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A word to the wise: If you have a toothache for more than a few days and it continues on for weeks, don't procrastinate and don't hesitate. Go to your dentist right away and find out what the problem is. Anytime you have a toothache for more that a few days, that should be a clue, or a red flag, to let you know that there is something more serious going on.

Last year in October, my oldest sister thought that she had a toothache. After a week or so with nothing but misery and pain, she went to her dentist. He examined her and couldn't find the cause of the pain so he referred her to a specialist. After running a battery of tests, my sister was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called "salivary gland cancer."

To hear that my sister had cancer was devastating not to say the least, unbelievable. The big C had invaded our family once again. My dad had cancer and died back in 1993 and now once again, we face this terribly cruel illness.

After being diagnosed with salivary gland cancer, my sister whose name is Mary, underwent surgery to remove the cancer. The surgery lasted for about 6 hours or more. When she was wheeled out of the recovery room and past the waiting room to the intensive care unit, we actually could not recognize her. Her face was so swollen until it appeared as though she had only one eye located in the middle of her forehead. We questioned each other as to whether it was really her, because we were not sure. When we were finally allowed to visit her, of course, we were advised not to show any emotions in front of her. To go in her room, it was one of the hardest things that I've had to do. I kept my composure as well as the other family members, but it was not easy. To know that they had removed her jawbone and cut a hole in the roof of her mouth where she was administer the radiation treatment, we thought that it couldn't get any worse.

The recovery process was long and tedious being that she had to undergo radiation treatment for 6-8 weeks. As bleak as things looked in her life, she never doubted that God would heal her body. She showed that inner strength that you only hear about or read about. She stood the test and was victorious.

After the radiation treatment, her prognosis was good as she continued to heal. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a positive attitude at all times when dealing with such a disease as "salivary gland cancer" or any illness. Your attitude can make all the difference.

Within a month's time, my sister

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