[Intro]
They gave me twelve months like they owned the calendar
I asked for the scans, the notes, every word in the examiner
No fear in the question, no shame in the doubt
If the door says “finished,” I’m finding another route
[Verse 1]
Doctor said cancer, said the clock got thin
Said one year left, tried to box me in
I took that sentence home, laid it on the table
Read every line twice: “Is this really all that’s available?”
I asked for my records, asked what the numbers meant
Asked which treatment matched the evidence
They called it difficult, called me hard to please
I called it my body, my choice, my disease
Packed a bag, changed hospitals, changed the whole plan
Three hours each way with a thermos in my hand
Six hours on the road for a team that would listen
While the first place counted down, the new place kept me living
[Chorus]
Advocate for yourself, don’t surrender your voice
Get another opinion, make an informed choice
Three hours there, three hours back, I did what I had to do
They gave me one year—years later, I’m still here with you
Fuck a false finish line, fuck a sealed-file decree
Ask what they see, ask what they missed in me
No miracle claim, just a patient standing tall
Bring your questions to the room—you belong in it all
[Verse 2]
I’m not saying every road ends the same way
I’m saying don’t let one rushed answer own your days
Bring somebody with you, write the questions down
Get the pathology checked by a different town
Learn the names, learn the risks, learn the why
Ask what happens if we wait, ask what happens if we try
If the bedside turns cold, find a warmer set of hands
You can respect a doctor and still demand a second plan
The drive was brutal, gas money, traffic, rain
But the miles felt lighter than surrendering my name
Every appointment, every scan, every hard conversation
I turned “one year” into years of negotiation
[Chorus]
Advocate for yourself, don’t surrender your voice
Get another opinion, make an informed choice
Three hours there, three hours back, I did what I had to do
They gave me one year—years later, I’m still here with you
Fuck a false finish line, fuck a sealed-file decree
Ask what they see, ask what they missed in me
No miracle claim, just a patient standing tall
Bring your questions to the room—you belong in it all
[Bridge]
Bring your fear, bring your file, bring the person you trust
Bring the anger if you need it, bring the hope if you must
No shame in changing course when the first route breaks
Your life is not a convenience for somebody else’s mistakes
[Verse 3]
Now I measure time different: coffee, calls, morning air
A joke from my family, somebody waiting there
Years don’t erase the nights I thought I’d disappear
But every extra birthday puts a new line right here
I’m grateful for the team that saw more than a number
For the nurses who stayed when the hallway went under
For the version of me who refused to sit still
Who said, “Explain it again,” and kept asking until
This ain’t a promise, this ain’t medical advice
It’s a hand on your shoulder saying, “Check it twice”
You are more than a prognosis stamped in black
If the answer feels wrong, you’re allowed to ask back
[Final Chorus]
Advocate for yourself, don’t surrender your voice
Get another opinion, make an informed choice
Three hours there, three hours back, I did what I had to do
They gave me one year—years later, I’m still here with you
Fuck a false finish line, fuck a sealed-file decree
Ask what they see, ask what they missed in me
No miracle claim, just a patient standing tall
Bring your questions to the room—you belong in it all
[Outro]
Still here
Still asking
Still choosing
Still living