By Nancy Eshelman

Someone should hire Keevah Brown as a spokeswoman for the importance of colonoscopy. She gave into a friend's nagging, underwent the test in January and learned she had Stage 3 rectal cancer. There had been no signs, no signals, just a friend who insisted the test was important for a woman in her 50s.

Now Keevah has finished chemotherapy and is planning to tackle life head on after she undergoes surgery in December. Keeping Keevah down just isn't an option.

B.C. -- that's Before Cancer -- Keevah, who lives in Harrisburg, was a workaholic with 32 years in the food service industry. Her other passion was the outdoors. She could often be found riding her bike or hiking trails, including those at Wildwood Park.

"I was always a very energetic, live life type of person," she said.

Keevah, whose name means "protector," describes herself as very spiritual, religious and independent. Asking for and accepting help were extremely difficult, she said.

She is especially grateful for a sister who has walked every step of her cancer journey with her. She's grateful she could continue working until May. And she was grateful to find Vickie's Angels willing to pay her rent, car payment and insurance during her treatment.

Taking help, even when it's generously offered, just isn't easy for Keevah. So she recently took a part-time job that's allowed her to resume paying her car and insurance payments. More importantly, it's gotten her out of the house and around people, a required medicine for someone with her outgoing personality.

"My main thing," Keevah said, "is I am not a quitter. You just don't give up. That's what I say to people."

B.C. everything was great, Keevah says of her life. And she's convinced great is once again on her horizon.

She's also grateful that she listened to her nagging friend and underwent that colonoscopy.

"If I had waited another year or two, I wouldn't be here," she said.