Just four days after a breakup, Frazier Fulton was looking for some good news. Instead, she got a breast cancer diagnosis. In this time of heartbreak and fear, however, she met Joe. Throughout her fight against cancer, Joe has been there for her.
“I was determined to never let cancer stand in the way of what I wanted, and I wanted to find a true partner. Joe is an example of all the good in the world,” Frazier tells Love What Matters. “Selfless and determined, he put his all into keeping me safe while we dated – continuing to quarantine and test for COVID before dates, learning about my treatments, and even contacting old high school friends to get me a second opinion at Johns Hopkins, taking days off work to get me up there, and attending the appointments.”
Beyond taking her to treatments and helping with the physical parts of her fight, Joe fills Frazier’s life with love and gives her a person to lean on.
“Nobody can make facing cancer easier, but he makes the rest of my life easier and better and that makes facing cancer easier,” Frazier says. “I have incredible friends and family who hold me together but there’s just something different about having a romantic partner.”
A cancer diagnosis has forced Frazier to reflect on her life, decisions made, and the people she surrounds herself with. Such a big life change has shown her she’s made the right choices along the way.
“This diagnosis has proved to me that I can trust myself. I made a series of good choices that led me to the people in my life who all banded together to get me through,” Frazier tells Love What Matters. “And while the hard isn’t over, I am comforted in knowing that no matter what happens, I will be okay because of them. I think everyone should evaluate their relationships and be a better friend, partner, and family member. Because if it’s not cancer, life will knock you down somehow and you’ll want them to rally around you.”
Not only has Frazier discovered how much the people she surrounds herself with are important, but she also has come to understand the impact of little joys and beauties in her life. Always being a person who loves to travel, she refused to stop once-a-month weekend getaways because of a cancer diagnosis.
“Joe has an incredible getaway cabin in the woods that has quickly become my haven. My first trip with him to his cabin, that following Monday I had treatment, and my bloodwork came back better than it has ever been,” Frazier says. “My nurses and doctors celebrated as I could eat fresh fruit and salad for the first time in months. I truly attribute that to the time spent relaxing and enjoying those views.”
Frazier’s journey has been greatly impacted by the people in her life like Joe. At the beginning of her diagnosis she started a blog to update friends and family, and came to understand the impact she could have on others who don’t have the support system she has. Through the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation Thrivers Group she was introduced to a community of recently diagnosed women.
“As a public relations professional, it’s my passion and job to see gaps in availability of stories that make an impact and fill those, so it just came naturally to share. My goal and hope are that someone feels less alone once diagnosed,” Frazier tells Love What Matters. “And that more women learn that you can have breast cancer young, especially without a family history. Lastly, there have been a lot of curveballs thrown my way. I want people to know that it’s not always straightforward, but you’ll power through and make it to the other side with more good days than bad.”
A cancer diagnosis can be isolating and scary. But Frazier proves that it doesn’t mean you should stop living. Instead, find people you can rely on and build a life full of love and support.
This article was written exclusively for Love What Matters by Anna Steingruber. You can follow Frazier Fulton of Richmond, Virginia on Instagram and on her website. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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