American Bedu: Fighting cancer with faith.

Summary: Carol Fleming Al-Ajroush -- aka American Bedu, the American blogger -- is a recognizable name in the Kingdom. Her bold and true portrayal of Saudi Society and expats' issues in her blog (which she started in 2006) make her an outstanding writer and a human right activist. What makes her more outstanding is her courage of fighting cancer for the past three years -- her breast cancer and her husband's leukemia.

By AMBER SHAHID, LIFE.STYLE@ARABNEWS.COM

Since the world is observing October as Breast Cancer Awareness month, Arab News corresponded with Carol via e-mail to know how the life of a breast cancer patient is. Her story is that of courage, love and hope.

Carol is a 51-year-old ex-US diplomat (for 20 years) and widow of Saudi diplomat, Abdullah Othman Al-Ajroush.

Due to the extensive family history of cancer of all types in both her maternal and paternal sides, Carol was aware of cancers, particularly, breast cancer.

"By the time I reached my 40s, however, I guess I naively considered myself safe," she said, given that she is the youngest of four daughters of whom none were diagnosed.

Carol was diligent in performing a monthly self-exam. In fact, that is how she found the initial lump in June 2008, which led her to perform a mammogram. With the diagnosis, she admitted there was an initial reaction of shock and fear.

"My grandmother, aunts and cousin died of breast cancer. My cousin was only 31 years old and she had two young children! These thoughts ran through my mind when I learned of my …