Last September marked an important milestone for Miriam Senges. Her lung cancer hadn鈥檛 come back: 鈥淓verything looked okay.鈥�

A year earlier, she had completed treatments for her latest cancer 鈥� her fourth cancer.

Three years in a row, she couldn鈥檛 make it through spring without a new cancer diagnosis 鈥� before the lung cancer was bladder cancer, and the year before that, kidney cancer.

And that wasn鈥檛 the first. She was told she had breast cancer in 2010.

That first diagnosis was followed by two years of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

She doesn鈥檛 want you to understand what she鈥檚 been going through 鈥� because she believes you can鈥檛 really understand without going through it yourself.

鈥淎nd I wouldn鈥檛 wish it on anybody,鈥� she said.

Nevertheless, she keeps trying to explain. That鈥檚 why she accepted a request to speak at the 91原创 Relay for Life, at McLeod Athletic Park, on Friday, June 9.

Lynne Robinson of the Relay committee recently contacted her, telling her that the Relay always starts with a speaker who tells their story of surviving cancer.

Usually the speaker shares having survived one cancer, she told Miriam, 鈥淏ut she said, 鈥榊ou need to share your four cancers.鈥欌��

Miriam agreed. Relay has done a lot for her and for many others. 鈥淎 lot of headway鈥� has been gained against cancer because of money raised for the Canadian Cancer Society through 91原创鈥檚 and other communities鈥� Relay events, she pointed out.

She won鈥檛 only be speaking on June 9, she鈥檒l take a victory lap around the track, along with many others who already do understand what she鈥檚 been going through. They鈥檒l all be wearing yellow shirts 鈥� cancer survivor shirts.

This will be her fifth time on the Relay track.

Joining the relay was initially her daughter-in-law Alison鈥檚 idea. Alison felt it would be a good idea for Miriam to get out and join other cancer survivors and experience the public support for the fight against cancer.

It was 2013, months after her treatments for breast cancer were completed.

But after signing up for the Relay as a breast cancer survivor, she learned that she was 鈥済oing through it鈥� again.

She had gone to Emergency with blood in her urine, and the diagnosis was kidney cancer. Doctors decided the best course of action was to take out the diseased organ.

She actually walked the track with her cancerous kidney, before it was surgically removed.

Removal of the kidney was expected to be the end of it鈥� but the following year it was discovered that the cancer had gone to her bladder.

She was in surgery for seven hours for a hysterectomy and removal of her bladder.

Adjusting to life without a bladder 鈥� learning to deal with a stoma and an ostomy bag 鈥� 鈥渋sn鈥檛 fun,鈥� she understated.

And then a year later, in 2015, doctors discovered a nodule on Miriam鈥檚 lung.

The nodule turned out to be a secondary cancer related to the kidney that had been removed two years previous.

Her suspicion that there鈥檚 a genetic component to her cancers is supported by the fact her father died of kidney, bladder, and lung cancer.

Spring has become a difficult time of year for her.

鈥淓very spring I鈥檇 been finding these wonderful things,鈥� she said. 鈥淥nce you鈥檙e in the cancer club any aches and pains make you wonder.鈥�

But the Relay for Life has been 鈥渁 kind of therapy for me.鈥�

鈥淚n 2010 no one walked alongside me to say, 鈥楾his is chemo, and this is what鈥檚 going to happen to you.鈥欌��

Now she wants to walk alongside those who are going through some of what she has dealt with. She wants to be there for them, to reassure them if she can. She wants to help others get through it.

鈥淩elay is very emotional. I sometimes break down when I talk about it鈥︹��

At that point, she stopped and took a moment to recompose herself before continuing.

鈥淲alking that track is very powerful, with all those yellow shirts鈥︹��

Another short break in the interview.

She also finds some therapy in a blog that she started writing after her fourth cancer diagnosis.

The blog, at thejourneybymiriam.com, was the idea of her youngest daughter, Victoria. Initially it was a way to keep family and friends updated.

But it has grown beyond that, chronicling her thoughts and experiences dealing with cancer in a compelling and soul-stirring discourse.

She tries to be as positive as she can 鈥� 鈥渁 glass half full kind of person 鈥� but admits, 鈥淪ometimes I have my days鈥︹��

And then: 鈥淚鈥檓 here,鈥� she proclaimed triumphantly.

But it鈥檚 because she鈥檚 not alone. Her 鈥済reat鈥� husband, Randy, has been with her 鈥渆very step of the way.鈥�

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be here without him.鈥�

She and Randy just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been together since I was 15,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have got through this without him. He鈥檚 always been there, beside me鈥� through sickness and in health.鈥�

She also attributes her survival to 鈥渕y great kids and friends, and my faith.鈥�

鈥淢y kids have been amazing,鈥� said the 54-year-old mother of three.

She noted that hard times tend either to bring families together or push them apart, pointing out that 鈥渆verybody deals with this in a different way.鈥�

Her oldest children, Matt and Stephanie, were already living on their own when Miriam was first diagnosed with breast cancer 鈥� in fact, she was helping Stephanie plan her wedding while undergoing that first round of treatments.

But she feels that Victoria, 18 years old and in high school at the time, was most directly affected.

鈥淭his has brought us all closer,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have a great extended family, but it鈥檚 really your little family unit that is most affected.鈥�

She sees people around her 鈥� people her age 鈥� worried about 鈥渟o many things鈥� like having enough money for retirement. When your health is taken away, you change.鈥�

鈥淵ou鈥檙e just a changed person when you go through this,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 explain it. You can鈥檛 understand it without going through it. Now I take the time to look at the birds, you know?鈥�

鈥淪ometimes I feel like an old soul,鈥� she mused. 鈥淵ou have to enjoy every day just living.鈥�

Miriam Senges will talk about her journey at the opening of Relay. She鈥檚 scheduled to take the podium at 6:30 p.m., about 15 minutes before she joins all the other yellow-shirted survivors for another victory lap.

And then Team Senges will take part in the 91原创 Relay for Life until it finishes up at midnight. Their team includes Miriam and Randy, their kids Victoria, Stephanie, and her spouse, Andrew, and Matt and his spouse, Alison, and more family and friends.