Publication: KXII.com (website of KXII-TV), Denison
DENISON, TEXAS -- A Denison couple is fighting cancer together.
They're using their battle as a source of inspiration -- mentoring other cancer patients at Texas Oncology in Denison and encouraging them to stay positive.
If there's a secret of life, Carl and Mida Weaver seem to have found it.
"Attitude is really an important thing," Carl said.
"The Lord is my strength and my refuge," Mida said.
Through bouts with colon, skin and breast cancer over the past 15 years, they're still going strong.
"I take better care of her though, than she does of me," Carl said with laughter.
But they haven't forgotten that April day back in 1997, when Carl went in for a routine check up, but was instead sent into surgery.
"It was frightening, very frightening. We were just expecting it to be a small problem they could take care of and when he came out and said, 'I'm sorry, it's malignant, it's so bad he can't go home,'" Mida said.
Carl underwent chemo for a year. Then, a few years later, battled skin cancer.
In 2000, they got another diagnosis. This time, it was Mida, with breast cancer.
"We just said we're gunna beat this one too. We beat the last one, so that's the way it's gunna end up," Carl said.
With this Oncologist Imran Siddiqi's help, they're winning the battle.
Siddiqi says the Weaver's have exceptionally positive attitudes.
"To the Weavers and to any family, moral support is very important because we see them for 10-15-20 minutes in the office, okay? But somebody has to be in the home 24/7," Siddiqi said.
Carl and Mida are both in remission, but Mida still undergoes chemo and radiation, taking up to 19 medications daily.
"I don't wanna fight anymore; I don't wanna go through this anymore. And then, he's so sweet and says, 'Come on,' and I think, well, like he says, we've beaten it before," Mida said.
They've been happily married since 1958.
"What's your biggest piece of advice?"
"I would say commitment. First of all, very strongly, you must be committed. You work out the problems, you support each other and uh, we've done that. He's, he's wonderful," Mida said.