My husband and I recently made the familiar journey to MD Anderson again. It was time for another check-up. Since I was diagnosed with stage IV thymoma in 2013, this has become a normal part of our life. We do labs and scans, and then prayerfully meet with doctors, hoping for good news.

These trips always remind me of the frightening reality of cancer. On days like these, I reflect on the lessons I have learned from cancer. There...