my whole family appreciate each other," she said.

She continued, noting that her family is now closer than ever, "good things can come out of bad things."

Today, Clark is able to live her life cancer free.

Throughout her journey, Clark said she has enjoyed sharing that there is hope with others.

"There's hardly a family who hasn't been touched by it. It helps to have someone who has gone through it and come out the other side," she said. "A nurse said to me 'breast cancer is not a death sentence'. A cousin said 'to God, cancer is just like a bad cold'."