AMERICUS — It seems that Paula Adams has always faced cancer in one way or the other.

Yet, she remains optimistic and hopeful everyday, one day at a time, with the support and prayers of many and the love her family.

Both of Adams’ parents had the dreaded disease, and she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in August 2004.

Having defeated that, she found out in April that she had bone cancer. However, the cancer has been confined to her right arm, and she can barely use it. She said she doesn’t drive long distances, because it’s hard for her to maneuver the steering wheel.

“I was crocheting an afghan for my daughter for her wedding, and my hand hurt so bad, I had to put it down,” Adams said.

The diagnoses came after two MRIs, two bone scans and a bone biopsy. Her arm and hand were swollen the day of the interview.

Of her experience with breast cancer, Adams said she was in Wal-Mart and she told her husband Mike Adams that she had to call the doctor to get her test results. She had gone to the doctor, after she discovered a suspicious lump doing her self-breast examination.

“I did and they said, ‘He’ll have to call you back,’” Adams said, with a radiant smile.

When her cell phone rang again, it was the doctor and he said, “It’s breast cancer.” Stage four breast cancer, to be exact.

Adams got off the phone and turned to her husband and told him she had cancer. She added that on the way home, she cried.

“I told my husband when we got home, ‘I have cancer — but it doesn’t have me,’” Adams said.

She was determined to fight it. Adams said she was determined to beat it then — and she’s determined to beat it now.

During her treatments, Adams would encourage patients who were depressed about their cancer situation.

Having undergone treatments of radiation and chemotherapy, Adams was cancer free for two years, before she learned she had bone cancer in April. The doctors told her that the likelihood was great that her cancer would return.

Adams said the doctors told her that her bone cancer was “treatable. If you have cancer, you have cancer.”