We at SurvivorNet know well the importance of a positive attitude and sense of serenity during one’s cancer journey. In fact, many doctors believe that optimism can contribute to a better recovery. And for many cancer survivors, religious faith can play a role in contributing to a healthy mental state. That certainly applies to Beth Chapman, the TV star, mom of two and acclaimed bounty hunter. As she battles Stage 4 cancer, Beth is leaning on her strong Christian faith, continuing to profess her belief that her situation is in God’s hands, rather than her own.
And now Beth must lean on her faith more than ever as she endures an unpleasant family feud with her stepdaughter Lyssa, whom Beth accuses of disrupting her cancer recovery with insensitive Mothers Day slights.
Read MoreThis is great https://t.co/LstYOlsbgT
Beth Chapman (@MrsdogC) June 2, 2019
“This is great”, Beth wrote above Osteen’s affirmation.
In recent weeks, Beth has made clear she’s focusing on the positive as she battles cancer, and is working to reduce stress and worry. This approach is a healthy one, doctors have told SurvivorNet, as an optimistic mental state can aid in cancer recovery.
Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles told SurvivorNet earlier this year that in his travels on medical missions, he’s found that cancer patients with a strong sense of gratitude and peace tend to have the best recoveries.
“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with that kind of gratitude, but in terms of everything,” he said. Dr. Murrell was not referring to Beth’s case. “They’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite, but they live life with– like, I love you to their husband, to their wife, to their kids, knowing that this may be– that they appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this.”
Always suffused with gratitude, Beth has been direct that her life, and her cancer recovery, is now fully in the hands of God and Jesus Christ. In fact, Beth has said her cancer journey is a religious trial during which she must demonstrate the true measure of her devotion.
"I don't go to God and go, 'Why did I get cancer?' she told the church group in Bradenton, Florida on Mothers Day. “He'll roll his eyes at me again, because I know why because this is the ultimate test of faith.”
Beth’s many fans have responded to her expressions of religious devotion with their own professions of faith. Responding to her on Twitter, one fan wrote that “Joel has always been my favorite preacher, he is so kind…soft spoken! Love you Beth! Praying for you daily!”
Another Twitter user simply wrote, “Amen!”
But even as Beth, 51, relies on religion and her innate sense of optimism, her goal of a stress-free life has been sorely tried of late due to her public contretemps with her stepdaughter Lyssa. Beth recently publicly accused Lyssa, 31, of not acknowledging her on Mothers Day, of not inviting her or Dog to Dog’s granddaughter Abbie’s high school graduation, and of blocking Dog and Beth on social media.
(Lyssa denies all these allegations, and has fired back at Beth, calling her an attention-seeking liar. Beth in turn has continued to decry and insult Lyssa. At one point, Beth wrote that “Seriously, who gives a f—,” when Lyssa shared on social media that she supported Dustin Duck Campbell on the reality TV program “Naked and Afraid”.)
Beth’s many fans have worried that her disagreements with Lyssa could harm Beths’ cancer recovery. While Beth has publicly thanked her fans for their support (while casting more shade at Lyssa), Lyssa has profanely insulted online commenters who’ve questioned her choice to engage in a dispute with a cancer survivor.
Beth has been very open about her cancer battle this time around and the ups and downs of facing cancer in the public eye. She was diagnosed with cancer for a second time in late 2018. Initially she was diagnosed with throat cancer, went into remission, but was later diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. And even though she's been open about the journey she is on over the past few months, and implied in May that she’d abandoned chemo ,it's unclear what kind of treatment she is (possibly) instead undergoing.
And for many weeks, Beth has been expressing deep religious faith as she faces cancer. In May, she posted an inspiring religious quote from the New Testament: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", accompanied by a block quote about refusing to quit and a picture of a male lion and his cub.
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Dr. Murrell, speaking to SurvivorNet, described faith and gratitude as a powerful way to fight cancer.
“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with that kind of gratitude, but in terms of everything,” he said. “Like, they’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite, but they live life with– like, I love you to their husband, to their wife, to their kids, knowing that this may be– that they appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this.”
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