The Best Cancer Advice I Received

When I was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer, everyone seemed to want me to make a decision immediately.

Doctors had recommendations. Family members had opinions. Fear was shouting louder than anyone else.

Can you relate?

One of the greatest gifts God sent me during that time came through a family friend who was a medical doctor. She pulled me aside and said something I'll never forget:

"Paula, don't panic. Take time to educate yourself."

At first, that sounded almost irresponsible. Wasn't cancer an emergency?

But her advice changed the course of my life.

Instead of rushing forward in fear, I began asking questions.

• What is cancer?

• Why does it develop?

• What caused it in my body?

• What are all of my options?

• What are the benefits and risks of each treatment?

The more I learned, the more I realized something important:

We don't know what we don't know.

Many of us assume we understand cancer because we've heard stories, watched commercials, or listened to other people's experiences. I certainly thought I did.

But after my diagnosis, I discovered that much of what I believed wasn't actually knowledge—it was simply information I had never questioned.

That's when my search for truth began.

My husband Dale and I spent countless hours reading, researching, and praying. We weren't looking for opinions. We were looking for what was true.

Scripture says:

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

And Jesus said:

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

Those verses became very real to me.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is this:

Facts Can Change. Truth Does Not.

Medical opinions change.

Research changes.

Recommendations change.

But truth remains.

As I continued learning, God began showing me things I had never understood before—about health, healing, and the incredible way He designed the human body.

Looking back, one of the best decisions I ever made was to pause long enough to educate myself before making major decisions.

If you're facing a cancer diagnosis today, let me encourage you:

Pause—take some time.

Pray.

Ask questions.

Learn everything you can.

Fear pushes us to react. Wisdom helps us respond.

And sometimes the first step toward healing is simply becoming willing to learn what we don't yet know.

Have you ever discovered that something you believed for years wasn't actually true? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.

Standing in faith with you,