SUSAN H. DAYTON’S STORY
None of us ever expected a simple gall bladder removal to result in a cancer diagnosis, but that’s what we received. Susan never had any serious health problems and felt fine at the time. August and September of 2001 was a blur of tests and doctor consultations to find the cause of the tiny cancers spotted on her abdominal wall. We learned that Susan had stage III ovarian cancer. For the next four years, Susan went through surgery, treatments, recurrences, endless blood tests, and all of the other aspects of life with the same smile she wore when I first met her.
Throughout the subsequent four-year battle, Susan made certain to stay involved with our kids and to do everything she normally would with her family. Susan was a stay-at-home mom and was totally immersed in the job. Chemotherapy treatments could slow her down, but they never stopped her. Susan was a lady of unshakeable faith in God. She sought out others suffering from cancer or other problems life serves up. She wrote to people she didn’t know in an effort to offer a word of encouragement as they went through tough times. She made several new friends and was an inspiration to many.
We lost Susan in September of 2005. We all miss her smile, her laugh, and her determination. We’ll always have her love.